Understanding the policy context requires an examination of the societal beliefs and assumptions about people, as well as a consideration of their issues and possible solutions. A social policy refers to public or governmental authorities’ decisions made in regard to allocating resources, duties, and rights (Laureate Education, 2013). Royal Garden Adult Medical Daycare Center’s policy context is directly related to the existing social issues and aims to address and solve them.
Social workers’ and social work educators’ effort is crucial for raising awareness about human rights. As Libal et al. (2011) state, social work can draw the attention of stakeholders to the structural inequalities that people face in the US. For instance, the policy context of the Royal Garden Adult Medical Daycare Center in Maryland considers the participants’ need for a welcoming and safe environment to prevent hospitalization. The institution’s policy adheres to the principle of providing health-related services that allow people to feel comfortable and valuable within their homes and communities.
According to Garthwait (2017), social welfare policies primarily address “the social well-being of people and the relationships between various groups within society” (p. 98). In this regard, the Royal Garden Adult Medical Daycare Center is a participant-licensed facility that provides services in accordance with licensing requirements. The medical daycare center must meet Maryland’s certification standards and the Medicaid program requirements to operate. Therefore, the services provided by Royal Garden Adult Medical Daycare Center enable the participants to receive health care while maintaining meaningful and comfortable lives in their community.
To summarize, understanding the institution’s policy context is crucial in regard to addressing social problems. The goal of social policies is to set the standards of service provision and measure their effectiveness. In particular, vulnerable populations such as seniors or people requiring medical care must be protected in the context of welfare policies. Furthermore, social work educators play a crucial role in raising awareness of the issues and inequalities in society.
References
Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students. In C. L. Garthwait (Ed.), The Social Policy Context of Practice (7th ed., pp. 97-108). Pearson.
Laureate Education. (Executive Producer). (2013). Policy context [Audio file]. Web.
Libal, K., Mapp, S. C., Ihrig, E., & Ron, A. (2011). The United Nations Convention on the rights of the child: Children can wait for no longer for their rights. Social Work, 56(4), 367–370.