The Social Worker’s Guide to Effective Policy Advocacy: Writing & Placing Op-Eds

On December 5, 2023, Grand Challenges Network Leads and John Beilenson of GCSW’s long-standing communications partners, SCP, held a webinar on writing op-eds as a strategy to influence policy and policymakers. Watch the recording of the webinar here and see sample op-eds below!


Examples of Published Op-Eds:

The Urgency of Public-Impact Scholarship (March 19, 2020) by Lisa Reyes Mason (Create Social Responses to a Changing Environment)

Giving Children Something to Live For (October 13, 2021) by William Elliott III (Build Financial Capability and Assets for All and Reduce Extreme Economic Inequality)

The bipartisan bill that could heal the mental health effects of climate change (May 29, 2023) by Lisa Reyes Mason (Create Social Responses to a Changing Environment)

Where Police Violence Encounters Mental Illness (January 13, 2016) by Matthew Epperson (Promote Smart Decarceration)

Invest in human services workforce to strengthen families, communities (March 26, 2023) by Jennie Romich, Emiko Tajima and Eddie Uehara (Reduce Extreme Economic Inequality)

Why paid leave should be kept in Build Back Better (November 21, 2021) by Jennifer C. Greenfield (Advance Long And Productive Lives)

Guest Commentary: This pandemic underscores why Coloradans need universal paid-family leave (March 11, 2020) by Jennifer C. Greenfield (Advance Long And Productive Lives)

The full picture of poverty in America (October 7, 2022) by David W. Rothwell (Build Financial Capability and Assets for All)

Formerly Incarcerated Individuals are a Crucial Element in Building a Decarceration Movement (November 24, 2015) by Matthew Epperson and Carrie Pettus (Promote Smart Decarceration)

Reducing Illinois prison population is a marathon, not a sprint (June 24, 2016) by Matthew Epperson and Carrie Pettus (Promote Smart Decarceration)

Earth Day and Every Day—Climate Justice Is Social Work (2021) by Lisa Reyes Mason (Create Social Responses to a Changing Environment)

Grand Challenges for Social Work Invites You to Go•Grander!