5002-How the New Deal and Social Security Act impacted the social work profession

Week 6 Overview: The Depression: A Crisis for the New Profession, 1930–1945 As you work through this week's activities, keep the following questions in mind: What were the goals of the New Deal and Social Security Act, and to what extent did these policies achieve their goals? How was the social work profession impacted during this period as a result of new social policies? How do you plan to approach your policy analysis as you examine both the intended and unintended impacts of your chosen policy? This week, we cover the Great Depression and the New Deal period, from 1930 to 1945. During this decade, the U.S. national government's response to need significantly shifted, as it became clear, due to the Great Depression and the collapse of the country's economic infrastructure, that poverty and deprivation were not individual and familial shortcomings and failures. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies and programs, intended to be short-term responses to need, became the foundation of the U.S. social welfare policies and programs framework. The Social Security Act of 1935 began federal support for social insurance and public assistance programs that exist today. Week 6 Discussion: Continue Your Discussion For this discussion, discuss how the New Deal and Social Security Act impacted the social work profession. Here are some ideas to get you started: How did the Social Security Act change the ways in which the social work profession operated? How did the New Deal and the Social Security Act impact different socioeconomic groups? To what extent were these impacts equitable? What are the differences between the functional and diagnostic orientations to social work practice? Reflect on what, if any, evidence there was of considerations that would today be related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and how that might be impacting current social work policies and practices.