When a policy is launched, its success is dependent on a variety of stakeholders. As the politics of decision makers, executives, staff, clients, and social workers begin to influence the implementation process, their beliefs—and subsequent actions—determine the fate of the policy.

Often a social worker must step out of the comfort of his or her social service world and may find himself or herself making difficult decisions about ethical issues and/or may find himself or herself involved in implementing policies that he or she feels is against his or her social work values. How does a social worker handle the intricacies and challenges of policy implementation on both a personal and professional level?

In this Discussion, you explore policy implementation and the challenges faced by social workers during policy implementation.

Post your thoughts on whether social workers might try to undermine the implementation of specific policies. What ethical issues might they confront? Discuss how social workers can implement policies that they feel may be against their social work values. Discuss a specific policy’s impact that you would try to mitigate in the implementation phase. Provide an experience you have had with a policy you had difficulty implementing or a policy you are aware of that you would have serious qualms about implementing.