This textbook is designed to help students develop the nine core social work competencies outlined by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in its 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Visit the 2022 EPAS website to learn more about these standards and competencies.

Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World, Second Edition offers an engaging, student-friendly approach that links policy and practice, while employing a critical analytic lens to U.S. social welfare policy. With particular attention to disparities based on class, race/ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation and gender, Shannon R. Lane, Elizabeth S. Palley, and Corey S. Shdaimah assess the impact of policies at the micro, meso, and macro levels. The authors provide a brief foundation in history, the policy process, and theory, while primarily helping students understand how policy shapes their lives, communities, and clients. Connecting description, theoretical analysis, and advocacy, this text challenges readers to critically assess policy development, its consequences, and future implications. Students will come away with a newfound understanding of how to use the political process to address social justice issues and advocate for meaningful policy change.