In Nation’s Capital, Students Learn to Advance Legislative Action

“I believe social workers are uniquely equipped to advocate for the genuine needs of the clients we see every day because we’re in direct contact with the individuals and communities we serve,” said Abiola Brooks, MSW ’25. She is one of 15 NYU Silver MSW and DSW students who honed their legislative policy analysis and advocacy skills in our intensive Advanced Social Policy course in Washington, DC this past spring.

Over six days in the nation’s capital and two pre-departure classes, the students researched issues, identified bills they wanted to champion and honed their advocacy messages. They met with national organizations and social workers doing policy work to learn what that really looks like. Ultimately, they fanned out in teams across the Senate and House office buildings to advocate on legislation related to Medicaid funding, affordable housing, aid for refugees, and reproductive rights.

Jessie Berliner, MSW ’26, who aspires to be an elected official, enrolled in the course expecting to gain experience in legislative advocacy and to build connections with social workers doing policy work. She said the class more than met her expectations. “It helped me take ownership of my own agency in a really different way. As social workers, we spend so much time focusing on our client’s power, which is very valuable. This experience hammered home my own power as well.”

Danielle Wendricks, MSW ’26, Mitsy Jean-Louis, MSW ’25, Isis Beauregard-Coaxum, MSW ’26, Abiola Brooks, MSW ’25, Congressman Ritchie Torres, and Stuart Donaldson, MSW/MPH ’27

Building a Strong Foundation

NYU Silver has offered the Advanced Social Policy course in Washington, DC, since 2015. This year it had special resonance, said Assistant Professor Dale Maglalang, who led the course in partnership with Silver’s Director of Global and Lifelong Learning, Dr. Ben Sher. “A lot of services and issues that clients and communities we serve rely upon are having funding rescinded and policies changed at a rapid pace. It was really important for our students to be at the Capitol advocating for issues that they interact with and are passionate about.”

Preparation for their advocacy efforts began in New York, where students chose the topics their teams would focus on, identified the legislation they would address, and researched their stances. They also participated in workshops on writing compelling policy briefs facilitated by Lydia Franz from The Institute for College Access and Success and conducting effective legislative visits led by Sadalia King from Catalyst California.

In class sessions at NYU Washington, DC, they refined their talking points and practiced for their meetings. “Dr. Sher and I went to each group and had them do a mock legislative visit,” said Dr. Magalalang. “We reinforced that they were only going to be meeting with each Congressmember, Senator or their staff for about 15 minutes, so how do you craft your message and make sure that it’s impactful within a short time period?”

Student-Directed Curriculum

While Dr. Maglalang designed the curriculum, it was shaped by student input. “I asked the students what they wanted to get out of the course beyond core legislative analysis and advocacy skills,” Dr. Maglalang explained. “They expressed interest in translating clinical training into policy advocacy, connecting with social workers doing macro work in Washington, DC and hearing from advocates who had success in passing legislation.”

As a result, Dr. Sher gave a lecture drawing on bringing clinical skills into macro work. Dr. Maglalang organized a conversation with Jesse Rabinowitz, Campaign and Communication Director at the National Homeless Law Center, and Brittany Kitt, Associate State Director, Advocacy and Outreach at AARP. Government relations experts Jen Smulson and Jenn Scully presented on a six-year effort they spearheaded that led to passage of federal suicide prevention legislation.

Students also met with staff at the headquarters of the National Alliance to End Homelessness and National Association of Social Workers to learn about their legislative agendas. “They really appreciated those meetings because the organizations didn’t beat around the bush in terms of the current political environment,” said Dr. Maglalang. 

Berliner recalled that in one meeting, a peer asked how the organization sets priorities. “They were really blunt about how it depends on what’s happening politically. In an ideal situation they would be able to plan ahead proactively. Currently it’s very much what’s happening in the moment and reacting to that, which is important to be prepared for.”

Elvia Asencio DSW ’27, Grace Downs-Liguori, DSW ’25, Josie Elliker, MSW ’25, and Kaitlyn Chavez, MSW ’25

Getting Experience on the Hill

Mid-week, the students attended the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work & Policy’s annual Social Work Day on the Hill. There they heard from social workers who are legislators, professors and practitioners talk about the role of social work in policy and their journeys into advocacy. One of the highlights, said Dr. Maglalang, was meeting former Congressman Edolphus “Ed” Towns of Brooklyn, who founded the Congressional Social Work Caucus. “It was great for the students to hear what it was like for him as a social worker serving in Congress for 30 years, and how his social work training helped guide him.”

Amidst all their meetings and classes, students also had an opportunity to explore Washington, DC. In addition to sightseeing they did on their own, Dr. Sher organized group tours of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and Monuments by Moonlight.

Finally the students made their legislative visits, which were arranged for them by NYU Government Affairs. The advocates for Medicaid funding met with aides to Congressman Josh Gottheimer and Senator Cory Booker. The team promoting aid for refugees met with aides to Senator Bill Hagerty and Congressman Tom Suozzi. Those promoting reproductive rights met aids to Congressman Richard Neal and Senator Edward Markey and the students supporting affordable housing met with Congressman Ritchie Torres and aides to Congressman Adam Smith. Each group included at least one constituent of the legislator whose office they were meeting with.

Alexia Reed, MSW ’25, Andrew Cary, MSW ’26, and Kate Deegan, MSW ’25

Developing Unexpected Skills

Brooks, who was part of the affordable housing group, said she and her peers were so nervous about the visits they probably over-prepared. They were advocating for passage of H.R. 1981, the Choice in Affordable Housing Act, with a series of amendments to strengthen its impact. “We were nervous about how to convey everything we wanted in just 15 minutes, so we memorized our scripts to make every second count. But when we met with Congressman Adam Smith’s legislative assistants and my own Representative, Congressman Ritchie Torres, and his team, they were incredibly kind and down-to-earth.” 

More challenging for Brooks than the visits themselves was negotiating the stance on the bill with her four teammates. In her work with low-income people in the Bronx, she sees clients who routinely have their Housing Choice Vouchers (also known as Section 8) rejected by landlords. Rather than supporting H.R. 1981, which incentivizes landlords to participate in the Section 8 program, she wanted an amendment to the Fair Housing Act to explicitly prohibit income discrimination and force landlords to accept the vouchers. However, some other students in the group suggested that landlords’ resistance might stem from concerns or experiences worth exploring. Ultimately the group compromised. In addition to supporting the bill, they proposed amendments to counter stigma against voucher holders, prevent unwarranted evictions, inform potential program improvements and foster tenant success.

“The most valuable skill I learned was the ability to find common ground,” Brooks said. “I realized that sometimes you have to focus on the end goal—in this case, getting people into homes they can afford. In social work, advocacy can mean working toward practical solutions that move us closer to the bigger picture, rather than trying to dismantle everything at once.”

Jessie Berliner, MSW ’26, Stella Su, MSW ’25, and Claire Tetro, MSW ’25

Having an Impact

Berliner was part of the reproductive rights group, which met with Abby McGovern, an aide to her hometown Representative, Congressman Neal, and Ali Reza-Reyes, an aide to Senator Markey. They advocated against H.R. 599/S.177 and H.R. 271/S.203, which would defund Planned Parenthood.

Berliner brought along a photo of her parents and herself with Congressman Neal taken during a childhood visit to the Capitol. It forged an instant connection with Ms. McGovern, who said that Congressman Neal loves to get pictures. “Even though the Congressmember and Senator already support our position, I do think that they really took away our passion for it,” said Berliner. “I think that sometimes the most valuable thing is to let them know that people really care.”

Dr. Maglalang noted that students met with legislators from both sides of the aisle, some who supported their positions and others who didn’t or were undecided. They also recognized that they were part of much larger movements and were unlikely to single handedly change a legislator’s mind. “I told the students that the fact that you’re going to their office in Washington as a constituent keeps these issues on their radar. It reminds them that the issues are important for people they represent,” he said.