Summary

Involvement in the political process in the United States is critical for social work professionals, as social policies dictate funding and programming in social work practice. Yet, there is little to no focus given to the regulation writing process in the social work literature in the United States. This article contributes to the scant body of knowledge that addresses the regulatory process from a social work perspective. A brief overview of the regulation writing process is provided, followed by a case study using the regulations for the U.S. Older Americans Act Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program to illustrate the process.

Findings

A total of 85 comments, submitted to the Federal Register docket, were analyzed using content analysis. Findings reveal that comment submissions varied greatly in terms of length, source, and input. Notably, findings indicate low participation from the social work profession.

Application

The open comment period of the regulation writing process offers a free, but effortful, window of opportunity for social workers to engage in post-legislative advocacy. There is a need to support the involvement of the social work profession in the regulation writing process, through practice and training enhancements.

中文翻译：

---

社会工作者通过法规对政策的影响：美国长期护理监察员计划的案例研究

概括

参与美国的政治进程对社会工作专业人员至关重要，因为社会政策决定了社会工作实践中的资金和规划。然而，在美国的社会工作文献中，几乎没有关注法规的编写过程。这篇文章有助于从社会工作的角度解决监管过程的知识匮乏。提供了法规编写过程​​的简要概述，然后是一个案例研究，使用美国老年人法案长期护理监察员计划的法规来说明该过程。

发现

总共有 85 条评论提交给联邦登记册，使用内容分析进行了分析。调查结果显示，评论提交在长度、来源和输入方面差异很大。值得注意的是，调查结果表明社会工作专业的参与度较低。

应用

法规编写过程​​的公开评论期为社会工作者提供了一个免费但努力的机会之窗，以参与立法后的倡导。有必要通过实践和培训增强支持社会工作专业参与法规编写过程​​。