NASW Priorities on Faith-Based Human Services Initiatives

January 2002

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) remains cautious about H.R. 7, the "Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Act." The social work profession and social workers themselves have a long history of providing services within religious institutions; and President Bush's initiative may pose serious challenges to this historical relationship. The portion of the bill commonly referred to as "Charitable Choice" would allow the government to allocate funds to religious charities. This would enable churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship to receive government contracts while retaining their religious character. While NASW recognizes the importance of these organizations in assisting those in need, it is concerned about government-funded organizations proselytizing to people seeking aid. Another concern of NASW is that H.R. 7, in its current form, authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to change grant aid programs to voucher programs. While vouchers might help to maintain the separation of church and state, this policy has the potential of wreaking havoc with the budgets of organizations that are dependent upon grants from the federal government to fund their programs. Social service has its roots in charitable-voluntary agencies and social workers are often involved in the staffing, administration, and evaluation of these agencies. NASW maintains that a complementary relationship between public and private resources is necessary to sustain the network of services that is essential to maintain, encourage, develop, and promote family and individual well being. However, the association also believes that any public-private partnership must uphold certain fundamental principles of social service delivery:

• Access to Services. Social services must be available, accessible, and offered in a way that encourages voluntary use. NASW does not support the exercise of any arbitrary criteria, including gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, religion, political views, race, ethnic or national origin, to limit service access. Any new publicly funded, faith-based organization must provide services in an inclusive and non-discriminatory manner. Existing non-profit social service agencies must not be disadvantaged with respect to funding because they are not faith-based organizations. Accountability. The Administration's emphasis on results and the dissemination of results is timely. Social service systems must contain the mechanisms to provide maximum accountability. Funding sources, policy-making bodies, administrators, service personnel, and consumers should have access to regular and precise information about the operations, trends, problems, and results of the services that are delivered. All publicly funded providers should be held to the same high standards. Appropriate Staffing. NASW supports the efforts of faith-based organizations in providing the basic necessities of life to people in need. However, families and individuals in crisis often face multiple, complex problems and issues. Staff should be trained, competent and qualified to deliver social services to individuals and families facing a life crisis. NASW believes that all social service agencies, particularly those receiving public funding, must adhere to accreditation standards, licensing laws, and other regulatory mechanisms that protect consumers and ensure quality service delivery. Separation of Church and State. NASW strongly supports the constitutional principle of separation of church and state. NASW maintains that the expression of religious belief is a personal and private matter that should be neither constrained nor promoted by the government in any way. NASW opposes the use of tax policy, administrative regulations, or the distribution of government funds to support organized religion in any manner. Within the faith-based initiative, safeguards must be implemented to assure that services are appropriately coordinated, provided by qualified individuals and without requirements for religious observance. Provisions must also be included that prohibit discriminatory practices in agency employment and in access to services.
• Maintaining Government Responsibility. NASW reaffirms the essential role of government in developing policies and programs that expand opportunities, address social and economic justice, improve the quality of life of all people in this country, and enhance the social conditions of this nation's communities. NASW reaffirms its commitment to the promotion of the positive role of government as serving as the guarantor of the social safety net. The faith-based initiative should not create the expectation that private charity will substitute for public service funding, nor result in a reduction of currently supported programs.

As the President's faith-based initiative continues to take shape, social workers, with their long history of delivering services in both sectarian and non-sectarian organizations, will be involved in efforts to ensure that the initiative embodies these fundamental principles.

January 2002
NASW Government Relations and Political Action