You can't advocate for your clients if they don't have a voice in the systems that affect them. Section 6.02 of the NASW Code of Ethics makes this simple: social workers should help people participate meaningfully in shaping the policies and institutions that impact their lives. Not just voting—real participation.
Here's the official standard:
6.02 Public Participation
Social workers should facilitate informed participation by the public in shaping social policies and institutions.
This might be the shortest section in the entire Code of Ethics, but don't let that fool you—it packs a punch. This standard is about civic engagement, community organizing, and making sure that the people most affected by policies have a real voice in creating them.
Notice the word "informed." It's not enough to just encourage people to participate. Social workers have an ethical obligation to help people understand the issues, know their options, and engage meaningfully rather than just showing up unprepared.
Educate people about issues that affect them
If your clients are struggling with housing costs, help them understand local zoning laws, rent control policies, and affordable housing initiatives. If they're dealing with healthcare access issues, explain how insurance policies work and what advocacy efforts are happening.
Make participation accessible
Remove barriers that prevent people from engaging. This might mean providing childcare during community meetings, offering translation services, scheduling events at times when working people can attend, or helping people navigate complex bureaucratic processes.
Connect people to opportunities for engagement
Know what's happening in your community—city council meetings, public hearings, advocacy organizations, voter registration drives. Then help people find the right entry points for their interests and capacity.
Support community organizing efforts
Sometimes individual participation isn't enough. Help people understand how to work collectively, build coalitions, and organize for change. This might mean connecting people with existing organizations or helping them start new ones.
Amplify marginalized voices
The people most affected by social policies are often the least likely to have their voices heard in traditional political processes. Social workers should actively work to ensure that these perspectives are included in policy discussions.
Information alone isn't enough
An ASWB question might present a social worker who simply hands out voter guides and considers their job done. The ethical response involves ongoing support, skill-building, and addressing barriers to meaningful participation.
Cultural competence applies to civic engagement
You might see a question about working with immigrant communities who may have different relationships with government institutions. The best answers involve understanding cultural contexts and building trust gradually.
Professional boundaries still matter
Expect questions about social workers who cross the line from facilitating participation to telling people how to vote or what positions to take. The ethical response maintains neutrality while building capacity for informed decision-making.
Participation takes many forms
A question might test whether you understand that public participation isn't just voting—it includes community meetings, public comment periods, advocacy campaigns, and grassroots organizing.
Don't assume people want to participate
You could see scenarios where social workers pressure reluctant clients to engage politically. The ethical response respects people's right to choose their level of involvement while ensuring they have the information to make informed decisions.
Workplace constraints require creativity
Questions may involve social workers in government agencies or other settings with restrictions on political activity. The best answers often involve finding appropriate ways to fulfill this obligation within legitimate boundaries.
Here's a practice question based upon this material:
A community social worker notices that many of her Spanish-speaking clients are unaware of upcoming city council hearings about cuts to social services that would directly affect them. The hearings are conducted only in English with no interpretation services provided. What should the social worker do to fulfill her ethical obligations?
A. Provide her clients with the meeting schedule and encourage them to attend if they're interested.
B. Attend the hearings herself and advocate on behalf of her clients' interests.
C. Focus on helping clients access existing services rather than getting involved in policy advocacy.
D. Work with community organizations to provide interpretation services and help clients prepare to participate.
Narrowing down: A provides information but doesn't address accessibility barriers. B substitutes the social worker's voice for her clients' voices. C ignores the ethical obligation to facilitate public participation. The correct answer is D.
Why? Section 6.02 requires social workers to facilitate informed participation by the public. This means addressing barriers (language, in this case) and providing support for meaningful engagement. The correct response combines accessibility (interpretation) with preparation (helping people understand the issues and process).
This standard can feel daunting, especially for social workers who don't see themselves as political organizers. But remember: you're not being asked to run campaigns or become a lobbyist. You're being asked to help people understand how decisions get made and how they can have a voice in those decisions. That's fundamentally about empowerment and self-determination—core social work values.
Individual level: Teaching clients how to research candidates before elections, explaining how public comment periods work, helping people prepare testimony for hearings.
Group level: Organizing community forums where people can learn about issues, facilitating workshops on civic engagement, connecting people with similar concerns.
Systems level: Advocating for more accessible public meetings, pushing for citizen advisory committees, supporting policies that remove barriers to participation.
Community level: Partnering with schools, libraries, and community centers to host civic education events, supporting voter registration drives, helping people understand ballot initiatives.
Section 6.02 recognizes that social justice doesn't happen automatically. It requires active, informed participation by people who understand the issues and know how to engage effectively. Social workers are uniquely positioned to build those bridges between individuals and the democratic processes that shape their lives. The exam will test whether you understand that facilitating participation is both an ethical obligation and a practical tool for creating change.
Ready to practice more scenarios? SWTP's practice exams include questions that test your understanding of social workers' wide variety of responsibilities and how they intersect with direct practice.
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