Tanya Rhodes Smith

Instructor in Residence and Director, Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work University of Connecticut

  • West Hartford CT

Tanya Rhodes Smith specializes in policy development, nonprofit administration, voter engagement and legislative advocacy.

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3 min

Every Voice and Vote Matters

It's the right of every citizen and with a presidential election less than two weeks away, a team of social workers from UConn are working to make sure every voice is heard as the U.S. choses a new leader on Nov. 5. Voting Is Social Work a campaign led by Tanya Rhodes Smith, director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work at the UConn School of Social Work is getting a lot of attention for its work engaging social workers to help empower some of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised groups to get registered and cast their ballots in local elections. “Voting is complicated, and it’s intimidating, especially for vulnerable populations, like the unhoused, the formerly incarcerated, or those living in congregate care,” says Rhodes Smith. “We know that being a non-voter is a very isolating space, because voting is highly relational. Campaigns generally ignore non-voters— you don’t get campaign materials, or someone knocking on your door. Information on candidates in state and local elections in communities with low turnout can be very hard to find or even nonexistent.” That’s where social workers, explains Rhodes Smith, can play an important role in helping disenfranchised voters understand their rights – and register to vote. Money, Power, and Resources As co-founders since 2015, UConn’s Humphreys Institute has been the institutional home for Voting Is Social Work. Also known as the National Social Work Voter Mobilization Campaign, Voting Is Social Work supports nonpartisan voter engagement as central to social work’s mission, ethical mandate, and impact. “We’ve always believed that social work has the power to transform democracy,” says Rhodes Smith, “and we believe every social worker – and social service agency – should include nonpartisan voter engagement into their practice and work. Because we reach non-voters – those who are least likely to vote.” October 16 UConn Today It's an initiative catching attention across the country. Research has linked voting to higher earning and education, better health outcomes, and lower rates of recidivism. But education is key, particularly for individuals with special circumstances, like the formerly incarcerated, people living in congregate care, and the unhoused. Homelessness comes with a new, unique set of challenges during an election cycle. However, homeless residents have protections, including voting rights. Nationwide, only 10% of unhoused people vote each year, according to the Institute of Political Social Work at the University of Connecticut. Many social workers in Connecticut are working to educate unhoused residents about their voting rights, according to UConn Social Work professor Tanya Rhodes Smith, director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work. “When you ask somebody if they would like to check their voter registration, they may say, ‘I'm not eligible,’ or ‘I've never voted,’ and that's really important information for you to know,” Rhodes Smith said. “It really tells a story about them.” About 60% of eligible voters turnout in presidential election years, but increasing voting rates is important for local elections as well, Rhodes Smith said. “When you have 10% to 15% [voter turnout], that's not an accountable government, that's a government that's accountable to the 10% to 15%,” Rhodes Smith said. “We've seen it over and over in Bridgeport, that nothing changes because that turnout rate doesn't go up, and so there is no accountability when you have an unhealthy democracy.” October 10 WNPR Looking to know more about this important work? If so, let us help. Tanya Rhodes Smith specializes in policy development, nonprofit administration, voter engagement and legislative advocacy. She's available to speak with media about this important topic simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview.

Tanya Rhodes Smith

Biography

Tanya Rhodes Smith, MSW is an Instructor in Residence at the School of Social Work. She teaches in the policy practice concentration in the areas of program planning and evaluation, political advocacy and political social work. Tanya is the director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work. Her areas of specialization include policy development, nonprofit administration, voter engagement and legislative advocacy.

Areas of Expertise

Social Work Education
Nonpartisan Voter Registration
Electoral Participation
Social Workers in Elected Office
Voter Registration, Education and Outreach in Community Agencies
Political Advocacy
Nonprofit Administration
Voter Disenfranchisement

Education

University of Connecticut

MSW

Social Work

2000

University of Connecticut

B.S.

Economics, Math

1988

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Affiliations

  • Social Venture Partners CT : Partner
  • TheConnectedCitizen.org : Co-founder
  • Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition : Board Member and co-chair Public Policy Committee
  • School Volunteer Associates Bridgeport : Student Mentor

Social

Media

Media Appearances

CT social workers push to educate unhoused residents on voting rights

WNPR  radio

2024-10-10

Many social workers in Connecticut are working to educate unhoused residents about their voting rights, according to UConn Social Work professor Tanya Rhodes Smith, director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work.

“When you ask somebody if they would like to check their voter registration, they may say, ‘I'm not eligible,’ or ‘I've never voted,’ and that's really important information for you to know,” Rhodes Smith said. “It really tells a story about them.”

About 60% of eligible voters turnout in presidential election years, but increasing voting rates is important for local elections as well, Rhodes Smith said.

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Opinion: Voting is power. Make it easier.

The Connecticut Mirror  online

2022-10-30

On November 8, Connecticut voters will decide whether our state should consider early voting. Unlike most states, our state Constitution limits voting in each election to one day. The only way for the Connecticut General Assembly to consider early voting here is if Connecticut voters choose YES to the ballot question: “Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to permit the General Assembly to provide for early voting?”

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Episode 92: Healthy Democracy, Healthy People

UConn 360 Podcast  online

2022-03-09

This week, we sit down with Tanya Rhodes Smith, director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work in the UConn School of Social Work. She tells us about how social work is inherently political, how social workers can help make positive changes for individuals and society, and how research indicates that higher rates of voter participation correlate with better overall health in people. Also, back by semi-popular demand, we journey into the mists of UConn’s past for a new installment of something we’re not calling Tom’s History Corner.

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Articles

The Voter Engagement Model: Preparing the Next Generation of Social Workers for Political Practice

Journal of Social Work Education

2021

Although voting is a fundamental mechanism through which Americans engage with their democracy, social workers often do not see it as a valid component of practice. Voting is an important source of political power and provides a means to ensure equitable representation. Educating social work students on how they can encourage voter engagement within practice is an important step to rectifying this missed opportunity. This article describes the implementation of a voter engagement model in social work education. Pre- and post-tests from 475 participants demonstrate the efficacy of this model in increasing social work students’ perceived importance of voting to their practice, their likelihood of voting in future elections, and their likelihood of engaging others in voting in future elections.

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Training Social Workers for Political Engagement: Exploring Regional Differences in the United States

Journal of Teaching in Social Work

2020

Social workers are challenged by the profession’s Code of Ethics to engage in social and political action to create social change, and social work education is challenged by our Code and accreditation standards to prepare students for this challenge. Social policy instructors often need to adapt teaching methods in order to account for differences in the political and social context within which they are teaching. This study uses the Civic Participation Model [CPM] to assess the regional differences in a political social work training offered in two strikingly different locations in the Eastern and Western United States. This paper describes a case example of an adaptation of a political social work training to a new context that varies significantly in a number of ways from the one in which it was created, including geography, ideology, density, and political structure. Outcomes are discussed, and the article proposes research questions for a larger follow-up study of political social work trainings in a series of diverse geographic areas of the country.

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Voting is Social Work: Voices From the National Social Work Voter Mobilization Campaign

Journal of Social Work Education

2019

The National Social Work Voter Mobilization Campaign, also known as Voting is Social Work, involved social work faculty, field educators, practitioners, and students in a nonpartisan voter engagement drive. Following the 2018 elections, researchers surveyed Campaign participants in social work schools and agencies to document their voter engagement activities.The study reported extent and amount of their involvement. The survey distinguished between the voter engagement participation of school- versus agency-based social workers, which has not been studied elsewhere. Participants also reported the benefits of political participation to individuals, communities, and the profession and perceived barriers such as organizational constraints, fears of appearing partisan, and distrust of politics. Presented in historical context, the findings highlight the need to mainstream voter engagement throughout social work education.

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