1.This Act may be cited as the
Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M.
Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act
.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)The Bureau of Labor
Statistics states that social worker employment is expected to increase. The
increase is expected to be greater than the average increase in employment
(estimated to be 18 to 26 percent) for all occupations through 2014,
demonstrating a substantial need for social workers. The need is even greater
for social workers in the area of aging. The National Association of Social
Workers Center for Workforce Studies estimates that 9 percent of, or 30,000,
licensed social workers specialize in gerontology. By 2010, as more Baby
Boomers reach the age of 65, the National Institute on Aging projects that
60,000 to 70,000 social workers will be needed.
(2)Social work
salaries are among the lowest for professionals in general and for those with
master’s level educations in particular. A survey conducted by the John A.
Hartford Foundation found that between 1992 and 1999 the annual rate of wage
growth for degree-holding social workers was 0.8 percent. According to the
National Association of Social Workers Center for Workforce Studies, 60 percent
of full-time social workers earn between $35,000 and $59,999 per year with 25
percent earning between $40,000 and $49,999 per year. Social workers who earn
lower salaries are more likely to work in challenging agency environments and
to serve more vulnerable clients. They are also more likely to leave the
profession.
(3)According to one
study by the Council on Social Work Education, 68 percent of individuals
surveyed who held a master’s degree in social work graduated with an average
debt of $26,777. Additionally, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group states
that 37 percent of public 4-year graduates have too much debt to manage as a
starting social worker. While social workers may be in positions that are
personally fulfilling, due to their high loan debt and low income, many
struggle financially.
(4)Social work is
unquestionably a dangerous profession for many. According to the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, 70 percent of caseworkers
report that front line staff in their agency have been victims of violence or
received threats of violence. Social workers are considerably safer when
measures such as use of global positioning systems, self-defense training, and
conflict prevention are implemented.
(5)According to a
study by the University of Michigan, approximately 1 in 7 adults over the age
of 70 have some form of dementia and 9.7 percent (or 2,400,000) of those found
with dementia were also found to have Alzheimer’s disease. Social workers in
gerontology settings work with older adults, including those with dementia, to
support their physiological, psychological, and social needs through mental
health therapy, caregiver and family counseling, health education, program
coordination, and case management. Those professionals also assist the hundreds
of thousands of older persons who are abused, neglected, frail, or vulnerable.
Between 2000 and 2004, there was a 19.7 percent increase in the total number of
reports of elder and vulnerable adult abuse and neglect.
(6)The Children’s
Defense Fund states that every 35 seconds a child is confirmed as abused or
neglected. The Administration for Children and Families of the Department of
Health and Human Services states that 513,000 children were in the United
States foster care system in 2005. Most children placed in foster care are
placed due to parental abuse or neglect. Research shows that professional
social workers in child welfare agencies are more likely to find permanent
homes for children who were in foster care for 2 or more years. Unfortunately,
fewer than 40 percent of child welfare workers are professional social
workers.
(7)The Department of
Health and Human Services estimates that 26.2 percent of (or 1 in 4)
individuals in the United States age 18 or older experiences a diagnosable
mental health disorder. Additionally, 1 in 5 children and adolescents
experiences a mental health disorder. At least 1 in 10, or about 6,000,0000,
young people have a serious emotional disturbance. Social workers provide the
majority of mental health counseling services in the United States, and are
often the only providers of such services in rural areas.
(8)The Department of
Veterans Affairs estimates that there are 23,977,000 veterans in the United
States. Approximately 1,100,000 active duty soldiers have been deployed to Iraq
since 2001. A once declining veteran population is now surging and is in dire
need of mental health treatment to address issues such as post traumatic stress
disorder, depression, drug and alcohol addiction, and suicidal tendencies.
Veterans make up 25 percent of homeless people, even though veterans comprise
only 11 percent of the general population, in the United States. Social workers
working with veterans and their families provide case management, crisis
interventions, mental health interventions, housing and financial counseling,
high risk screening, and advocacy among other services. The Department employs
over 5,000 professional social workers and is the single largest employer of
social workers in the Nation. The Department's social workers also coordinate
the Community Residential Care Program, the oldest and most cost-effective of
the Department's extended care programs.
(9)The American
Cancer Society estimates that there were 1,399,790 new cases of cancer and
564,830 cancer deaths in 2006 alone. The incidence of cancer will increase
dramatically as the population grows older. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention report that at the end of 2003 there were 1,039,000 to 1,285,000
people living with HIV or AIDS in the United States. In 2006, 1,300,000 people
received care from the Nation’s hospice providers. Health care and medical
social workers practice in areas related to all of these circumstances and
provide outreach for prevention of health issues, help individuals and their
families adapt to their circumstances, provide grief counseling, and act as a
liaison between individuals and their medical team, helping patients make
informed decisions about their care.
(10)The National
Center for Education Statistics states that in 2005 the national dropout rate
for high school students was 9.4 percent. White students dropped out at a rate
of 6 percent. African-American students dropped out at a rate of 10.4 percent.
Hispanic students dropped out at a rate of 22.4 percent. Some vulnerable
communities have dropout rates of 50 percent or higher. Social workers in
school settings help students avoid dropping out through early identification,
prevention, intervention, counseling, and support services.
(11)According to the
Department of Justice, every year more than 650,000 ex-offenders are released
from Federal and State prisons. Social workers employed in the corrections
system address disproportionate minority incarceration rates, provide treatment
for mental health problems and drug and alcohol addiction, and work within as
well as outside of the prison to reduce recidivism and increase positive
community reentry.
3.Social Work
Reinvestment Commission
(a)Not
later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary
shall establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission (referred to in this
Act as the Commission
) to provide independent counsel to
Congress and the Secretary on policy issues associated with recruitment,
retention, research, and reinvestment in the profession of social work.
(b)
(1)The Commission shall
be appointed by the Secretary, and shall be composed of educated social workers
and other members, as follows:
(A)2 deans of schools
of social work.
(B)1 social work
researcher.
(C)1 related
professional researcher.
(D)1 Governor.
(E)2 leaders of
national social work organizations.
(F)1 senior social
work State official.
(G)1 senior related
State official.
(H)2 directors of
community-based organizations or nonprofit organizations.
(2)Chairperson;
Vice chairpersonThe Secretary shall select a chairperson and
vice chairperson for the Commission from among the members of the
Commission.
(3)Period of
Appointment; vacanciesMembers shall be appointed for the life of
the Council. Any vacancy in the Council shall not affect the powers of the
Council, but shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment.
(c)Meetings of the
CommissionThe Commission
shall hold its first meeting not later than 6 weeks after the date on which the
final member of the Commission is appointed, and subsequent meetings at the
call of the chairperson.
(d)
(1)The Commission shall
consult, to the extent that the Commission determines that such consultation is
necessary or useful to carry out subsection (e), with—
(A)entities within
the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Administration for
Children and Families, the Administration on Aging, the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Health Resources and Services
Administration, the Indian Health Service, the National Institutes of Health,
and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration;
(B)the Social Security Administration;
(C)the Departments of
Agriculture, Defense, Education, Homeland Security, Labor, Justice, State, and
Veterans Affairs; and
(D)any other agency
of the Federal Government, as determined by the Commission.
(2)The entities and agencies described in paragraph (1)
shall cooperate with and provide counsel to the Commission to the greatest
extent practicable.
(e)The Commission shall study—
(1)social work
practice in the areas of aging, child welfare, military and veteran's issues,
mental and behavioral health and disability, criminal justice, and
health;
(2)issues facing the
social work profession, including fair market compensation, high social work
educational debt, social work workforce trends, knowledge development, and
social work safety, as well as any other area determined by the Secretary to be
appropriate; and
(3)State-level social
work licensure policies and reciprocity agreements for providing services
across State lines.
(f)Not later than 18 months after the date of the
Commission's first meeting, the Commission shall submit a report to Congress
and the Secretary on the results of the study, to determine and address the
immediate and future needs of the social work profession.
(g)
(1)The members of the Commission shall not receive
compensation for the performance of services for the Commission, but shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title
5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of
business in the performance of services for the Commission. Notwithstanding
section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary may accept the
voluntary and uncompensated services of members of the Commission.
(2)Detail of
government employeesAny Federal Government employee may be
detailed to the Commission without reimbursement, and such detail shall be
without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege.
(h)Authorization of
AppropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated $500,000
for use by the Commission.
4.Reinvestment
grant programs to address the current state of the profession of social
work
(a)Authority To
conduct demonstration programsThe Secretary is authorized to award grants
to eligible entities and individuals under subsections (b) through (e) for each
fiscal year to support demonstration programs related to research, workplace
improvements, education, training, and programs of excellence.
(b)Workplace
improvement grants
(1)The Secretary is authorized to award grants to 4 eligible
entities (2 public agencies and 2 private agencies) to address workplace
concerns for the social work profession, including caseloads, compensation,
social work safety, supervision, and working conditions.
(2)The Secretary shall award grants under this subsection in
equal amounts of not less than $250,000 and not more than $1,000,000 to the 4
eligible entities. The Secretary shall award the grants annually over a 4-year
period.
(3)In
awarding grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to
eligible entities that—
(A)are equipped with
the capacity to oversee and monitor the demonstration program carried out under
this subsection, including proven financial responsibility and administrative
capability; and
(B)are knowledgeable
about relevant workforce trends and have at least 2 years of experience
relevant to the demonstration program.
(c)
(1)The Secretary is authorized to award grants to not less
than 25 social workers holding a doctoral degree in social work, for
post-doctoral research in social work to further the knowledge base about
effective social work interventions and to promote usable strategies to
translate research into practice across diverse community settings and service
systems.
(2)The Secretary shall award grants under this
subsection in a total amount of $5,000,000. The Secretary shall award the
grants over a 4-year period.
(d)Education and
training grants
(1)The Secretary is authorized to award 20 grants to
eligible entities to support recruitment of social work students for, and
education of the students in, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degree
programs, as well as the development of faculty.
(2)The Secretary shall award grants under this subsection in
equal amounts of not less than $75,000 and not more than $100,000 to the 20
eligible entities. The Secretary shall award the grants annually over a 4-year
period.
(3)In awarding grants under this subsection,
the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that—
(A)are accredited by
the Council on Social Work Education;
(B)have a graduation
rate of not less than 80 percent; and
(C)exhibit an ability
to recruit social work students from or place the students in high need and
high demand areas.
(e)Community-based
programs of excellence grants
(1)The Secretary is authorized to award grants to 6 eligible
entities that are carrying out programs of excellence to further test and
replicate effective social work interventions. The Secretary shall choose
eligible entities carrying out programs in the areas of aging, child welfare,
military and veteran's issues, mental and behavioral health and disability,
criminal justice, and health.
(2)The Secretary shall award grants under this subsection in
equal amounts of not less than $250,000 and not more than $500,000 to the 6
eligible entities. The Secretary shall award the grants annually over a 3-year
period.
(3)In awarding grants under this subsection,
the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that—
(A)have demonstrated
successful and measurable outcomes that are worthy of replication;
(B)have been in
operation for at least 2 years; and
(C)work with high
need and high demand populations.
(f)In awarding grants under subsections (b) through
(e), the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, award grants—
(1)in the case of
grants under subsection (b), (d), or (e), to eligible entities that—
(A)demonstrate
knowledge, understanding, and participation in the entities' programs, of
individuals and groups from different racial, ethnic, cultural, gender,
geographic, religious, sexual orientation, linguistic, and class
backgrounds;
(B)demonstrate a
record of active participation of professionally trained social workers in the
entities' programs; and
(C)provide services
and represent the individuals employed by the entities as competent only within
the boundaries of their education, training, licenses, certification,
consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional
experience; and
(2)in the case of
grants under subsection (c), to individuals that—
(A)demonstrate
knowledge and understanding of individuals and groups described in paragraph
(1)(A); and
(B)provide services
and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries described in
paragraph (1)(C).
(g)National
coordinating center
(1)The
Secretary shall enter into a contract with a national social work research
entity that—
(A)has experience in
coordinating the transfer of information and ideas among entities engaged in
social work research, practice, education, and policymaking; and
(B)maintains
relationships with Federal entities, social work degree-granting institutions
of higher education and departments of social work within such institutions,
and organizations and agencies that employ social workers.
(2)The entity shall serve as a coordinating center and shall
organize information and other data, collect and report data, serve as a
clearinghouse, and coordinate activities with the entities, institutions,
departments, organizations, and agencies described in paragraph (1). The
coordinating center shall work with institutions of higher education, research
entities, and entities with social work practice settings to identify key
research areas to be pursued, select research fellows, and organize appropriate
mentorship and professional development efforts.
(3)Specific
activities describedThe coordinating center shall—
(A)collect,
coordinate, monitor, and distribute data, information on best practices, and
findings regarding the activities funded under grants made to eligible entities
and individuals under the demonstration programs described in subsections (b)
through (e); and
(B)prepare and submit
to the Secretary a report that includes recommendations regarding the need to
recruit new social workers, retain current social workers, conduct social work
research, and reinvest into the profession of social work.
(4)The
Secretary or a designee, in collaboration with the coordinating center, shall
select topics to be researched under this subsection, shall select candidates
and finalists for research fellow positions, and shall determine other
activities to be carried out under this subsection.
(5)Authorization of
appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000
to carry out this subsection for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013.
(h)Multi-media
outreach campaign
(1)The Secretary shall develop and issue public service
announcements that advertise and promote the social work profession, highlight
the advantages and rewards of social work, and encourage individuals to enter
the social work profession.
(2)The
public service announcements described in paragraph (1) shall be broadcast
through appropriate media outlets, including television or radio, in a manner
intended to reach as wide and diverse an audience as possible.
(3)Authorization of
appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this subsection such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal year 2009
through 2012.
5.National Social
work awareness month
(a)The
purpose of this section is to designate a National Social Work Awareness Month
to—
(1)raise awareness
about the importance of the profession of social work; and
(2)encourage interest
groups, stakeholders, and individuals to take an active role in recruitment,
retention, research, and reinvestment in the profession of social work.
(b)The
Senate—
(1)designates March
of 2008, and of each succeeding year, as National Social Work Awareness
Month
; and
(2)encourages the
people of the United States to observe the month with appropriate ceremonies
and activities.
6.In this Act:
(1)The term community-based program means an
agency, organization, or other entity, carrying out a program that provides
direct social work services, or community development services, at a
neighborhood, locality, or regional level, to address human service, health
care, or psychosocial needs.
(2)The term eligible entity means—
(A)in reference to
section 4(b), a public or private agency working in a social work capacity that
demonstrates a need in a workplace concern area described in section
4(b)(1);
(B)in reference to
section 4(d), a department of social work within an institution of higher
education, or the institution of higher education, that offers a baccalaureate,
master's, or doctoral degree in social work; and
(C)in reference to
section 4(e), a nonprofit or public community-based program working in a social
work capacity in an area described in section 4(e)(1).
(3)High need and
high demandThe term high need and high demand, used
in reference to an area or population, means an area with a population, or a
population, respectively, that lacks sufficient resources and as a result has a
greater probability of being harmed by specific social, environmental, or
health problems than the population as a whole. The area or population at issue
may be an area or population defined by the Health Resources and Services
Administration as a health professional shortage area
, which has
a shortage of primary medical care, dental, or mental health providers, and is
an urban or rural area, a population group, or a public or nonprofit private
medical facility.
(4)Related
professional researcherThe term related professional
researcher means a person who is professionally engaged in research in a
social, political, economic, health, or mental health field. The research
referenced to in this paragraph is primarily conducted by doctoral level
researchers under university, government, research institute, or community
agency auspices.
(5)The
term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human
Services.
(6)The term social work means—
(A)the professional
activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities enhance or restore
capacity for social and psychosocial functioning and creating societal
conditions favorable to that enhancement or restoration;
(B)an activity, the
practice of which consists of the professional application of values,
principles, and techniques related to the professional activity described in
subparagraph (A), including—
(i)diagnosis and
treatment of mental and emotional disorders with individuals, families, and
groups;
(ii)helping
communities or groups provide or improve social and health services and
participating in relevant legislative processes; and
(iii)helping people
obtain tangible services; and
(C)an activity, the
practice of which requires knowledge of—
(i)human
development;
(ii)behavior of
social, economic and cultural institutions; and
(iii)the interaction
of the factors described in clauses (i) and (ii).
(7)The term social work researcher means a
person who studies social work at the individual, family, group, community,
policy, or organizational level, focusing across the human life span on
prevention of, intervention in, treatment of, aftercare of, and rehabilitation
from acute and chronic social and psychosocial conditions, and includes a
person examining the effect of policies on social work practice. The study
referred to in this paragraph is primarily conducted by researchers with
doctoral degrees who are social workers or faculty under university,
government, research institute, or community agency auspices.
(8)The term social worker means a graduate of a
school of social work with a baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degree, who
uses knowledge and skills to provide social work services for clients who may
be individuals, families, groups, communities, organizations, or society in
general.