[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 795 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 795

To establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to advise Congress 
    and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on policy issues 
    associated with the profession of social work, to authorize the 
 Secretary to make grants to support recruitment, retention, research, 
      and reinvestment in the profession, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 3, 2009

  Mr. Towns (for himself, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Ms. 
   Bordallo, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Davis of 
 Tennessee, Mr. Hare, Mr. Hinojosa, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Holt, Mr. Kildee, 
Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Murphy of Connecticut, Ms. Norton, Mr. Payne, 
Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Carnahan, Ms. Schwartz, Ms. 
Kilpatrick of Michigan, Ms. Shea-Porter, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Sestak, Mr. 
Grijalva, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Israel, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Rothman 
of New Jersey, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Johnson of 
 Georgia, and Ms. Schakowsky) introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to advise Congress 
    and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on policy issues 
    associated with the profession of social work, to authorize the 
 Secretary to make grants to support recruitment, retention, research, 
      and reinvestment in the profession, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Dorothy I. Height 
and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
              TITLE I--SOCIAL WORK REINVESTMENT COMMISSION

Sec. 101. Establishment of Commission.
Sec. 102. Purposes and duties of Commission.
Sec. 103. Appointment of Commission members.
Sec. 104. Powers of the Commission.
Sec. 105. Compensation for Commission members.
Sec. 106. Authorization of appropriations.
TITLE II--REINVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION

Sec. 201. Workplace improvement grants.
Sec. 202. Research grants.
Sec. 203. Education and training grants.
Sec. 204. Community-based programs of excellence grants.
Sec. 205. National coordinating center.
Sec. 206. Multi-media outreach campaign.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that employment 
        of social workers is expected to increase faster than average 
        (estimated to be 22 percent during the 2006-2016 decade), 
        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 nine percent of, or 30,000, licensed 
        social workers specialize in gerontology. By 2010, as more 
        people 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 United States Public Interest 
        Research Group states that 37 percent of public four-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 can be a dangerous profession. 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 have 
        received threats of violence. Social workers are considerably 
        safer when measures such as global positioning systems, self-
        defense training, and conflict prevention are implemented.
            (5) According to a study by the University of Michigan, 
        approximately one in seven adults over the age of 70 have some 
        form of dementia, and 9.7 percent (or 2,400,000 Americans) 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. These 
        professionals also assist the hundreds of thousands of older 
        persons who are abused, neglected, frail, and 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 36 
        seconds a child is confirmed as abused or neglected. The 
        Administration for Children and Families states that 510,000 
        children were in the United States foster care system in 2006. 
        Most of the children in foster care are placed in foster care 
        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 two 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 Americans aged 18 and older (one in four 
        adults) experiences a diagnosable mental disorder. 
        Additionally, one in five children and adolescents experience a 
        mental health disorder. At least one in ten, or about 6,000,000 
        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. More than 
        1,100,000 members of the Armed Forces have been deployed to 
        Iraq or Afghanistan 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 suicide. 
        Veterans make up 25 percent of homeless people in the United 
        States, even though they comprise only 11 percent of the 
        general population. Social workers working with veterans and 
        their families provide case management, crisis intervention, 
        mental health interventions, housing and financial counseling, 
        high risk screening, and advocacy among other services. The 
        Department of Veterans Affairs employs over 5,000 professional 
        social workers and is the single largest employer of social 
        workers in the country. Social workers in the Department 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 
        1,437,180 new cases of cancer and 565,650 cancer deaths in 2008 
        alone. The incidence of cancer will increase dramatically as 
        the population grows older. The Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention reports 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 hospice 
        providers in the United States. Health care and medical social 
        workers practice in all of these areas and provide outreach for 
        prevention, 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 
        totaled 9.3 percent. White students dropped out at a rate of 
        5.8 percent. African-American students dropped out at a rate of 
        10.7 percent. Hispanic students dropped out at a rate of 22.1 
        percent. Some vulnerable communities have drop out rates of 50 
        percent or higher. Social workers in school settings help these 
        students 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.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Social 
        Work Reinvestment Commission.
            (2) Community-based program.--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 psycho-social needs.
            (3) High need and high demand population.--The term ``high 
        need and high demand population'' means a group 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 group at 
        issue may be a group residing in an area 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.
            (4) Historically black college or university.--The term 
        ``historically black college or university'' means the 
        institutions that are within the definition given the term 
        ``part B institution'' in section 322(2) of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)).
            (5) Minority serving institution.--The term ``minority 
        serving institution'' means an educational institution that 
        serves a large percentage of minority students, including 
        Alaska/Native Hawaiian Institutions, Asian-Serving 
        Institutions, Black-Serving Institutions, Historically Black 
        Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and 
        Tribal Colleges and Universities. Minority serving institutions 
        are classified based on either legislation or the percentage of 
        minority student enrollment.
            (6) Related professional researcher.--The 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.
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
            (8) Social work.--The term ``social work'' means--
                    (A) the professional activity of helping 
                individuals, groups, or communities enhance or restore 
                capacity for social and psycho-social 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).
            (9) Social work researcher.--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 psycho-social 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.
            (10) Social worker.--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.

              TITLE I--SOCIAL WORK REINVESTMENT COMMISSION

SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    Not later than three months after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish the 
Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide independent counsel to 
Congress and the Secretary on policy issues associated with the 
recruitment, retention, research, and reinvestment in the profession of 
social work.

SEC. 102. PURPOSES AND DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Study.--The Commission shall conduct a comprehensive study to 
examine and assess--
            (1) the professional capacity of the social work workforce 
        to successfully serve and respond to the increasing 
        biopsychosocial needs of individuals, groups, and communities 
        in the areas of--
                    (A) aging;
                    (B) child welfare;
                    (C) military and veterans affairs;
                    (D) mental and behavioral health and disability;
                    (E) criminal justice and correctional systems;
                    (F) health and issues affecting women and families; 
                and
                    (G) other areas as identified by the Commission;
            (2) the workforce challenges facing the profession of 
        social work, such as high social work educational debt, fair 
        market compensation, social work workforce trends, translating 
        social work research to practice, social work safety, State-
        level social work licensure policies and reciprocity agreements 
        for providing services across State lines, the lack of 
        diversity in the social work profession, or any other area 
        determined by the Secretary, and the effect that such 
        challenges have on the recruitment and retention of 
        professional social workers;
            (3) current workforce challenges and shortages relevant to 
        the needs of clients served by professional social workers;
            (4) the social work workforce challenges described in 
        paragraph (2) and the effects that they will have on the areas 
        described in paragraph (1); and
            (5) the advisability of establishing a social work 
        enhancement account intended to provide direct grant assistance 
        to local governments to encourage the engagement of 
        professional social workers in social service programs.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of its first 
meeting, the Commission shall submit a report to the Secretary and 
Congress containing specific findings and conclusions regarding the 
need for recruitment, retention, research, and reinvestment in the 
profession of social work. The report shall include recommendations and 
strategies for corrective actions to ensure a robust social work 
workforce capable of keeping up with the demand for needed services. 
The Commission may provide to Congress any additional findings or 
recommendations considered by the Commission to be important.

SEC. 103. APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSION MEMBERS.

    (a) Appointment by the Secretary.--The Secretary shall appoint 
members to the Commission. The members shall reflect representation by 
social workers and other members, including:
            (1) Two deans of schools of social work.
            (2) One social work researcher.
            (3) One related professional researcher.
            (4) One governor.
            (5) Two leaders of national social work organizations.
            (6) One senior social work State official.
            (7) One senior related State official.
            (8) Two directors of community-based organizations or 
        nonprofit organizations.
            (9) One labor economist.
            (10) One social work consumer.
            (11) One licensed clinical social worker.
    (b) Appointment by Other Officials.--Four additional members shall 
be appointed to the Commission, one member chosen by:
            (1) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
            (2) The minority leader of the House of Representatives.
            (3) The majority leader of the Senate.
            (4) The minority leader of the Senate.
    (c) Appointment of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.--The Secretary 
shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson for the Commission from 
among the members of the Commission.
    (d) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--Members shall be appointed 
for the life of the Commission, and any vacancy in the Commission shall 
not affect the powers of the Commission. Vacancies shall be filled in 
the same manner as the original appointment.
    (e) Organizational Representation.--Members of the Commission 
should be appointed so as to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and 
participation of individuals and groups from different racial, ethnic, 
cultural, gender, geographic, religious, sexual orientation, 
linguistic, and class backgrounds.
    (f) Schedule of Meetings.--The Commission shall hold its first 
meeting not later than six weeks after the date on which the final 
member of the Commission is appointed, and subsequent meetings at the 
call of the chair.

SEC. 104. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Powers.--The Commission shall have the power to--
            (1) hold hearings and sit and act at such times and places 
        take testimony, receive evidence, and administer oaths;
            (2) delegate the Commission powers described in paragraph 
        (1) to any Commission subcommittee or member thereof for the 
        purpose of carrying out this Act;
            (3) enter into contracts to enable the Commission to 
        perform its work under this Act; and
            (4) consult, to the extent that it determines necessary or 
        useful, with other agencies and organizations, including--
                    (A) agencies 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 
                Medicaid and Medicare Services, the Health Resources 
                and Service Administration, the Indian Health Service, 
                the National Institutes of Health, 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 as determined by the 
                Commission.
    (b) Cooperation With the Commission.--The entities and agencies 
described in subsection (a)(3) shall cooperate with and provide counsel 
to the Commission to the greatest extent practicable.

SEC. 105. COMPENSATION FOR COMMISSION MEMBERS.

    (a) Travel Expenses.--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 1 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.
    (b) Detail of Government Employees.--Any 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.

SEC. 106. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out the activities of the Commission.

TITLE II--REINVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION

SEC. 201. WORKPLACE IMPROVEMENT GRANTS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary may award grants to four 
eligible entities described in subsection (c) to address workplace 
concerns for the social work profession, including caseloads, 
compensation, social work safety, supervision, and working conditions.
    (b) Local or State Government Entities Requirement.--At least two 
of the grant recipients must be local or State government agencies.
    (c) Grantee Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
under this section, an entity must--
            (1) work in a social work capacity that demonstrates a need 
        in a workplace concern area described in subsection (a);
            (2) 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;
            (3) demonstrate a record of active participation of 
        professionally trained social workers in the entities' 
        programs; and
            (4) 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.
    (d) Equal Amounts.--The Secretary shall distribute the grant funds 
annually to the four grant recipients over a four-year period in equal 
amounts.
    (e) Priority.--In selecting the grant recipients under this 
section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that--
            (1) are equipped with the capacity to oversee and monitor 
        the grant-funded workplace improvement program carried out 
        under this section, including proven fiscal responsibility and 
        administrative capability; and
            (2) are knowledgeable about relevant workforce trends and 
        have at least two years of experience relevant to the grant-
        funded workplace improvement program.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $16,000,000 to the Secretary to provide grants under this 
section.

SEC. 202. RESEARCH GRANTS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary may award grants to not less 
than 25 social workers who hold a doctoral degree in social work for 
post-doctoral research in social work--
            (1) to further the knowledge base about effective social 
        work interventions; and
            (2) to promote usable strategies to translate research into 
        practice across diverse community settings and service systems.
    (b) Grantee Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
under this section, a social worker must--
            (1) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of individuals 
        and groups from different racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, 
        geographic, religious, sexual orientation, linguistic, and 
        class backgrounds; and
            (2) provide services and represent themselves as competent 
        only within the boundaries of their education, training, 
        licenses, certification, consultation received, supervised 
        experience, or other relevant professional experience.
    (c) Minority Representation.--At least 10 of the social workers 
awarded grants in subsection (a) must be employed by a historically 
black college or university or minority serving institution.
    (d) Amounts.--The Secretary shall distribute the grant funds 
annually to the grant recipients over a four-year period.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $5,000,000 to the Secretary to provide grants under this 
section.

SEC. 203. EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANTS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary may award 20 grants to 
institutions of higher education that offer baccalaureate, master's, or 
doctoral degrees in social work to support the 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.
    (b) Grantee Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
under this section, an institution must demonstrate knowledge, 
understanding, and participation in the institutions' programs of 
individuals and groups from different racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, 
geographic, religious, sexual orientation, linguistic, and class 
backgrounds.
    (c) Institutional Requirement.--At least four of the grant 
recipients must be a historically black college or university or other 
minority serving institution.
    (d) Equal Amounts.--The Secretary shall distribute the grant funds 
annually to the 20 grant recipients over a four-year period in equal 
amounts. A grant recipient may not receive more than $100,000 annually 
in grant money under this section.
    (e) Priority.--In selecting the grant recipients under this 
section, the Secretary shall give priority to institutions of higher 
education that--
            (1) are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education;
            (2) have a graduation rate of not less than 80 percent for 
        social work students; and
            (3) exhibit an ability to recruit social workers from and 
        place them in areas with a high need and high demand 
        population.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $8,000,000 to the Secretary to provide grants under this 
section.

SEC. 204. COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS OF EXCELLENCE GRANTS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary may award grants to six 
public community-based programs or nonprofit organizations that are 
carrying out programs of excellence to further test and replicate 
effective social work interventions.
    (b) Grantee Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
under this section, a public community-based program or nonprofit 
organization must--
            (1) carry out programs in the areas of aging, child 
        welfare, military and veteran's issues, mental and behavioral 
        health and disability, criminal justice and correction systems, 
        and health and issues affecting women and families;
            (2) demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and participation 
        in the public community-based programs or nonprofit 
        organizations' programs of individuals and groups from 
        different racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, geographic, 
        religious, sexual orientation, linguistic, and class 
        backgrounds;
            (3) demonstrate a record of active participation of 
        professionally trained social workers in the public community-
        based programs or nonprofit organizations' programs; and
            (4) provide services and represent the individuals employed 
        by the public community-based programs or nonprofit 
        organizations as competent only within the boundaries of their 
        education, training, licenses, certification, consultation 
        received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional 
        experience.
    (c) Equal Amounts.--The Secretary shall distribute the grant funds 
annually to the grant recipients over a three-year period in equal 
amounts. A grant recipient may not receive more than $500,000 annually 
in grant money under this section.
    (d) Priority.--In selecting the grant recipients under this 
section, the Secretary shall give priority to public community-based 
programs or nonprofit organizations that--
            (1) have demonstrated successful and measurable outcomes 
        that are worthy of replication;
            (2) have been in operation for at least two years; and
            (3) work with high need and high demand populations.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $9,000,000 to the Secretary to provide grants under this 
section.

SEC. 205. NATIONAL COORDINATING CENTER.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall enter into a contract with 
a national social work research entity that--
            (1) has experience in coordinating the transfer of 
        information and ideas among entities engaged in social work 
        research, practice, education, and policymaking; and
            (2) 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.
    (b) General Duties.--The contract recipient (in this section 
referred to as the ``coordinating center'') 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 subsection (a)(2).
    (c) Collaboration.--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.
    (d) Specific Activities of the Coordinating Center.--The 
coordinating center shall--
            (1) 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 grant programs described in sections 201 
        though 204;
            (2) 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 reinvestment into the profession of social 
        work; and
            (3) demonstrate cultural competency and promote the 
        participation of diverse groups.
    (e) Selection.--The Secretary, in collaboration with the 
coordinating center, shall--
            (1) select topics to be researched under this section;
            (2) select candidates and finalists for research fellow 
        positions; and
            (3) determine other activities to be carried out under this 
        section.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $1,000,000 to carry out this section for each of fiscal 
years 2010 to 2014.

SEC. 206. MULTI-MEDIA OUTREACH CAMPAIGN.

    (a) Development and Issuance of Public Service Announcements.--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.
    (b) Method.--The public service announcements described in 
subsection (a) 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.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section 
for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2013.
                                 <all>