[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 24, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3686-S3690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. MIKULSKI:
  S. 686. 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 for, and 
retention, research, and reinvestment in, the profession, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. President, I rise today to introduce two important 
social work bills; the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. 
Social Work Reinvestment Act and the Clinical Social Work Medicare 
Equity Act of 2009. I am proud to sponsor these pieces of legislation 
that will improve the shortage of social workers and properly reimburse 
social workers for the services they provide.
  Social workers play a critical role combating the social problems 
facing our nation and are an integral part of our healthcare system. As 
we move into an era of unprecedented healthcare and social service 
needs, we must have the workforce in place to make sure that our 
returning soldiers have access to mental health services, our elderly 
maintain their independence in the communities they live in, and abused 
children are placed in safe homes. Social workers support physical, 
psychological and social needs. They provide mental health therapy, 
caregiver and family counseling, health education, program 
coordination, and case management. In these tough economic times social 
workers play a more important role than ever to keep communities 
together and help individuals and families cope with the new stresses 
they are facing.
  The Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work 
Reinvestment Act reinvests in social workers by providing grants to 
social workers, reviewing the current social workforce challenges, and 
determining how this shortage will affect the communities social 
workers serve. I am honored to introduce this bill named after two 
social visionaries, Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young. Dorothy 
Height, a pioneer of the civil rights movement, like me began her 
career as a case worker and continued to fight for social justice. I am 
particularly honored to introduce this bill today, on Dorothy Height's 
birthday. Whitney Young, another trailblazer of the civil rights 
movement, also began his career transforming our social landscape as a 
social worker. He helped create President Johnson's War on Poverty and 
has served as President of the National Association of Social Workers.

[[Page S3687]]

  This bill is about reinvesting in social work. It provides grants 
that invest in social work education, research, and training. These 
grants will fund community based programs of excellence and provide 
scholarships to train the next generation of social workers. The bill 
also addresses how to recruit and retain new social workers, research 
the impact of social services, and foster ways to improve social 
workplace safety. This bill establishes a national coordination center 
that will allow social work education, advocacy and research 
institutions to collaborate and work together. It will facilitate 
gathering and distributing social work research to make the most 
effective use of the information we have on how social work service can 
improve our social fabric. This bill also gives social work the 
attention it deserves. It creates a media campaign that will promote 
social work, and recognizes March as Social Work Awareness Month.
  Today 30,000 social workers specialize in gerontology, but we will 
need 70,000 of these social workers by 2010. I want to make sure that 
when the aging tsunami hits us, we have the workforce in place to care 
for our aging family members, the Alzheimer patients, and the disabled.
  The Clinical Social Work Medicare Equity Act of 2009 ensures that 
clinical social workers receive Medicare reimbursements for the mental 
health services they provide in skilled nursing facilities. Under the 
current system, social workers are not paid for the services they 
provide. Psychologists and psychiatrists, who provide similar 
counseling, are able to separately bill Medicare for their services.
  Since my first days in Congress, I have been fighting to protect and 
strengthen the safety of our nation's seniors. Making sure that seniors 
have access to quality, affordable mental health care is an important 
part of this fight. I know that millions of seniors do not have access 
to, or are not receiving, the mental health services they urgently 
need. Nearly 6 million seniors are affected by depression, but only 
one-tenth ever receive treatment. According to the American Psychiatric 
Association, up to 25 percent of the elderly population in the United 
States suffers from significant symptoms of mental illness and among 
nursing home residents the prevalence is as high as 80 percent. These 
mental disorders, which include severe depression and debilitating 
anxiety, interfere with the person's ability to carry out activities of 
daily living and adversely affect their quality of life. Furthermore, 
older people have a 20 percent suicide rate, the highest of any age 
group. Every year nearly 6,000 older Americans kill themselves. This is 
unacceptable and must be addressed.
  This bill protects patients across the country and ensures that 
seniors living in underserved urban and rural areas, where clinical 
social workers are often the only available option for mental health 
care, continue to receive the treatment they need. Clinical social 
workers, much like psychologists and psychiatrists, treat and diagnose 
mental illnesses. In fact, clinical social workers are the primary 
mental health providers for nursing home residents and seniors residing 
in rural environments. Unlike other mental health providers, clinical 
social workers cannot bill Medicare directly for the important services 
they provide to their patients. Protecting seniors' access to clinical 
social workers ensures that our most vulnerable citizens get the 
quality, affordable mental health care they need. This bill will 
correct this inequity and make sure clinical social workers get the 
payments and respect they deserve.
  Before the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, clinical social workers 
billed Medicare Part B directly for mental health services they 
provided in nursing facilities for each patient they served. Under the 
Prospective Payment System, services provided by clinical social 
workers are lumped, or ``bundled,'' along with the services of other 
health care providers for the purposes of billing and payments. 
Psychologists and psychiatrists, who provide similar counseling, were 
exempted from this system and continue to bill Medicare directly. This 
bill would exempt clinical social workers, like their mental health 
colleagues, from the Prospective Payment System, and would make sure 
that clinical social workers are paid for the services they provide to 
patients in skilled nursing facilities.
  This bill is about more than paperwork and payment procedures. This 
bill is about equal access to Medicare payments for the equal and 
important work done by clinical social workers. It is about making sure 
our nation's most vulnerable citizens have access to quality, 
affordable mental health care. The overarching goal we should be 
striving to achieve for our seniors is an overall improved quality of 
life. Without clinical social workers, many nursing home residents may 
never get the counseling they need when faced with a life-threatening 
illness or the loss of a loved one. I think we can do better by our 
nation's seniors. I am fighting to make sure we do.
  As a social worker, I have been on the frontlines of helping people 
cope with issues in their everyday lives. I started off fighting for 
abused children, making sure they were placed in safe homes. Today I am 
a social worker with power. I am proud to continue to fight every day 
for the long range needs of the nation on the floor of the U.S. Senate 
and as Chairwoman of the Aging Subcommittee of the Health, Education, 
Labor and Pensions Committee.
  The Clinical Social Work Medicare Equity Act of 2009 and the Dorothy 
I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act is 
strongly supported by the National Association of Social Workers. I 
also want to thank Senator Stabenow and Senator Murray for their 
cosponsorship of the Clinical Social Work Medicare Equity Act of 2009. 
I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact these two 
important pieces of legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 686

       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''.

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. Appointment of Commission members.
Sec. 103. Purposes and duties of Commission.
Sec. 104. Powers of the Commission.
Sec. 105. Compensation for Commission members.
Sec. 106. Termination of the Commission.
Sec. 107. 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. Multimedia 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. The increase is 
     expected to be greater than the average increase in 
     employment (estimated to be 22 percent) during the period of 
     2006 through 2016, 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 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

[[Page S3688]]

     debt of $26,777. Additionally, the United States 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 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 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 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 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 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 6,000,000, 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 
     suicidal tendencies. Veterans make up 25 percent of homeless 
     people in the United States, even though veterans 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 employs over 
     5,000 social workers and is the single largest employer of 
     social workers in the Nation. 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 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 hospice providers in the United States. Health care 
     and medical social workers practice in areas related to all 
     of those 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 9.3 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 
     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.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Clinical social worker.--The term ``clinical social 
     worker'' has the meaning given the term in section 
     1861(hh)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1395x(hh)(1)).
       (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Social 
     Work Reinvestment Commission.
       (3) 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 psychosocial needs.
       (4) 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.
       (5) Historically black college or university.--The term 
     ``historically black college or university'' means a part B 
     institution, as defined in section 322 of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
       (6) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
     serving institution'' means an educational institution that 
     serves a large percentage of minority students (as determined 
     by the Secretary of Education), including Alaska Native-
     serving institutions, Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, 
     Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving 
     institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions, historically 
     black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving 
     institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Native 
     American-serving, nontribal institutions (which shall have 
     the meanings given the terms in section 241(1) of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1033(1))).
       (7) 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 
     referred to in this paragraph is primarily conducted by 
     doctoral level researchers under university, government, 
     research institute, or community agency auspices.
       (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services.
       (9) Social work.--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).
       (10) 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 
     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.
       (11) 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 3 months after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary shall establish the Social Work 
     Reinvestment Commission to provide independent counsel to 
     Congress and the Secretary on policy issues associated with 
     recruitment for, and retention, research, and reinvestment 
     in, the profession of social work.

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     SEC. 102. APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSION MEMBERS.

       (a) Appointment by the Secretary.--The Secretary shall 
     appoint members to the Commission. The members shall include 
     representatives of social workers and other members, 
     including the following:
       (1) 2 deans of schools of social work.
       (2) 1 social work researcher.
       (3) 1 related professional researcher.
       (4) 1 Governor.
       (5) 2 leaders of national social work organizations.
       (6) 1 senior social work State official.
       (7) 1 senior related State official.
       (8) 2 directors of community-based organizations or 
     nonprofit organizations.
       (9) 1 labor economist.
       (10) 1 social work consumer.
       (11) 1 licensed clinical social worker.
       (b) Appointment by Other Officers.--Four additional members 
     shall be appointed to the Commission, with 1 member appointed 
     by each of the following officers:
       (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) Organizational Representation.--Members of the 
     Commission shall, to the extent practicable, be appointed--
       (1) in a manner that assures participation of individuals 
     and representatives of groups from different racial, ethnic, 
     cultural, geographic, religious, linguistic, and class 
     backgrounds and different genders and sexual orientations; 
     and
       (2) from among persons who demonstrate knowledge and 
     understanding of the concerns of the individuals and groups 
     described in paragraph (1).
       (d) Selection of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--The 
     Secretary shall select a chairperson and vice chairperson for 
     the Commission from among the members of the Commission.
       (e) 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. 
     Any such vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the 
     original appointment.
       (f) Schedule of Meetings.--The 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 chair.

     SEC. 103. 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--
       (A) areas related to--
       (i) aging;
       (ii) child welfare;
       (iii) military and veterans affairs;
       (iv) mental and behavioral health and disability;
       (v) criminal justice and correctional systems; and
       (vi) health and issues affecting women and families; and
       (B) other areas identified by the Commission;
       (2)(A) the workforce challenges facing the profession of 
     social work, such as high social work educational debt, lack 
     of fair market compensation, the need to address social work 
     workforce trends, translate social work research to practice, 
     promote social work safety, or develop State-level social 
     work licensure policies and reciprocity agreements for 
     providing services across State lines, or the lack of 
     diversity in the social work profession, or the need to 
     address any other area determined by the Secretary to be 
     appropriate; and
       (B) the effect that such challenges have on the recruitment 
     and retention of social workers;
       (3) current workforce challenges and shortages relevant to 
     the needs of clients served by social workers;
       (4) the social work workforce challenges described in 
     paragraph (2) and the effects that the challenges will have 
     on the provision of social work related to the areas 
     described in paragraph (1); and
       (5) the advisability of establishing a social work 
     enhancement account, to provide direct grant assistance to 
     local governments to encourage the engagement of 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 for, and 
     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. 104. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

       (a) Powers.--The Commission shall have the power to--
       (1) hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and 
     places, take such testimony, receive such evidence, and 
     administer such oaths as the Commission considers advisable 
     to carry out the objectives of this title;
       (2) delegate the Commission powers described in paragraph 
     (1) to any Commission subcommittee or member of the 
     Commission for the purpose of carrying out this Act;
       (3) enter into contracts to enable the Commission to 
     perform the Commission's work under this Act; and
       (4) consult, to the extent that the Commission determines 
     that such consultation is 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 Medicare & Medicaid 
     Services, the Health Resources and Service 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.
       (b) Cooperation With the Commission.--The agencies 
     described in subsection (a)(4) 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. TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION.

       The Commission shall terminate 30 days after the date on 
     which the Commission submits its report under section 103.

     SEC. 107. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
     such sums as may be necessary for use by 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 4 
     eligible entities described in subsection (d) to address 
     workplace concerns for the social work profession, including 
     caseloads, compensation, social work safety, supervision, and 
     working conditions.
       (b) Equal Amounts.--The Secretary shall award grants under 
     this section in equal amounts to the 4 eligible entities. The 
     Secretary shall award the grants annually over a 4-year 
     period.
       (c) Local or State Government Entities Requirement.--At 
     least 2 of the grant recipients shall be State or local 
     government agencies.
       (d) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
     under this section, an entity shall--
       (1) work in a social work capacity that demonstrates a need 
     regarding a workplace concern area described in subsection 
     (a);
       (2) demonstrate--
       (A) participation in the entities' programs of individuals 
     and groups from different racial, ethnic, cultural, 
     geographic, religious, linguistic, and class backgrounds, and 
     different genders and sexual orientations; and
       (B) knowledge and understanding of the concerns of the 
     individuals and groups described in subparagraph (A);
       (3) demonstrate a record of active participation of 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.
       (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 a 
     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 2 years of experience relevant to the workplace 
     improvement program.
       (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated $16,000,000 to the Secretary to award 
     grants under this section.

     SEC. 202. RESEARCH GRANTS.

       (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary may award grants to 
     not less than 25 social

[[Page S3690]]

     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) Amounts.--The Secretary shall award the grants annually 
     over a 4-year period.
       (c) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
     under this section, a social worker shall--
       (1) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concerns 
     of individuals and groups from different racial, ethnic, 
     cultural, geographic, religious, linguistic, and class 
     backgrounds, and different genders and sexual orientations; 
     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.
       (d) Minority Representation.--At least 10 of the social 
     workers awarded grants under subsection (a) shall be employed 
     by a historically black college or university or minority-
     serving institution.
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated $5,000,000 to the Secretary to award 
     grants under this section.

     SEC. 203. EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANTS.

       (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary may award 20 grants 
     to eligible institutions of higher education 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 in social 
     work.
       (b) Equal Amounts.--The Secretary shall award grants under 
     this section in equal amounts of not more than $100,000 to 
     the 20 eligible institutions. The Secretary shall award the 
     grants annually over a 4-year period.
       (c) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
     under this section, an institution shall demonstrate--
       (1) participation in the institutions' programs of 
     individuals and groups from different racial, ethnic, 
     cultural, geographic, religious, linguistic, and class 
     backgrounds, and different genders and sexual orientations; 
     and
       (2) knowledge and understanding of the concerns of the 
     individuals and groups described in paragraph (1).
       (d) Institutional Requirement.--At least 4 of the grant 
     recipients shall be historically black colleges or 
     universities or other minority-serving institutions.
       (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 social workers 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 award 
     grants under this section.

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

       (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary may award grants to 6 
     eligible covered entities, to further test and replicate 
     effective social work interventions.
       (b) Covered Entity.--For purposes of this section, the term 
     ``covered entity'' means--
       (1) a public entity that is carrying out a community-based 
     program of excellence; and
       (2) a nonprofit organization that is carrying out a program 
     of excellence.
       (c) Equal Amounts.--The Secretary shall award grants under 
     this section in equal amounts of not more than $500,000 to 
     eligible covered entities. The Secretary shall award the 
     grants annually over a 3-year period.
       (d) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
     under this section, a covered entity shall--
       (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--
       (A) participation in the covered entities' programs of 
     individuals and groups from different racial, ethnic, 
     cultural, geographic, religious, linguistic, and class 
     backgrounds, and different genders and sexual orientations; 
     and
       (B) knowledge and understanding of the concerns of the 
     individuals and groups described in subparagraph (A);
       (3) demonstrate a record of active participation of social 
     workers in the covered entities' programs; and
       (4) provide services and represent the individuals employed 
     by the covered entities as competent only within the 
     boundaries of their education, training, licenses, 
     certification, consultation received, supervised experience, 
     or other relevant professional experience.
       (e) Priority.--In selecting the grant recipients under this 
     section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible 
     covered entities that--
       (1) have demonstrated successful and measurable outcomes 
     that are worthy of replication;
       (2) have been in operation for at least 2 years; and
       (3) work with high need and high demand populations.
       (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated $9,000,000 to the Secretary to award 
     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 (referred to in 
     this section 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, identify qualified 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 in the activities of the 
     culture.
       (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. MULTIMEDIA 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 are authorized 
     to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out 
     this section for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2013.
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