Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings
From the Halls of Congress to the Homes of Chicago, Rep. Davis Supports Clinical Social Workers
Representative Danny Davis (D-IL) welcomed social workers, dedicated advocates, and community members of the Chicago area to a press conference Sankofa House on July 24th to celebrate the introduction of his new bill with Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA), the Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act, H.R. 4638. The day was marked by a convergence of incredible voices elevating the vital role that social care plays in improving the health of our communities.
With a powerful presence and profound understanding of his constituents’ struggles, Rep. Davis delivered his resounding endorsement of clinical social work in healthcare. Currently, clinical social workers can only bill Medicare for providing mental health services, H.R. 4638 would authorize clinical social workers to bill for all of the surrounding care coordination services they are eligible to provide under state law.
“This legislation is a testament to the care that clinical social workers provide our nation…
I look forward to a future where the compassionate care provided by clinical social workers becomes a cornerstone of our healthcare system.”
- Representative Danny Davis
The Coalition for Social Work and Health, a collective dedicated to elevating and expanding social work’s impact in improving health and healthcare, worked closely with the Reps. Davis and Kiggans to support the creation of H.R. 4638. The Coalition, which is housed under the Center for Health and Social Care Integration at RUSH University Medical Center, spoke in support of the legislation.
“Clinical social workers play a critical role in health care settings.
We recognize that an individual’s health and well-being is influenced by factors beyond their primary medical conditions.”
- Robyn Golden, LCSW from the Coalition for Social Work and Health and Associate Vice President of Social Work and Community Health at RUSH University Medical Center.
Social work can be a lifeline for vulnerable patients navigating the complexities of healthcare. Without proper reimbursement for the profession, health systems and organizations cannot tap into the full potential of this well-trained workforce. Most clinical social workers have a master’s degree, which includes education on techniques for mitigating environmental factors that impact health, in addition to two years of full-time supervised work.
“While we are experts in providing psychotherapy, our unique skill sets help us to address the social determinants of health very effectively as well. Having the statutory authority to bill for our full range of services would be very important to our profession and the individuals we serve. It would allow us to intervene in all of the ways that we know are effective in helping individuals to thrive and have good mental and physical health.” - Richard Buino, LCSW, CMC and Manager of Clinical Care Coordination at CJE Senior Life.
Messages from both national organizations and local initiatives were met with applause from attendees who commended the ability of clinical social work to change the fabric of health care.
“We know that social work has a key seat on care teams – bridging gaps across fragmented care and social service systems, and making all the difference between people falling through the cracks or getting the care they need in a way where they feel listened to and supported. I certainly want the latter for myself and my family, yet policy change is needed to ensure everyone in Chicagoland and across the country has access to this kind of wrap-around care,” commented Bonnie Ewald, MA from the Coalition for Social Work & Health and Managing Director of Center for Health and Social Care Integration at Rush University. “The Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act would address systemic barriers in patient treatment to ensure our most marginalized and underserved populations can receive the care they desperately need.”
To learn more about the bill and what you can do to support clinical social workers, visit: www.chasci.org/cswh-action
“When we don’t pay social workers well, we’re not honoring their work, and we’re traumatizing them when we don’t pay them what they’re worth. Everybody is a patient, and we all need mental health.”