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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5447 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5447

    To establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide 
 independent counsel to Congress on policy issues associated with the 
recruitment, retention, research, and reinvestment in the profession of 
                              social work.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 14, 2008

   Mr. Towns (for himself, Mr. Shays, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. 
 Rodriguez, Ms. Lee, Mr. Gutierrez, and Mrs. Jones of Ohio) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education 
                               and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
    To establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide 
 independent counsel to Congress on policy issues associated with the 
recruitment, retention, research, and reinvestment in the profession of 
                              social work.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. 
Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act''.

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 the 
        average (18 to 26 percent) for all occupations through 2014. 
        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 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 Inc. 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 (MSW) 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 case workers report that 
        front line staff in their agency had been victims of violence 
        or had 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 1 in 7 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 35 
        seconds a child is confirmed as abused or neglected. The U.S. 
        Administration for Children and Families states that 513,000 
        children were in the U.S. foster care system in 2005. Most 
        children 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 United States Department of Health and Human 
        Services (HHS) estimates that 26.2 percent of Americans aged 18 
        and older (1 in 4 adults) experiences a diagnosable mental 
        disorder. Additionally, 1 in 5 children and adolescents 
        experience 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 
        in rural areas.
            (8) The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 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 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 VA 
        employs over 5,000 professional social workers and is the 
        single largest employer of social workers in the country. VA 
        social workers also coordinate the Community Residential Care 
        Program, the oldest and most cost-effective of VA'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 Center 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, 1.3 million people received care from one of 
        the Nation's hospice providers. 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 9.4 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 drop out rates of 50 
        percent or higher. Social workers in school settings help these 
        students through early identification, prevention, 
        intervention, counseling and support.
            (11) According to the United States 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. SOCIAL WORK REINVESTMENT COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 3 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish the Social Work 
Reinvestment Commission (in this Act referred to as the ``Commission'') 
to provide independent counsel to Congress on policy issues associated 
with the recruitment, retention, research, and reinvestment in the 
profession of social work.
    (b) Appointment.--The Commission, including a chair and vice-chair 
shall be appointed by the Secretary, and shall reflect representation 
by educated social workers, as follows:
            (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 non-
        profits.
    (c) Consultation.--The Commission shall consult with the following 
agencies and organizations to the extent that it determines necessary 
or useful:
            (1) 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;
            (2) the Social Security Administration;
            (3) the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, 
        Homeland Security, Labor, Justice, State, and Veterans Affairs; 
        and
            (4) any other agency as determined by the Commission.
Such agencies shall cooperate with and provide counsel to the 
Commission to the greatest extent practicable.
    (d) Study.--The Commission shall study--
            (1) social work practice in the areas of aging, child 
        welfare, military and veterans affairs, 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; and
            (3) State-level social work licensure and reciprocity 
        agreements for providing services across State lines.
    (e) Meetings of the Commission.--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.
    (f) Report to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
the first meeting, the Commission shall report to Congress on the 
results of the study to determine and address the immediate and future 
needs of the social work profession.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $500,000 for use by the Commission.

SEC. 4. REINVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THE CURRENT STATE OF THE 
              PROFESSION OF SOCIAL WORK.

    (a) Authority to Conduct Demonstration Programs.--The Secretary is 
authorized to award grants to eligible entities for each fiscal year to 
support demonstration programs and other activities related to 
research, workplace improvements, education, training, and programs of 
excellence.
    (b) Workplace Improvement Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award 
        grants to 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) Equal amounts.--The Secretary shall award grants under 
        this subsection in equal amounts of not less than $250,000 and 
        not to exceed $1,000,000 to each of the 4 participating 
        agencies annually over a 4-year period.
            (3) Priority.--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 including proven 
                financial responsibility and administrative capability;
                    (B) exhibit a need in one of the defined workforce 
                improvement areas described in paragraph (1); and
                    (C) are knowledgeable of relevant workforce trends 
                and have demonstrated this with at least 2 years of 
                experience.
    (c) Research Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award 
        grants to 25 social workers holding a doctorate degree in 
        social work for post-doctoral research activity to further the 
        knowledge base of effective social work interventions and to 
        promote usable strategies to translate research into practice 
        across diverse community settings and service systems.
            (2) Amounts.--The Secretary shall award grants under this 
        section in the total amount of $5,000,000 over the course of 4 
        years to be allocated among at least 25 social workers holding 
        a doctorate degree in social work.
    (d) Education and Training Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award 20 
        grants to institutions of higher education to support 
        recruitment and education of social work students at the 
        bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels as well as the 
        development of faculty.
            (2) Equal amounts.--The Secretary shall award grants under 
        this section in equal amounts of not less than $75,000 and not 
        to exceed $100,000 to each of the 20 participating institutions 
        annually over a 4-year period.
            (3) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, 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 workers 
                from and place them in high need, high demand areas.
    (e) Community-Based Programs of Excellence Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award 
        grants to 6 not-for-profit or public community-based programs 
        of excellence to further test and replicate effective social 
        work interventions. The Secretary shall choose programs from 
        the areas of aging, child welfare, military and veteran's 
        issues, mental and behavioral health and disability, criminal 
        justice, and health.
            (2) Equal amounts.--The Secretary shall award grants under 
        this section in equal amounts of not less than $250,000 not to 
        exceed $500,000 to each of the 6 participating not-for-profit 
        entities annually over a 3-year period.
            (3) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, 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) Grant Award Requirements.--In awarding grants under subsections 
(b) through (e), the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, award 
grants to eligible entities that--
            (1) demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and participation 
        of individuals and groups from different racial, ethnic, 
        cultural, gender, geographic, religious, sexual orientation, 
        linguistic, and class backgrounds;
            (2) demonstrate a record of active participation of 
        professionally trained social workers; and
            (3) provide services and represent themselves as competent 
        only within the boundaries of their education, training, 
        license, certification consultation received, supervised 
        experience, or other relevant professional experience.
    (g) National Coordinating Center.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall enter into a 
        contract with a national social work research entity that has 
        experience in coordinating linkages between research, practice, 
        education, and policy and maintains relationships with Federal 
        entities, social work degree-granting educational institutions 
        and programs, and organizations and agencies that employ social 
        workers. The entity shall serve as a coordinating center and 
        shall have the capacity to organize, collect and report data, 
        serve as a clearinghouse, and coordinate with such entities, 
        institutions and organizations. The coordinating center shall 
        work with universities, research entities, and social work 
        practice settings to identify key research areas to be pursued, 
        select research fellows and organize appropriate mentorship and 
        professional development efforts.
            (2) Activities described.--The coordinating center shall--
                    (A) collect, coordinate, monitor, and distribute 
                data, best practices, and findings regarding the 
                activities funded under grants made to eligible 
                entities under the demonstration program; and
                    (B) prepare and submit to the Secretary a final 
                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.
            (3) Selection.--Selection of research areas, candidates, 
        finalists, and other activities shall be undertaken by the 
        Secretary or a designee in collaboration with the coordinating 
        center.
            (4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated $1,000,000 for the coordinating center for a 
        each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013.
    (h) Multi-Media Outreach Campaign.--
            (1) In general.--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) Method.--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 appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this subsection such sums as 
        may be necessary for each of fiscal year 2009 through 2012.

SEC. 5. SOCIAL WORK AWARENESS MONTH.

    It is the sense of Congress that the President should designate a 
National Social Work Awareness month to--
            (1) raise awareness about the importance of the profession 
        of social work;
            (2) encourage interest groups, stakeholders, and 
        individuals to take an active role in the recruitment, 
        retention, research and reinvestment into the profession of 
        social work.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Community based program.--The term ``community based 
        program'' means an agency, organization or program, usually 
        not-for-profit, 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) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) in reference to section 4(b), either a public 
                or private agency working in a social work capacity 
                that demonstrates a need in one of the defined 
                workplace improvement areas described in section 
                4(b)(1);
                    (B) in reference to section 4(c), an individual who 
                has graduated with a doctorate degree in the field of 
                social work and will commit to using grant funds for 
                postdoctoral social work research;
                    (C) in reference to section 4(d), a social work 
                education program offering the bachelors, masters, or 
                doctorate degree in social work; and
                    (D) in reference to section 4(e), a not-for-profit 
                or public agency working in a social work capacity in 
                one of the defined areas in section 4(e)(1).
            (3) High need and high demand.--The term ``high need and 
        high demand'' means an area or population which 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. Such areas may be 
        defined by the Health Resources and Services Administration 
        (HRSA) as ``health professional shortage areas'' which may have 
        shortages of primary medical care, dental, or mental health 
        providers and may be urban or rural areas, population groups, 
        or medical or other public facilities.
            (4) 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. Such research is primarily conducted by 
        doctoral level researchers under university, government, 
        research institute, or community agency auspices.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' refers to the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services.
            (6) Social work.--The term ``social work'' means the 
        professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or 
        communities enhance or restore capacity for social and 
        psychosocial functioning and creating societal conditions 
        favorable to this goal. Social work practice consists of the 
        professional application of social work values, principles, and 
        techniques, including--
                    (A) diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional 
                disorders with individuals, families, and groups;
                    (B) helping communities or groups provide or 
                improve social and health services; participating in 
                relevant legislative processes; and
                    (C) helping people obtain tangible services.
        The practice of social work requires knowledge of human 
        development and behavior of social, economic and cultural 
        institutions, and of the interaction of all these factors.
            (7) Social work researcher.--The term ``social work 
        researcher'' means a person who studies the individual, family, 
        group, community, policy or organizational level, focusing 
        across the life span on prevention, intervention, treatment, 
        aftercare, and rehabilitation of acute and chronic social and 
        psychosocial conditions, and includes examining policies effect 
        on social work practice. Social work research is primarily 
        conducted by doctoral level social workers and faculty under 
        university, government, research institute, or community agency 
        auspices.
            (8) Social worker.--The term ``social worker'' means a 
        graduate of a school of social work with either bachelor's, 
        master's, or doctoral degrees who use their knowledge and 
        skills to provide social work services for clients who may be 
        individuals, families, groups, communities, organizations, or 
        society in general.
                                 <all>
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