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.— 
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 United States economy has faced for-
midable obstacles since the country entered an eco-
nomic recession in 2008. Homeowners face chal-
lenges with 1 in 7 mortgages delinquent or in fore-
closure, unemployment is high, particularly for the 
most vulnerable in society, and poverty continues to 
rise, as the rate stood at 14.3 percent in 2009, the 
highest rate since 1994. Joblessness and economic 
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insecurity contribute to the incidence of mental ill-
ness, family violence, suicide, substance abuse, 
crime, and diminished capacity for health, family, 
and community functioning. Social workers form so-
ciety’s social safety net. They provide assistance, 
guidance, and resources to individuals, families, and 
communities in poverty. They understand the dev-
astating costs and consequences of poverty and un-
employment and provide direct services in order to 
prevent and abate economic inequality. 
(2) The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 
employment for social workers is expected to in-
crease faster than the average for all occupations 
through the year 2018, demonstrating a substantial 
need for social workers. 
(3) Social work salaries are among the lowest 
for professionals in general and for those with mas-
ter’s level education in particular. 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. Social workers who earn lower salaries are 
more likely to work in challenging agency environ-
ments, serve more vulnerable clients, and leave the 
profession. 
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(4) The Department of Education stated that 
72 percent of students graduating from Master of 
Social Work programs incurred debt to earn their 
graduate degree. The average debt was approxi-
mately $35,500. 
(5) Social workers often deal with the most vul-
nerable clients in emotional or traumatic situations, 
and face possible danger as a result. The National 
Association of Social Workers Center for Workforce 
Studies found that 44 percent of survey respondents 
faced personal safety issues on the job. The Occupa-
tional Safety and Health Administration states that 
48 percent of assaults occur in the health care and 
social services industry. 
(6) The Alzheimer’s Association of America 
states that 5,300,000 Americans, or 1 in every 8 in-
dividuals over the age of 65, have Alzheimer’s dis-
ease. 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 coordi-
nation, and case management. 
(7) The Children’s Defense Fund states that 
every 41 seconds a child is confirmed as abused or 
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neglected and every 6 hours a child is killed from 
abuse or neglect. The Administration for Children 
and Families of the Department of Health and 
Human Services states that 423,000 children were 
in the United States foster care system in 2009. 
Most children placed in foster care are placed due to 
parental abuse or neglect. Research shows that pro-
fessional social workers employed 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. 
(8) 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 ex-
periences a diagnosable mental health disorder. Ad-
ditionally, 1 in 5 children and adolescents experi-
ences a mental health disorder. At least 1 in 10, or 
about 6,000,000, young people have a serious emo-
tional disturbance. Social workers provide the major-
ity of mental health counseling services in the 
United States, and are often the only providers of 
such services in rural areas. 
(9) Social workers working with veterans and 
their families provide case management, crisis inter-
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ventions, mental health interventions, housing and 
financial counseling, high-risk screening, and advo-
cacy, among other services. The Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, which is the largest employer of social 
workers (over 7,000 who are Master’s prepared) in 
the Nation, estimates that there are 22,658,000 vet-
erans in the United States. 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. 
(10) The American Cancer Society estimates 
that there were 1,529,560 new cases of cancer and 
569,490 deaths, or 1,500 deaths a day, in 2010 
alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion report that there are over 1,000,000 people liv-
ing with HIV or AIDS in the United States, with 
approximately 56,300 new cases diagnosed each 
year. In 2009, 1,560,000 people received care from 
the Nation’s hospice providers. Health care and 
medical social workers practice in areas related to all 
of these circumstances and provide outreach for pre-
vention and health promotion, help individuals and 
their families adapt to their health conditions, con-
nect patients and family caregivers with community 
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services and supports, provide grief counseling, and 
act as a liaison between individuals and their med-
ical team, helping patients make informed decisions 
about their care. 
(11) The Children’s Defense Fund notes that 
every second a public school student is suspended 
and that every 11 seconds a high school student 
drops out. The National Center for Education Sta-
tistics states that in 2008 the national dropout rate 
for high school students was 8 percent. Some vulner-
able communities have dropout rates of 50 percent 
or higher. Social workers in school settings help stu-
dents avoid dropping out through early identifica-
tion, prevention, intervention, counseling, and sup-
port services. 
(12) According to the Department of Justice, 
every year more than 650,000 ex-offenders are re-
leased from Federal and State prisons. Social work-
ers employed in the corrections system address dis-
proportionate 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 posi-
tive community reentry. 
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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, or-
ganization, or other entity, carrying out a program 
that provides direct social work services, or commu-
nity development services, at a neighborhood, local-
ity, or regional level, to address human service, 
health care, or psychosocial needs. 
(4) HIGH
NEED
AND
HIGH
DEMAND
POPU-
LATION.—The term ‘‘high need and high demand 
population’’ means a group that lacks sufficient re-
sources 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 Ad-
ministration as a ‘‘health professional shortage 
area’’, which has a shortage of primary medical care, 
dental, or mental health providers. 
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(5) HISTORICALLY
BLACK
COLLEGE
OR
UNI-
VERSITY.—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 edu-
cational institution that serves a large percentage of 
minority students (as determined by the Secretary of 
Education), including Alaska Native-serving institu-
tions, Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Asian- 
American and Native American Pacific Islander- 
serving institutions, Predominantly Black Institu-
tions, 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 
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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 in-
dividuals, groups, or communities enhance or 
restore capacity for social and psychosocial 
functioning and creating societal conditions fa-
vorable to that enhancement or restoration; 
(B) an activity, the practice of which con-
sists of the professional application of values, 
principles, and techniques related to the profes-
sional 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 serv-
ices and participating in relevant legislative 
processes; and 
(iii) helping people obtain tangible 
services; and 
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(C) an activity, the practice of which re-
quires knowledge of— 
(i) human development; 
(ii) behavior of social, economic, and 
cultural institutions; and 
(iii) the interaction of the factors de-
scribed in clauses (i) and (ii). 
(10) SOCIAL
WORK
RESEARCHER.—The term 
‘‘social work researcher’’ means a person who stud-
ies social work at the individual, family, group, com-
munity, policy, or organizational level, focusing 
across the human life span on prevention of, inter-
vention in, treatment of, aftercare of, and rehabilita-
tion from acute and chronic social and psychosocial 
conditions, and includes a person examining the ef-
fect of policies on social work practice. The study re-
ferred to in this paragraph is primarily conducted by 
researchers with doctoral degrees who are social 
workers or faculty under university, government, re-
search institute, or community agency auspices. 
(11) SOCIAL WORKER.—The term ‘‘social work-
er’’ 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, 
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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 rein-
vestment in, the profession of social work. 
SEC. 102. APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSION MEMBERS. 
(a) APPOINTMENT BY THE SECRETARY.—The Sec-
retary 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 organiza-
tions. 
(6) 1 senior social work State official. 
(7) 1 senior related State official. 
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(8) 2 directors of community-based organiza-
tions or nonprofit organizations. 
(9) 1 labor economist. 
(10) 1 social work consumer. 
(11) 1 licensed clinical social worker. 
(b) APPOINTMENT BY OTHER OFFICERS.—Four ad-
ditional members shall be appointed to the Commission, 
with 1 member appointed by each of the following officers: 
(1) The Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives. 
(2) The minority leader of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
(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 ap-
pointed— 
(1) in a manner that assures participation of 
individuals and representatives of groups from dif-
ferent racial, ethnic, cultural, geographic, religious, 
linguistic, and class backgrounds and different gen-
ders 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). 
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(d) SELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIR-
PERSON.—The Secretary shall select a chairperson and 
vice chairperson for the Commission from among the 
members of the Commission. 
(e) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Mem-
bers 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 com-
prehensive 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; 
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(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 Commis-
sion; 
(2)(A) the workforce challenges facing the pro-
fession of social work, such as high social work edu-
cational debt, lack of fair market compensation, the 
need to address social work workforce trends, trans-
late social work research to practice, promote social 
work safety, or develop State-level social work licen-
sure policies and reciprocity agreements for pro-
viding services across State lines, or the lack of di-
versity 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; 
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(4) the social work workforce challenges de-
scribed 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 assist-
ance to local governments to encourage the engage-
ment 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 recruit-
ment for, and retention, research, and reinvestment in, the 
profession of social work. The report shall include rec-
ommendations and strategies for corrective actions to en-
sure 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 rec-
ommendations considered by the Commission to be impor-
tant. 
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 
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