I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5447 
To establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide inde-
pendent counsel to Congress on policy issues associated with the recruit-
ment, 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) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation 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 Representa-
tives 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: 
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(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 oc-
cupations 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 Na-
tional 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 Mas-
ter’s level educations in particular. A survey con-
ducted 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 Associa-
tion of Social Workers, Center for Workforce Stud-
ies, 60 percent of full-time social workers earn be-
tween $35,000 and $59,999 per year with 25 per-
cent earning between $40,000 and $49,999 per year. 
Social workers who earn lower salaries are more 
likely to work in challenging agency environments 
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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 grad-
uates have too much debt to manage as a starting 
social worker. While social workers may be in posi-
tions 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 Employ-
ees, 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 po-
sitioning 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 de-
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mentia, were also found to have Alzheimer’s disease. 
Social workers in gerontology settings work with 
older adults, including those with dementia to sup-
port their physiological, psychological and social 
needs through mental health therapy, caregiver and 
family counseling, health education, program coordi-
nation, and case management. These professionals 
also assist the hundreds of thousands of older per-
sons who are abused, neglected, frail, and vulner-
able. Between 2000 and 2004 there was a 19.7 per-
cent 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 ne-
glect. Research shows that professional social work-
ers 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. 
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(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 experi-
ence a mental health disorder. At least 1 in 10, or 
about 6,000,0000 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 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 ac-
tive 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 treat-
ment 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 com-
prise only 11 percent of the general population. So-
cial workers working with veterans and their families 
provide case management, crisis intervention, mental 
health interventions, housing and financial coun-
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seling, high risk screening, and advocacy among 
other services. The VA employs over 5,000 profes-
sional social workers and is the single largest em-
ployer 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 hos-
pice providers. Health care and medical social work-
ers practice in all of these areas and provide out-
reach for prevention, help individuals and their fami-
lies adapt to their circumstances, provide grief coun-
seling 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 Statis-
tics states that in 2005 the national dropout rate for 
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high school students totaled 9.4 percent. White stu-
dents 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 work-
ers in school settings help these students through 
early identification, prevention, intervention, coun-
seling and support. 
(11) According to the United States Depart-
ment of Justice, every year more than 650,000 ex- 
offenders are released from Federal and State pris-
ons. Social workers employed in the corrections sys-
tem 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 es-
tablish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission (in this 
Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’) to provide inde-
pendent counsel to Congress on policy issues associated 
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with the recruitment, retention, research, and reinvest-
ment 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 work-
ers, 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 organiza-
tions. 
(6) 1 senior social work State official. 
(7) 1 senior related State official. 
(8) 2 directors of community-based organiza-
tions 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 Pre-
vention, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare 
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Services, the Health Resources and Service Adminis-
tration, the Indian Health Service, the National In-
stitutes 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, in-
cluding 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 
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(3) State-level social work licensure and reci-
procity agreements for providing services across 
State lines. 
(e) MEETINGS OF THE COMMISSION.—The Commis-
sion shall hold its first meeting not later than 6 weeks 
after the date on which the final member of the Commis-
sion 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 de-
termine 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 PRO-
GRAMS.—The Secretary is authorized to award grants to 
eligible entities for each fiscal year to support demonstra-
tion programs and other activities related to research, 
workplace improvements, education, training, and pro-
grams of excellence. 
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