Social Work Clinical Practice in Family Medicine Centers: The Need for a Practice Model

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a recently conducted study of the clinical practice of social work in family medicine residency training centers in eight southeastern states. Findings indicate that the practice of social work is firmly entrenched and expanding in this primary health care setting. Analysis of the clinical practice of these workers shows that workers tend to select therapeutic over social interventions and split the two in actual practice. A unique dimension of practice is the synthesis of social worker functions of resident education with coordination of patient health care. This study indicates that social work clinical practice in primary health care settings is inadequately conceptualized and needs a preferred practice model.