Perspectives on the Roles and Value of Social Work Practice in Neighborhood Health Centers and Implications for the Reimbursement of Services

SUMMARY

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the delivery of primary care services to underserved populations. This paper presents a subset of data from a larger exploratory study that examined how three professional groups (social workers, physicians, and administrators) in neighborhood health centers perceived the type and extent of psychosocial problems in their patient populations and the roles of their staff in addressing these problems. We examined the perceptions of physicians, administrators, and social workers as to who handles various psychosocial problems and whose responsibility it is to perform a range of psychosocial functions, with a focus on the function of social work. Social workers were highly praised and valued by administrators and physicians. While the respondents in neighborhood health centers confirmed the value of social work, public and private funders are reluctant to reimburse for social services beyond limited clinically diagnosed mental health services. Outcomes studies focused on the efficacy and efficiency of social work practice in neighborhood health centers are necessary to begin to overcome this barrier to social work services.

KEYWORDS:

• Primary health care
• neighborhood health centers
• social work roles
• psychosocial functions

Notes

This research was funded in part by the Hunter College Faculty Development Program, Hunter College, City University of New York.

∗ P > .05

∗∗ P > .01.

∗ Includes centers with no social worker (n = 1).

∗ Includes centers with no social worker (n = 1).