The Changing Face of Health Care Social Work: Opportunities and Challenges for Professional Practice

This practical guide provides the knowledge and skills social workers need when navigating the complex health care environment, while having to continuously adapt to change. Substantially revised and updated, the fourth edition delivers a wealth of new information reflecting the rapidly evolving health care landscape. Full of practice-oriented advice, it encompasses all aspects of professional health care social work in the U.S. health care system, across all key settings.

Throughout the fourth edition there is a strong emphasis on the importance of developing best practices that are evidence-based, culturally-sensitive, supportive, and ethically accountable. The book is also a call to action for social workers, who must not only be therapeutically effective but also professionally competitive with other health care providers offering similar services. Each chapter contains professional profiles in diverse practice areas along with a glossary, reflective questions, and relevant websites.

New to the Fourth Edition:

• Major updates on all recent changes in health care practice and the ACA and the role of the health care social worker, including an increased emphasis on the role of social justice
• Updated information related to the NASW Code of Ethics, including use of technology and evaluation
• Increased emphasis on Evidence-Based Practice throughout
• Updated with the different roles of social workers, including medical social work in the military, VA hospitals and clinics, and advocacy for those who are serving or have served
• New sections on behavioral health and integrative practice, telehealth, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), social work practice in emergency departments, and home health, intimate partner/domestic violence, mandated reporting, and duty to protect/duty to warn
• Major changes to health and mental health assessment, including updated DSM-5 and WHO assessments
• Examining ethical dilemmas, including vaccinations and new sections on pain and spirituality
• Completely rewritten content on prevention, health, and wellness coaching

Key Features:

• Encompasses all aspects of professional health care social work in the U.S. health care system, across key settings and patient populations
• Highlights the need for more organizational and leadership knowledge
• Provides tools for adapting to all major changes in health care with updated roles and functions
• Includes a wealth of advice through professional profiles
• Supplementary material for instructors includes PowerPoints and an Instructor’s Manual with sample syllabus, course-related CSWE accreditation suggestions, classroom activities, and a test bank for each chapter