Work

Varying Estimates of Social Workers in the United States: Which Data Source to Use?

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Behavioral health needs continue rise in the United States and constitute a key driver of health care utilization, costs, and outcomes. Social workers provide a wide range of services across health, behavioral health, and community settings, and while this heterogeneity in practice benefits care delivery, it complicates health workforce analyses. This analysis compares five commonly used national data sources and details similarities and differences in their estimates of the number, type, and practice characteristics of social workers. The analysis suggests that estimates vary significantly between data sets ranging from 282,425 to 1,022,859 social workers; as well as yield different findings of types of social workers in the United States, depending on the data set used. These differences have the potential to shape how researchers and policy makers assess the adequacy of the social work workforce and identify solutions to address the nation's behavioral health and social care needs.

Source: Medical Care Research and Review

DOI: 10.1177/10775587241257983

Authors: Brianna M. Lombardi, Lisa de Saxe Zerden, Erin Fraher

Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Language: English

Topic: Social Work Education and Practice

Subfield: Public Administration

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,200