Health Practice Tools

NASW played a lead role in conceiving and funding The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Consensus Study Report, Integrating Social Care into the Delivery of Health Care: Moving Upstream to Improve the Nation’s Health. This landmark report recognizes that social workers are specialists in identifying and addressing social needs, and it includes numerous recommendations to ensure that the nation’s health care systems address the many factors that contribute to health.

Social workers, like many health and behavioral health professionals, are concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their well-being, the people to whom they provide services, their families, and others in the community.

Social workers are in a unique position to promote disease prevention efforts (including disseminating accurate information from trusted sources), and to help address anxiety and other concerns that are arising as a result of this public health crisis.

Federal initiatives are helping to support exiting service members and connect them to timely health resources.

NASW is a proud sponsor of this report. Upstream social conditions help shape people’s health because they affect both the delivery and the outcomes of health care. It is therefore critical to take them into account to improve both primary prevention and the treatment of acute and chronic illness. The report highlights social work’s valuable contributions as specialists in providing social care and promoting health equity.

Climate change is affecting the way people live and contributing to physical and mental health conditions. Social workers can integrate knowledge about the environment into practice to help individuals understand and manage the health consequences of climate change.

One of the most frequently asked questions from NASW members is, “What is NASW doing to advocate for social workers?” In response to this popular question, the clinical team developed this advocacy booklet for members.