Laura Gabbay is the executive director of Project WISE, a nonprofit that helps low-income women advance in personal and economic self-sufficiency.
As the Affordable Care Act nudges the health care sector to a more "integrated" approach of delivering services, social workers have much to offer. Indeed, social workers have historically played a major role in coordinating care for people with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and traumatic experiences.
A social worker who co-locates with a primary care provider could detect non-clinical factors that influence patients' health. For example, a social worker at an integrated, primary care clinic might ask about the patient's housing arrangements, her legal situation, if she and her children have food, or if she's in an abusive relationship.
Because social workers receive a broad education around psychology, they tend to be "generalists," able to nimbly and effectively provide services to many different individuals.
Social workers are exceptionally good at community-based work and being culturally responsive. This is particularly important as we encourage individuals to be more engaged in their own health care decisions.
Pairing social workers with primary care providers also effectively mitigates concerns many Coloradans have about the increasing strain on the current health care system as our state grows and our population ages.
Betsy Clark, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, predicted that public health social work may be the future of social work. "The ability of the public health social worker to bridge prevention and intervention, individual and community, and practice and policy will be increasingly valued by our changing society," Clark said in 2006.
Project WISE supports an "empowerment model" that encourages our clients to embrace an understanding that they are in charge of their lives, and thus, their health. Many of the new models of health care dovetail nicely with this model.
We see that unhealthy life choices, poor role modeling and high levels of unmanaged stress are harmful to women – particularly those in their late teens and 20s. Integrated health care offers innovative solutions. We embrace the notion that more underserved women in our community should regularly receive primary, mental health and oral care – with our counselors being committed to good frequent communication with the primary care provider community.
Partnering social workers with primary care providers addresses some important challenges to the successful integration of mental health services into primary health care settings. Let's work together to create new innovative care delivery models for women with low incomes in our community – invite a social worker to the table and begin a conversation that's a win-win for everyone.
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