EDITORIAL

Christine M. Rine

A

t the start of the Biden–Harris administration and the 117th Congress, the National Association of Social Workers
(NASW, 2021) outlined critical policy recommendations across an array of topics in the 2021
Blueprint of Federal Social Policy Priorities. These
resolutions were developed through an evidencebased lens closely aligned with the Grand Challenges for Social Work supported by the profession
(American Academy of Social Work and Social
Welfare, 2017). These policy priorities recognize
that social workers perform essential functions in
mental, behavioral, and physical healthcare within
varied settings and among diverse populations
across the country. The 2021 blueprint frames
health in a comprehensive manner wherein mental
and behavioral health are regarded as essential
elements in one’s overall health and wellness.
From this all-inclusive perspective, the profession endorses
a national health care policy that ensures access
to a full, coordinated continuum of physical
and mental health and social care services for
all people. A single-payer system that ensures
universal access to these services is the best
means to achieve this goal, and the [Patient
Protection and] Affordable Care Act (ACA)
moves the nation in the right direction. The
ACA should be preserved and expanded.”
(NASW, 2021, p. 9)
This recommendation for system integration and
broadening the reach of the ACA is validated by a
projected savings of $10 to $15 billion for Medicare and Medicaid and up to $32 billion for those
privately insured (Rae et al., 2021).

https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hlac039

C 2022 National Association of Social Workers
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Many of the policies proposed for mental, behavioral, and social care services share commonalities
with those suggested to provide healthcare for all.
For example, NASW advocates for an increase in
prevention efforts, access to care, diagnosis and treatment, and interventions that address a wide range of
social needs in both policy issue spheres (NASW,
2021). The NASW blueprint acknowledges that social determinants of health are at the center of policy
change because anything less than a holistic approach
would be ineffectual in combating the overwhelming
need evident across service delivery systems. Undoubtedly, these policy recommendations and their
potential implications are of considerable relevance
to social workers throughout practice settings.
Looking at the 2021 Blueprint of Federal Social Policy
Priorities approximately a year after its publication, we
can see that the $1.5 trillion omnibus-spending package or the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022
(P.L. 117-103) has made significant investments in
suggested areas. Among initiatives that address physical, mental, behavioral, and social health are those
that seek to increase access to, and funding for, mental
health and substance use services, early intervention
and prevention programs, crisis response, care for atrisk populations, and the continuation of access to
care via telehealth services. Specific components of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act with implications for social work practice include payment reform
for integrated behavioral health in primary care settings, support for community health workers, reauthorization and strengthening of the Violence
Against Women Act, and initiatives that address maternal health, rural health, homelessness, food insecurity, and health disparities. For those engaged in
social work research, the Consolidated Appropriations Act supports many areas of inquiry such as

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Social Policy Priorities to Promote Health and
Social Work

https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fil
eticket¼KPdZqqY60t4%3d&portalid¼0
Rae, M., Cox, C., Claxton, G., & McDermott, D. (2021).
How the American Rescue Plan Act affects subsidies for marketplace shoppers and people who are uninsured. Health
Reform, Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www
.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/how-the-americanrescue-plan-act-affects-subsidies-for-marketplace-shop
pers-and-people-who-are-uninsured/

Christine M. Rine, PhD, is professor, Department of Social
Work, Penn West University, 235 Scotland Road, Hendricks
Hall G-37, Edinboro, PA 16444, USA; email: crine@
pennwest.edu.
Advance Access Publication December 10, 2022

REFERENCES
American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
(2017). Grand Challenges for Social Work. https://grand
challengesforsocialwork.org/#the-challenges
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, Pub. L. No.
117-103, 136 Stat. 49 (2022). https://www.congress
.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2471/text
National Association of Social Workers. (2021, January).
2021 blueprint of federal social policy priorities: Recommendations to the Biden-Harris administration and Congress.

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ongoing tracking of health disparities, poverty
correlates, and the examination of disproportionate outcomes among communities of color across
numerous indicators.
Last, as a result of this legislation, the Social
Work Reinvestment Commission was established
with the intention of safeguarding and advancing a
strong and diverse social work labor force. Of interest to all social workers, this commission is
charged with confronting the challenges that face
the profession such as high student loan debt, low
wages, and a disconnect between research and
practice. Overall, the 2021 Blueprint of Federal Social Policy Priorities and the profession as a whole,
has realized noteworthy progress. HSW