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From January 2001 NASW NEWS 72 Percent Work for Private Organizations
Seventeen percent of NASW's members work only in private practice. Employment data in the Practice Research Network indicates that a significant number of regular NASW members have a foot in both major practice areas: either they work in organizational settings and have a private practice on the side, or have a private practice and work part-time for an organization. Fifty-three percent of respondents work only in organizational settings, 17 percent only in private practice and 23 percent in both. Asked their primary practice area: 39 percent named mental health; 8 percent, child welfare/family; 8 percent, health; 6 percent, school social work; 5 percent, aging; 3 percent, adolescents; 2 percent, addictions; 2 percent, disabilities; 1 percent, occupational/EAP; and 1 percent, violence. Principal roles in these primary practice areas were 59 percent in direct practice; 17 percent, administrative; 8 percent, case management; and 4 percent, clinical supervision. Asked what type of organization provides their primary social work employment: 17 percent said private practice-solo; 16 percent, outpatient mental health; 7 percent each, social service agencies and schools; 6 percent each, government agencies and private practice-group; 5 percent each, outpatient health and colleges; and 4 percent, inpatient health. Almost three-quarters of regular members (72 percent) work for private organizations: 35 percent, at private for-profits; 12 percent, at sectarian nonprofits; and 25 percent, at other nonprofits. Ten percent each work at state and local governments, and 4 percent for the federal government or military. About two-thirds reported a median of 75 cases per year, with 21 percent reporting fewer than 50 and 16 percent more than 200. Nearly 25 percent indicated no cases. Of those working in organizational settings, the largest group was in mental health outpatient, 22 percent; school, 10 percent; social service agency, 9 percent; hospital with mental health unit, 8 percent; university, 6 percent; government agency, 5 percent; and other settings, 33 percent. Members employed in organizations reported a median of 40 hours of work weekly, with 25 percent working more than 45 hours and 16 percent working fewer than 30 hours. In contrast, members in private practice worked a median of 16 hours per week in practice, with almost a third reporting 30 or more hours and 29 percent fewer than 10 hours weekly. The latter category obviously includes those with part-time private practices. Members in organizations reported seeing a median of 20 clients per week; those in private practice, 13. Twenty-two percent of members in organizations reported seeing 30 clients per week, compared to 15 percent in private practice. Almost half of the income for those in private practice comes from self-pay clients (49.7 percent), followed by 32.7 percent from private insurance. Medicaid (4.5 percent) and Medicare (4.2 percent) make up less than 10 percent of revenues. Private practice members reported that more than one-sixth of their billings are uncollectable: 5.6 percent due to bad debt, 6.4 percent to capitated rates and 5.4 percent to denied claims. Back to NASW NEWS Contents
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