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From January 2002 NASW NEWS Research Bill DelayedRepublican Cosponsor Signs OnA Senate subcommittee includes language strongly backing social work center. By John V. O'Neill, MSW, NEWS Staff The profession's push for legislation to create a federal social work research center stalled for 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and because of the reluctance of some conservative members of Congress to establish a separate new government organization. But the proposed legislation continued to pick up congressional allies in the fall, and a Senate appropriations subcommittee report included language directing federal agencies to seek ways to involve social work in research projects and report back to Congress on progress. A major step toward passage of the bill was gaining Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) as a cosponsor. He became the first Republican conservative to join a number of Democrats as cosponsors. Both Democrats and Republicans are cosponsors in the House. The proposed legislation became bogged down when Congress turned its attention to the battle in Afghanistan and anthrax at home, and there was no action by the health subcommittee in the House, said Sue Hoechstetter, who directs legislative efforts for the Action Network for Social Work Education and Research (ANSWER). Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R-Fla.), chairman of the House health subcommittee, has said he will do more next year, Hoechstetter said. Most members of Congress, including conservatives, recognize the need for research on solutions to social problems, but some key conservatives see a separate Center for Social Work Research as contributing to the structure of big government, said Hoechstetter. They oppose a separate center at the National Institutes of Health and look instead to locating the functions of a social work research center in existing federal entities. It is important for the ANSWER partners and their members to write, call or meet with the members of Congress to advocate a research center and to keep the issue fresh in the minds of the Congress, Hoechstetter said. ANSWER members are: National Association of Social Workers, Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, Council on Social Work Education, Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research, Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education, and Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work. ANSWER partners were heartened that the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations subcommittee included strong language in its committee report stressing the need for more social work research. The report commended the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for continued recognition of the importance of social work research in the delivery of disease prevention and treatment services. "The committee urges the National Institutes of Health to explore ways to further involve social workers in research efforts and to report back to Congress on the involvement of social work in promoting effective prevention and treatment outcomes throughout all NIH institutes and programs," said the report. "The committee continues to support the NIMH's efforts to expand the number of social work research development centers in light of the important work the centers do to inform the delivery of mental health services by social workers and other providers," the report concluded. It is important for ANSWER organizations to follow up on the congressional report and work with NIH on the development of additional social work research, said Hoechstetter. Back to NASW NEWS Contents
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