Depression and anxiety are common clinical features among residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the United States, with prevalence estimates ranging from 20% to 30% (Mansbach, et al., 2015). Social workers are well-positioned to meet these needs because they are trained to provide both direct and indirect patient care. This project will describe trends in social worker employment in skilled nursing, residential care, and home health settings, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The supply of social workers and sources of variation in their wages will be analyzed and trends will be compared with those for RNs, who also often assume care management responsibilities, building on research conducted by the University of Michigan Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center. Information gained will support BHW’s commitment to expanding and developing the behavioral health and LTC workforces by targeting resources to ensure that LTC providers have adequate numbers of social workers who are prepared to meet their clients’ needs.
Key Questions
- What are the trends in social work employment in skilled nursing, residential care, and home health settings from 2005 to 2015?
- Do these trends differ from trends in the employment of RNs in these LTC settings?
- What is the variation in social work staffing and wages across different types of LTC settings and across census regions?
- What are the demographic characteristics of social workers employed in LTC settings?
For questions, contact: Janet Coffman, [email protected]