Social work: Integral to interprofessional education and integrated practice

Although the debate on US health care reform is ongoing, existing policy has expanded access to preventative and treatment services through new models of integrated care. This has resulted in the creation of interprofessional healthcare teams comprised in part of social workers who undertake brief behavioral health intervention, care management, and service referral. To promote patient care and population health, integrating social workers onto interprofessional teams requires educating all members of the healthcare team on the roles and functions of social workers. A case vignette is included to demonstrate how interprofessional teams can use the skills of social workers to offer brief, evidence-supported interventions and inform team-based care. Suggestions are offered for moving forward to increase the participation of social work in IPE and practice settings.