DSW Student Publishes on Barriers to Social Work Integration in Health Care

Lauren Parks-McGill '16M, MSW, LSW, APHSW-C, a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) student, published "Identifying Barriers to Social Work Integration: Palliative Care Billing as an Illustrative Example," in the Coalition for Social Work and Health Commentary.

Parks-McGill co-authored the publication with Jen Hirsch, MSW, LMSW-Clinical, APHSW-C; LaCinda Jones, MSW, MJ, LISW-S, PMP; Alyssa McFadden, MSW, LSW, LPMT, MT-BC; Stephanie DePiano, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C; Kathryn Matarese, MSW, MBA, LSW, APHSW-C; and Akane Kumagai, MSW, LCSW. The authors examine the financial and systemic challenges of integrating social workers into outpatient medical settings.

"I have always believed that social workers belong in the rooms we haven't historically been invited into … This publication marks the beginning of a much deeper conversation, and I am immensely proud to share it. I owe so much of this foundation to Monmouth University; earning my master's and now pursuing my doctorate here has not only deepened my love for this profession but has forged me into the fierce advocate I am today," Parks-McGill said.

Using palliative care as an example, the authors explore why social workers have historically billed only mental health codes rather than medical codes, even though their responsibilities extend to patients' social needs and adjustment to illnesses.

The authors also identify six barriers to integration and billing: productivity expectations, equity concerns, referral sources and process, documentation, and training, lack of administrative support, and team relationship dynamics. They recommend adjusting workflows and job expectations and creating document templates to help social workers navigate technology and infrastructure hurdles.

The Coalition for Social Work and Health is a national convening body aligning leaders across practice, research, policy, and education to strengthen health care systems through social work.

Monmouth University's DSW program offers a convenient, collaborative learning experience for working professionals through online, synchronous courses. The program includes an annual one-week summer residency on campus, as students build professional portfolios, expand their professional networks, and develop projects that apply their learning to real-world challenges in social work.