Chair: Howard Palley, PhD
Social workers specializing in health know that treating an illness biomedically does not necessarily solve the patient’s problems. Physical illness often causes emotional and social problems as well. Clinical health social workers provide counseling, link patients with community resources, serve as advocates, work as part of a team of health care professionals, and work with selfhelp groups of patients experiencing similar problems. Health social workers in social administration and community organization work in health care organizations to study patterns of illness, develop and implement programs to prevent disease, administer services to improve health, and advocate for a better health care system. The School of Social Work has the state’s only graduate health specialization in social work. The School takes advantage of its location on a campus that includes two major medical centers, a trauma center, four major health professions schools, and more than 7,000 health professionals and students. Field instruction is available in renowned health organizations in Maryland and nearby Washington, D.C. Half of the School’s field instruction agencies are health-related. The health specialization prepares graduates to work as administrators or community organizers in health care organizations and advocacy groups. Graduates are well-qualified to work in one of the largest fields of social work practice—one in which employment opportunities in recent years have been excellent. Coursework
During the Advanced Practice Year, students specializing in health take The Nature of Health and Illness (SOWK 765) and Social Policy and Health Care (SOWK 713). In addition, clinical students take Clinical Social Work Practice in Relation to Physical Illness Processes (SWCL 712). All health specializers conduct a research project on an important health care issue. At the same time, they spend three days a week in a public or private\ hospital or health agency. Clinical students learn to provide effective psychosocial interventions to improve the health of patients and families. MACO students learn to effectively administer health care services, plan for needed health care services at the community level, and affect health care delivery. Secondary Concentration Option in Health
A clinical concentrator who wants to have MACO as a secondary concentration will fulfill the clinical concentration requirements by taking either SOWK 765 or SWCL 712 (not both), SWOA 703 or SWOA 704, and another SWOA methods course. A MACO concentrator who wants to have clinical as a secondary concentration will take the MACO concentration requirements and substitute SWCL 700 or SWCL 744 for an SWOA methods course and take SWCL 712. A Sub-Specialization in Child, Adolescent and Family Health is available within the Health Specialization. RELATED LINK: UMBs Global Health Multidisciplinary Research Committee top | 
