ANSWER

Action Network for Social Work Education & Research

What is ANSWER?

The mission of the Action Network for Social Work Education and Research (ANSWER) Coalition is to increase legislative and executive branch advocacy on behalf of social work education, training, and research. This mission is accomplished through the collaboration of social work education, research, and practice organizations, social work education programs, and other interested groups.

ANSWER Coalition Member Organizations
Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD), Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education (GADE), Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research (IASWR), National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work (NADD), National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR).

History of the ANSWER Coalition
CSWE, NADD, BPD, GADE, and NASW created the ANSWER Coalition in 1995. IASWR joined the coalition the following year and SSWR became a member in 1999. The coalition was created to provide specific resources to strengthen advocacy efforts related to the emerging priorities around the enhancement of the social work research infrastructure as well as a number of specific efforts related to social work education and training. The coalition has focused its attention on many issues; however, for the past four years, ANSWER has focused mainly on the legislative effort to create a National Center for Social Work Research. As a part of this effort, in March 2002, the ANSWER Coalition asked NASW to assume responsibility for staffing the Coalition and leading the lobbying efforts for a national center for social work research. NASW will continue in this leadership position during the 108th Congress.

ANSWER's Legislative Initiative

National Center for Social Work Research Act
The ANSWER Coalition has directed the majority of its resources to lobbying for the creation of a national center for social work research. The purpose of this center will be to collect and coordinate data related to family-centered and community-based social work research. This research, and the evidence-based approaches that are developed from it, would be available to social workers, as well as to federal, state and local policymakers who will use it when devising effective social policies.

The ANSWER Coalition is working in the 109 th Congress with Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) on legislation that would authorize the establishment of a national center for social work research. He introduced the National Center for Social Work Research Act (S.90) in January 2005.

Committee Report Language
The ANSWER Coalition has been successful in its lobbying efforts to have report language regarding research being conducted by social workers within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), included in past Committee Reports.

The FY05 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Appropriations Committee Report issued by the Senate (Senate Report 108-345) states—“ Social Work - The Committee commends the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research for its leadership in working together with NIH Institutes and centers, especially NCI, NIAAA, NIA, NIDA, NIMH, NICHD, and social work organizations and academics to implement recommendations from the NIH Plan for Social Work Research, including expanded technical assistance and outreach and a summer 2004 training institute, and encourages continued implementation activities including working with appropriate social work practice, education, and research groups to host a trans-NIH conference on social work research.”

The FY04 Labor HHS report also encourages the use of social work researchers. "Social Work Research- In support of the AHRQ priority of `translating research into practice' the Committee recommends that AHRQ work with social work leaders to increase the number of social work researchers undertaking health services research. Social work research addresses health disparities, mental illness and co-occurring disorders, delivery of health and mental health care in community settings and health care for older Americans. The Committee encourages dissemination of evidence-based reports to social work health care professionals."

The following was included in the Senate Report 107-216 on FY03 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations- “Social Work Research- The Committee commends the NIMH, NIDA, NCI, and the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research for their recognition of social work research's important contribution to our Nation's health. NIH responded by creating a Plan for Social Work Research in May 2003.”

For additional information, please see: https://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/answer/

To send a letter to Congress in support of the National Center for Social Work Research Act, please visit Congress Web at: https://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/grassroots/congressweb.asp