Deloitte Health Forward Blog: CISWH Director Tami Gouveia Advocates for Including Social Workers in Healthcare Industry
Tami Gouveia, director of the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health, explores the role of social workers in the healthcare industry in an interview with Deloitte’s Health Forward Blog. The post analyzes changes in the healthcare industry and appraises new technology. Gouveia explains that while healthcare settings have begun incorporating social workers into the industry more and more, further integration is needed to improve the healthcare system. Citing the example of the opioid crisis in Lowell, Mass. in 2007, Gouveia highlights how her role as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives brought a social work perspective to the issue and provided more holistic care for patients.
Excerpt from “Celebrating Social Work Month: Social workers can play a key role in making health more equitable” by Keita Franklin and Dewin Hernandez:
Social workers can play a role in building collective power and community power. I served in the Massachusetts legislature for four years and I continue to reach out to my former colleagues, particularly in the Black and Latino caucuses, to make sure that we support social work efforts that address health equity. When I ran for office, I didn’t think anyone would want to vote for a social worker. But I found that people got really excited when they found out I am a social worker. They believe social workers understand what a lot of people are going through and the challenges that people are facing. Growing up in a working-class city in Massachusetts, I saw how some local policy decisions sometimes left people behind. I wanted to give those people a voice and make sure policies were addressing the needs of people and their families. Social workers are empowered to create change, but they can’t do it alone.”