Behavioral Medicine: A Social Worker’s Guide

Health care costs and the effective management of health care are of primary importance and concern to federal, state, and local governments. Consequently, it is necessary to develop innovative, successful, and integrated cost-effective treatments and procedures. Behavioral Medicine presents a new model to address these needs.

Behavioral Medicine discusses the composition of effective psychosocial treatment and presents a cost analysis of social work and its services. By defining the problems that need to be addressed in health care costs and management, applying research and using studies, this text presents an effective model for health care organizations. It also presents a profile of the Behavioral Social Worker, which defines the abilities needed to be effective in the role and looks at the key impact areas for a behavioral health model. This is a comprehensive guide for social workers preparing to work in health care organizations, and for existing social workers, academics, and practitioners of behavioral medicine in health settings.

John S. Wodarski is Professor at the College of Social Work, University of Tennessee.