Report Highlights Recent MSW Graduates’ Contributions to Behavioral Health

Published on : March 1, 2021

MSWs serve a wide range of vulnerable and underserved populations across different settings, according to The Provision of Behavioral Health Services by Recent Master of Social Work (MSW) Graduates. This data brief from the National Workforce Initiative provides insights into contributions by these new social workers to the behavioral health field. The report highlights findings about MSW graduates who provide behavioral health services, including their primary job focus, demographics, educational and occupational background, job settings, licensing or educational requirements, mean and median income, and age of clientele served. 

Here are some top takeaways from the report: 

  • More than a third of MSWs working in direct social work take jobs focused primarily on behavioral health 
  • After receiving their degree, nearly a quarter (24.6%) of all MSW graduates entered positions with a main focus on people with mental health disorders 
  • Approximately 221,000 social workers with MSWs were providing behavioral health services in the United States in 2018 

Access the data brief.