Taiwan's Medical Social Work Development and the Impact of Social Work Regulation

Abstract

Purpose: This study explored medical social work development and the impact of social work regulation in Taiwan. Methods: From the perspective of historical institutionalism, data were collected through in-depth interviews with 9 senior medical social workers, the review of 49 articles on social work professionalization in Taiwan, and the content analysis of 42 historical files. Results: The findings indicate four critical junctures, namely the postwar–1982 period for charitable relief for the poor and American-style social work, the 1983–1996 period for establishment of the Taiwan Medical Social Work Association and promotion of the Social Worker Act, the 1997–2008 period for implementation of the social work certification and license, and the 2009–present period for approval of specialist social worker institutions. Conclusions: The development of medical social work in Taiwan, the characteristics of social work regulation, and the next step in the development of social work professionalization were discussed.