Clinical social work education, mental health, and the DSM-5

Since the inception of social work in the late nineteenth century, there has been an ongoing debate as to what constitutes the essence of social work practice. Does the social worker maintain a macro or micro focus, serving as an agent of social change or social control, respectively? This article explores the perennial debate in the context of social work education about mental health in the United States, particularly as related to the classification and treatment of mental disorders for the diverse range of underserved clients.