In countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, increasingly, social work is included in primary health care teams, but how it becomes meaningfully integrated into interprofessional team-based care remains insufficiently understood. This study employed a scoping review to synthesise how social work integrates into interprofessional primary health care teams, with particular emphasis on collaborative mechanisms and team-based workflows. Following Arksey and O'Malley's framework and PRISMA-ScR reporting, reviewers searched five major English-language databases, and included 31 articles. Thematic synthesis identified three broad patterns. These were embedding arrangements shaped by colocation and team infrastructure; collaboration mechanisms enacted through routinised meetings, continuous boundary work, and organisational enabling conditions; and team-based workflows in which social work was commonly activated by psychosocial complexity, but functional integration depended on explicit handoff scripts, shared documentation, and ethically governed information-sharing. Overall, integration emerged as an organisational accomplishment rather than simply a staffing decision. Durable embedding appeared to require repeatable access routes, coordination routines, and information systems that made social work consistently mobilisable and evaluable in everyday primary health care practice.
Eating disorders are serious and life-threatening mental health conditions. Often primary care is the first contact for eating disorder clients, but frequently these disorders go undetected or misdiagnosed, delaying treatment and recovery. Primary care social workers are on the frontline of mental health treatment in primary care, and have the potential to play a critical role in early detection and intervention for eating disorders. Yet there is limited research examining their experiences and training needs. This article proposes research, education, practice, and policy recommendations to improve the detection and treatment of eating disorders in primary care. IMPLICATIONS . Often eating disorders require interdisciplinary treatment for full recovery, yet may go undetected in primary care settings. . Primary care social workers need to be prepared to identify and treat eating disorders in a timely manner. . More research is needed to understand primary care social workers' experiences and training needs related to eating disorder care.
Limited research has examined student perspectives on professional identity formation within the Australian context, highlighting the importance of investigating student voices. This study explored Australian students' perceptions of social work and how they believe social work is viewed by others. The qualitative study utilised focus groups to gather the perspectives of 16 students currently studying a Bachelor or Master of social work at La Trobe University. Reflexive thematic analysis provided insight into the participants' experiences and perceptions of social work and their perceptions of public sentiment towards social work. Findings indicated that students perceived the public as misunderstanding social work, yet they remained motivated and proud to become social workers, while identifying areas for improvement in social work education and practice. These insights contribute to understanding professional identity development among emerging practitioners, highlight the need for structured supports to strengthen student confidence, and offer implications for social work education and workforce planning.IMPLICATIONS
