An exploration of social workers’ professional identities within health settings in Queensland

Social workers make up a significant number of the professionals and are key members of multidisciplinary teams employed within the health sector in Queensland. Shifting government priorities such as increased governance, managerialism, privatisation and marketisation of the health sector in Queensland are consistently shaping health service delivery. These are subsequently reflected in the delivery of social work services in this context. This has prompted an exploration of how social workers develop and maintain their professional identity when working amidst the presence of medical dominance and evolving neoliberal ideology that underpin the operation of health services within Queensland.