depression, drug and alcohol addiction, and suicidal tendencies. (11) The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 1,668,780 new cases of cancer and 600,920 cancer deaths, or 1,646 deaths a day, in 2017 alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that there are over 1,200,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, with approximately 39,513 new cases diagnosed in 2015. In 2013, 1,600,000 to 1,700,000 people received care from the Nation’s hospice providers. Health care and medical social workers practice in areas related to all of these circumstances and provide outreach for prevention and health promotion, help individuals and their families adapt to their health conditions, connect patients and family caregivers with community services and supports, provide grief counseling, and act as a liaison between individuals and their medical team, helping patients make informed decisions about their care. (12) The Children’s Defense Fund notes that every 2 seconds a public school student is suspended and that every 9 seconds a high school student drops out. The National Center for Education Statistics states that in 2014 the national dropout rate for high school students was 6.5 percent. Some vulnerable communities have dropout rates of 50 percent or higher. Social workers in school settings help students avoid dropping out through early identification, prevention, intervention, counseling, and support services. (13) According to the Department of Justice, every year more than 650,000 ex-offenders are released from Federal and State prisons. Social workers employed in the correctional system address disproportionate minority incarceration rates, provide treatment for mental health problems and drug and alcohol addiction, and work within, as well as outside of, prisons to reduce recidivism and increase positive community reentry. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Clinical social worker The term clinical social worker has the meaning given the term in section 1861(hh)(1) of the Social