The reclassification trend is one of the most formidable issues facing American social work today. Social work\u27s vulnerability stemming from a general ambiquity about its distinct role and boundaries, competition from emerging helping occupations, and its debated professionalism is a major contributing factor. Often ignored in recent efforts to address reclassification is empirical evidence of social work\u27s distinct performance in the human services versus other occupational groups. In this article comparative research findings supporting social work\u27s unique performance are presented and their relevance for reclassification discussed