NASW Lobby Days Rally 2008

NASW-CA 20th Annual Legislative Lobby Days Rally March 10 2008- Speaker Carolina Flores LSWN President

NASW-CA 20th Annual Legislative Lobby Days Rally March 10 2008 guest speaker Catalina Alvarez MSW student at San Jose State University

U.S. Senators Barbara Mikulski and Debbie Stabenow introduce S. 2858, the Social Work Reinvestment Act, on the 2nd Annual World Social Work Day

Send a letter to YOUR Senators in support of S. 2858!

WASHINGTON—In concert with a global celebration of the social work profession, two U.S. Senators, who are also trained social workers, have introduced legislation that will help the nation’s 600,000 professional social workers better serve families and communities in need.  Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today introduced S. 2858—the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act—to address a nationwide shortage of social workers.

Additional original co-sponsors of the Senate bill include Senators Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) and Gordon H. Smith (R-OR). Congressman Ed Towns (D-NY) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives in February, which now has more than 45 co-sponsors.

Both Senate and House bills seek to create a Social Work Reinvestment Commission to study policy issues associated with recruitment, retention, research and reinvestment in the profession of social work. Specifically, the Commission will study how issues such as fair market compensation, educational debt, labor trends, knowledge development, workplace safety, and state-level licensure have impacted the social work workforce.

In addition, the bill’s proposed demonstration programs would fund competitive grants in the areas of workplace improvements; research, education and training; and community-based programs of excellence. These grants will support efforts underway within the private and public sectors, in the post-doctoral research community, at institutions of higher learning, and within community-based organizations. For more information, please visit www.SocialWorkReinvestment.org

“I’m fighting to address the social worker shortage, not just as the Senator from Maryland who is standing up for her constituents, but also as a professionally trained social worker. I have provided these very services and realize what will happen if my constituents cannot get them,” said Senator Mikulski. “I will continue to fight for social workers and the people who rely on the critical work they provide to our nation’s most vulnerable citizens.”

“As a certified social worker, I know firsthand how critically important their skills are to communities,” said Senator Stabenow.  “Without trained social workers, individuals in dire need of health, educational and family support services simply fall through the cracks unserved. This legislation brings much needed funding to stem this shortage of social workers and the vital services which they provide.”

Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, said, “We are honored that two of the most distinguished members of the U.S. Senate are providing leadership for this campaign. Investments were once made to educate and train the social work workforce.  In recent decades, though, such support has been limited, and the profession has found it increasingly difficult to recruit new social workers and to retain experienced social workers. America’s professional social workers need greater support to continue providing millions of struggling individuals and families with valuable mental health, social, and psychosocial services.”

Ask Your Representative to Halt Medicaid Rules, Cosponsors Needed for the Protecting Medicaid Safety Net Act (H.R. 5613)

Background

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued seven Medicaid regulations that will significantly cut Medicaid payments for social work and other services to vulnerable Medicaid clients.  The regulations are an attempt to implement Medicaid cuts proposed in the Bush Administration’s Fiscal Year 2008 Budget.

Recently, Representatives John Dingell (D-MI) and Timothy Murphy (R-PA) introduced “Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008” (H.R. 5613) to delay until April 9, 2009 implementation of these seven cost-cutting Medicaid regulations. The bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which may consider it as early as April 1. Similar legislation will be introduced shortly in the Senate.

The seven rules reduce Medicaid recipients’ access to rehabilitative services, targeted case management, school-based transportation and outreach services, and hospital clinic services. The regulations have drawn strong criticism from social workers across the country and a range of other stakeholders, including organizations representing people with disabilities, children and families, hospitals, educators, providers and state Medicaid directors. H.R. 5613 would impose a moratorium on all seven of the detrimental rules. Summarized below are three of those rules most frequently cited by social workers as detrimental to the clients they serve:

How much will the Medicaid regulations cost your state?  Congressional staff have prepared an estimate of the impact of these rules for your state at:  http://oversight.house.gov/features/medicaid08/  Fortunately, Congress has the authority to delay the implementation of these regulations through a legally authorized postponement known as a moratorium.  A moratorium gives Congress time to review the regulations closely and propose needed revisions through legislation.

Status

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-MI) and Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) introduced the Protecting Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008 (HR 5613) on March 13.  The bill would provide a 1 year moratorium on the regulations, prohibiting CMS from taking action to implement them until April of 2009.   A Senate companion bill is expected to be introduced soon.

Take Action

Please contact your Representative and him/her to pass HR 5613. NASW members may use our website to send a sample message electronically to their Representative, by visiting
http://capwiz.com/socialworkers/issues/alert/?alertid=11190396&PROCESS=Take+Action

For background information, see the comments NASW submitted with its coalition partners to CMS (Rehab option comments to CMS; School-based transportation and administration comments to CMS; and Targeted case management comments to CMS)

HEA Passes the House: Get Your Senator to Support Loan Forgiveness in HEA!

Thanks for your help! Your advocacy efforts worked to pass the College Opportunity and Affordability Act (H.R. 4137), also known as the Higher Education Act or “HEA”, out of the House in an overwhelming vote (354 to 58) on February 7. The bill would fully reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) for the first time since 1998 and includes loan forgiveness for national need occupations, clarifies appropriate financial aid professional/lender relationships, simplifies the financial aid application process, attempts to slow rising college costs, and creates a host of reporting requirements for higher education institutions.The loan forgiveness provisions in the House bill would directly benefit social workers by allowing a person with a degree in social work or a related field, and who is employed by a public or private child welfare agency, to have part of his or her college loans forgiven. For each year of work, $2,000 would be forgiven, up to a maximum of $10,000 over five years. The loan forgiveness covers 13 areas of national need, including qualified Head Start, child care and preschool teachers; some teachers in high-need fields; and some mental health professionals. The loan provisions would apply only after the law is passed, not for previous years worked, and would be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

For HEA to ultimately pass into law, the House and Senate must approve a negotiated version of the bill and send it to the president to be signed. While the House version includes the loan forgiveness language, the Senate version (S. 1642), passed during the summer, does not. We need your help in getting the loan forgiveness provisions into the final bill.

Important note: We want to emphasize that the College Opportunity and Affordability Act is not the same as the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007 (H.R. 2669) which provides loan forgiveness for social workers in public child or family service agencies, nonprofit, military, and other areas for eligible120 loan payments made after Oct 1, 2007.
http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/updates/2007/092107.asp
That legislation was signed into law by the President in September. While similar in focus, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act is broader in scope,

Action Needed: The House and Senate will negotiate their versions of HEA in the near future so please call your Senator at (202) 224-3121 or write them and urge them to retain the House’s loan forgiveness provisions in the final version of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act (H.R. 4137).Let your Senator know that you are a constituent and social worker and you appreciate their support. Thanks again for your advocacy.

Nancy McFall Jean, NASW Lobbyist, Government Relations Department

Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act - H.R. 5447

Dear Colleague,

Over the years, NASW has asked you to speak out on behalf of many causes and issues. You have always risen to the occasion. Significant strides have been made in areas such as children’s health care, employment nondiscrimination, and fair pay legislation.  Your advocacy has resulted in the enhanced mental health, social and psychosocial functioning of clients across the country.

I am calling on you today, however, to ask each of you to take a small action, that when combined, can ensure the future of the profession.

On February 14, 2008 the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (H.R. 5447) was introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Congressman and fellow social worker Edolphus Towns (D-NY) along with original cosponsors Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA), Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH).

This groundbreaking legislation bears the names of two of the United States’ greatest social justice advocates and social workers and serves as an investment in the professionals that will care for the millions of aging baby boomers, wounded veterans, the ever-increasing numbers of people diagnosed with cancer, over six million youth with a serious mental illness, and the millions of people living with HIV/AIDS among others. Yet, insurmountable education debt, insufficient salaries, and serious safety concerns are threatening the profession.  The Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (H.R. 5447)will explore the many successful efforts already undertaken by our nation’s social workers, while examining the persistent challenges to these efforts. 

Social work has always been at the forefront of ensuring that the most vulnerable in society have a safety net of protection. Our communities are in need, more than ever for vital services provided by over 600,000 social workers across the nation.  Passage of this legislation is crucial to ensure an adequate social work workforce.  The future of this profession depends on the steps that we take to reinvest in it today.  We cannot make this happen without the assistance of every one of our members across the country. 

Please help us ensure that the profession of social work will grow and thrive in the coming decades. I am asking you as a leader in the profession, to encourage your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 5447 today by clicking here http://capwiz.com/socialworkers/issues/bills/?bill=11013991.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Franklin at (202) 408-8600 ext. 537 or efranklin@naswdc.org.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH
NASW Executive Director

Act Now! House Vote on HEA Tomorrow!

Leaders of the House Education and Labor Committee announced that they expect the House to vote on the College Opportunity and Affordability Act (H.R. 4137) on Thursday, Feb. 7. The legislation reauthorizes the Higher Education Act (HEA), which sets financial aid policy for students for the next five years. The bill provides loan forgiveness for national need occupations, clarifies appropriate financial aid professional/lender relationships, simplifies the financial aid application process, attempts to slow rising college costs, and creates a host of reporting requirements for higher education institutions. The loan forgiveness provisions would directly benefit social workers by allowing a person with a degree in social work or a related field, and who is employed by a public or private child welfare agency, to have part of his or her college loans forgiven. For each year of work, $2,000 would be forgiven, up to a maximum of $10,000 over five years.

The loan forgiveness covers 13 areas of national need, including qualified Head Start, child care and preschool teachers; some teachers in high-need fields; and some mental health professionals. The loan provisions would apply only after the law is passed, not for previous years worked, and would be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. If approved by the House, negotiators from the House and Senate would then reconcile the differences between the two chambers’ versions of the bill. The House and Senate must then approve the negotiated version of the bill and send it to the president to be signed into law. Currently the House version includes the loan forgiveness language while the Senate version (S. 1642) does not.

Important note: We want to emphasize that the College Opportunity and Affordability Act is not the same as the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007 (H.R. 2669) which provides loan forgiveness for social workers in public child or family service agencies, nonprofit, military, and other areas for eligible 120 loan payments made after Oct 1, 2007 http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/updates/2007/092107.asp The legislation was signed into law by the President in September. While similar in focus, H.R. 4137 is broader in scope and we need your help in getting this important legislation passed.

Action Needed

H.R. 4137 is slated for a House floor vote tomorrow. Two important actions by you can make the difference in moving things forward. First, please call your House Representative at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to support H.R. 4137 with the loan forgiveness provisions. Second, contact your Senator at the same number and encourage them to include the House loan forgiveness provision in S.1642, the Senate’s current version of HEA. In both cases let your member know that you are a constituent and social worker requesting their support for passage of these important bills with the loan forgiveness provisions for social workers. Thanks for your advocacy.

Nancy McFall Jean, NASW Lobbyist, Government Relations Department

New Web Site to Assist Borrowers with Student Loan Debt

The burden of student loan debt has been growing more unmanageable for social workers and students over the last several years. A recent survey by the Council on Social Work Education found that the average loan debt of social work students graduating in 2004 with a master’s degree in social work was $26,777. Those with bachelor’s degrees in social work faced repayment of $18,609 in loans and those with doctoral degrees in social work were $32,841 in debt. Repayment is particularly challenging for social workers, whose salaries continue to be among the lowest for professionals in general and for those with master’s level educations in particular. In 2001, 22 percent of social workers earned under $30,000 and 20 percent earned between $30,000 and $39,999. The median salary for social workers with two to four years experience was $35,600.

The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and the Project on Student Debt have developed the Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project that can help loan saddled social workers and other borrowers to find out more information about the recently passed College Cost Reduction and Access Act, among other student loan related issues. This multi-featured website was created for people who already have student loans and want to know more about their options and rights.  The site enables the borrowers to browse a wide range of issues, such as loan basics, default and delinquency, bankruptcy, loan cancellation, repayment, and collections.

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act forgives outstanding education debt for those persons that meet the eligibility requirements.  Those that would benefit are employees that have made 120 monthly payments on their loans while serving full-time in social work in public child or family service agencies, government, nonprofit, military, education, and others areas. The loan forgiveness provisions became effective on October 1, 2007.

Preventing problems by providing up-front information about the intricacies of student loans is critical in preventing default.  Although the site falls short of providing legal advice about individual cases, it does give a comprehensive overview of the issues and complexities that borrowers face in trying to manage their student loan debt.

Hate Crime Legislative Update

Government Relations Update

Hate Crime Legislative Update

The Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (S.1105/H.R.1585), introduced by Senator Kennedy (D-MA) in the Senate and Representative Conyers (D-MI) in the House of Representatives, would strengthen existing federal hate crime laws in multiple ways.  Foremost, the measure would eliminate a serious limitation on federal involvement under the existing 1968 law-the requirement that a victim of a bias-motivated crime was attacked because he/she was engaged in a specified federally-protected activity, such as serving on a jury or attending public school.

Secondly, current law, (18 U.S.C. Sec. 245), authorizes federal involvement only in those cases which the victim was targeted because of race, color, religion, or national origin.  The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 would also authorize the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute certain bias-motivated crimes predicated on the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.  Current federal law does not provide sufficient authority for involvement in these cases.

Pending Hate Crimes legislation is designed to eliminate gaps in federal authority to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated crimes.  The bill would provide an essential backdrop to state as well as local law enforcement by permitting federal authorities to provide assistance in these investigations-and by allowing federal prosecutions when necessary to achieve a fair and impartial result.  In those states without hate crime statutes, and in others with limited coverage, local prosecutors are not able to pursue bias crime convictions.  Presently, only thirty-one states and the District of Columbia include sexual orientation-based crimes in their Hate Crime statutes; only twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia include coverage of gender-based crimes; only ten states include coverage of gender-identity based crimes, in addition, only thirty-one states and the District of Columbia include coverage for disability-based crimes.  The data extrapolated from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) manifests that there is strong majority support for the expansion of Hate Crime legislation to include sexual orientation, gender, and gender-identity among the general American population.

On December 6, 2007 the provisions of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act were removed from the Department of Defense Authorization conference report.  There were not enough votes to assure passage on the House floor due to a confluence of staunch opposition from the Republicans to the Hate Crimes provision, opposition from progressive Members to the Iraq War language contained in the conference report, in addition to a reluctance of moderate Democrats to risk a veto that would delay the military pay raise.  NASW believes that violence directed against individuals on the basis of their race, religion, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation is exceedingly prevalent-and poses significant and unwarranted threats to the comprehensive participation of all Americans in a democratic society.  Bias-motivated crimes are designed to intimidate the victim and members of the victim’s community, leaving them feeling alienated, vulnerable, and bereft of statutory protection.  Incidents of this magnitude impair the essence of our society and destabilize communities.  NASW recognizes that bigotry is intolerable and cannot be legislated out of existence; therefore, a compelling and moral response to prejudicial violence is required of us all.  As social workers, we earnestly contend that Congress must do everything possible to empower the federal government to assist in local hate crime prosecutions and, where imperative, extend existing federal authority to permit a wider range of investigations and prosecutions.  NASW asserts that the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a constructive and equitable response to a problem that continues to plague America.  For this reason, social workers are profoundly committed to advocating for a humane society that will resolve to fight injustice against all people.

Rally for Children at South Carolina Debate - January 10 ,2008

NASW, in partnership with Every Child Matters, invites you to participate in a rally. Mark your calendars for January 10th! Join children and families from across the state in a rally at the Republican Debate in Myrtle Beach. Help us raise awareness of the problems our children face as we move towards the Every Child Matters sent all the candidates detailed questionnaires on how they would address children’s issues as president. The candidates’ responses are coming in… See the questionnaires.

Every Child Matters in South Carolina is a nonprofit nonpartisan organization whose mission is to make children a national political priority. For more specific information, please visit our website at www.everychildmatters.org/southcarolina/.

P.S. KIDS ARE WELCOME AT ALL EVENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Critical Medicare Social Work Provisions Reach Senate Finance Committee

ACTION NEEDED

The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to begin consideration of Medicare legislation on Wednesday, December 5th.  It is very important that Finance Committee members hear now from social workers supporting three changes in Medicare law:

• Remove clinical social work (CSW) services from the Medicare skilled nursing facilities (SNF) consolidated payment system, permitting CSWs to bill Medicare separately, the same as psychiatrists and psychologists, for services to Medicare Part A beneficiaries provided in SNFs.
• Increase Medicare Part B payments to CSWs and psychologists by 5% starting on January 1, 2008. This increase will partially restore a Medicare cut for these clinical services that occurred on the first of this year.
• Correct Medicare’s current discriminatory co-payment on outpatient mental health services from 50/50 beneficiary cost sharing to the standard 80/20 coverage for other Part B services. This “Medicare parity” provision should go into effect on January 1, 2008.

Please email your two Senators immediately and ask them to support clinical social work services in Medicare. Our suggested message is located on NASW’s website at: Medicare Support Letter.

THE ISSUE AT HAND

The Senate Finance Committee will soon consider crucial legislation for clinical social workers within broader Medicare legislation correcting physician and other outpatient (Part B) payment problems.  NASW hopes to score a major early victory for its Social Work Reinvestment Initiative (SWRI) by attaching provisions that will increase Medicare payment rates for all clinical social workers billing Part B independently as well as restore clinical social workers’ ability to bill independently for services provided to Medicare nursing home residents. One key SWRI component, known as the Clinical Social Work Medicare Equity Act (S.1212) has long been sought by NASW. Recently, NASW has sought relief for CSW payments under Part B, which were cut by 9% late last year by federal administrative action. NASW advocates that the Senate legislation increase CSW payments by 5% above their current level beginning on January 1, 2008. This special payment increase would apply only to psychotherapy and behavioral services that were cut on January 1, 2007 by 9 percent. In addition to the 5 percent increase in 2008, CSWs would receive the same percent payment change that Congress will authorize for all physician services in the program, currently a .5% positive payment update under the House version, HR 3162.

PROSPECTS

The House version of Medicare legislation, which contains the physician fee updates, already contains the three clinical social work service improvements described above. These benefit improvements are expected to be offset by cuts in managed care payments for Medicare. Early indications are that we are within reaching our legislative goals in the Senate since the House bill has already adopted them. It is vital that all Senators here the message to support clinical social work services now.

THANKS FOR YOUR ADVOCACY!

For further information, contact Jim Finley at NASW: jfinley@naswdc.org.