There are compelling reasons why social workers should pay close attention By Mel Wilson, LCSW, MBA On July 16, 2022, after two years of preparation since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved its implementation, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline system became a reality. This monumental event has implications for the many Americans that have experienced or are at risk of ... Read More »

By Rebekah Gewirtz, MPA After Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed that a leaked draft of the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in the Mississippi abortion case was authentic, I began doom scrolling to the point of anger and despair. Although many of us have known that this day was coming based on the appointments of Neil Gorsuch, Brett ... Read More »

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) continues to advocate for student loan debt-relief for social workers and to improve existing debt-relief programs such as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Unfortunately, programs such as PSLF have been wrought with endemic challenges, making it difficult for social workers especially to access debt relief—even after satisfying all of this program’s ... Read More »

[Updated Below] The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has joined as an official partner of the Poor People’s Campaign (PPC). The guiding principles of the PPC include a commitment to the preservation of democracy, to lifting up and deepening the leadership of those most affected by systemic racism and institutionalized oppression, and to elevating up the essential needs of ... Read More »

By Diana Ling, MA and Leslie Sirrianni, LCSW Four in five adults who reported being asked about their alcohol use at a checkup in the past two years and reported current binge drinking were not counseled to reduce their drinking, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. Looking closer at the data, just 14 percent ... Read More »

Join us for a Virtual Congressional briefing on the School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act (H.R. 7037).  The legislation recognizes the critical need for more school social workers to help improve student success. WHEN: Wednesday, March 30 from 11 to noon EDT WHERE: Registration Link PROGRAM: Video Remarks from Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04-D) Moderator is Talia Rosen, Legislative Assistant, Office of ... Read More »

By Mel Wilson, LCSW, MBA When the National 988 Suicide Prevention Crisis Hotline goes into effect July 16, 2022, it will probably be the most significant public policy initiative impacting behavioral healthcare since the Medicaid expansion. While 988, the new congressionally mandated three-digit calling code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, was originally conceptualized as a national standardized system for ... Read More »

See the “No Surprises Act Regulations 2022″ page on Socialworkers.org Alert: Information in this blog post was updated on January 5, 2022 NASW will continue to monitor policy developments pertaining to surprise billing and update members as new information is made available. See January 5, 2022 update. Application to Clinical Social Work Services December 21, 2021 Under a new federal ... Read More »

Implications for Clinical Social Workers December 2021 On November 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule. The 2400+-page rule includes updates to policies and payments that are pertinent to clinical social workers (CSWs) and other Medicare providers. NASW submitted comments on September 13, 2021 to CMS on ... Read More »

  By Cynthia Henderson, PhD, LICSW, LCSW-C NASW Senior Practice Associate, School Social Work and Child Welfare November 23rd marks National Adoption Day. In 1976, Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts decided to celebrate adoption for seven days in his state. Eight years later, President Ronald Regan expanding the observance to becoming National Adoption Week. It was during the Clinton Administration ... Read More »