The National Association of Social Workers is excited to announce that we have begun an association twitter feed. At the national office, we often have unique and memorable experiences, whether it’s a meeting to discuss appointing more women to the new administration, planning our upcoming practice conference, or traveling to the White House to witness legislation signed into law, there is never a dull moment. We invite you to take a glimpse into our often hectic but always interesting work days. Please sign up to follow the NASW twitter feed at: www.twitter.com/nasw
Archive for January, 2009
Social Workers Applaud Passing of Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in Congress
January 29th, 2009
NASW Executive Director Betsy Clark was honored to receive an invitation to the White House on Thursday January 29, 2009 to witness President Obama sign his first piece of legislation into law, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This historic legislation reverses the Supreme Court decision that limited women and other workers’ ability to sue for wage discrimination. The success of the bill indicates that Congress is ready to move towards the ideal of fairness in pay for women across America. Dr. Clark is joined by other women’s advocacy groups, members of Congress, and high-profile strategists that all worked to make this bill a reality.
Follow Betsy Clark’s live posts from the event on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/nasw
Click here to view NASW’s Press Release
http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/2009/012709.asp
Posted in NASW, Press Releases, Social Work, Social Workers, advocacy, career, event, women, workplace | 1 Comment »
Evidence for Increasing Psychotherapy Fees
January 27th, 2009
Clinical Social Work Practice Alert
Mirean Coleman, MSW, LICSW, CT
January 2009
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes for psychotherapy are being considered for review to increase the work and practice expense values associated with reimbursement rates. Work values are based on the time and the required mental effort and judgment to perform a service, and the stress encountered due to the potential risk to the patient. Practice expense values include direct expenses of a clinical practice including clinical labor activities, medical supplies, and equipment. The consideration for review is taking place through the American Medical Association, Relative Value Scale Update Committee and the Health Care Professional Advisory Committee and consists of presenting compelling evidence that psychotherapy codes should be revalued.
NASW would like to hear from clinical social workers who have compelling evidence that work and practice expense values of psychotherapy codes should be increased. Compelling evidence includes, but is not limited to, factors such as
- Documentation in the literature that psychotherapy has changed
- Evidence of changes in psychotherapy due to technology
- Evidence that the patient population and types of problems have changed, resulting in increased work and stress for clinical social workers
- Flawed methodology used in previous psychotherapy surveys
- Analysis of data on time and effort measures such as clinical databases
- Misleading vignettes in previous psychotherapy surveys.
- An anomalous relationship between the code being valued and other codes.
NASW encourages clinical social workers to participate in the process to validate the need to increase the work and practice expense values of psychotherapy codes. Compelling evidence may be submitted to the following e-mail address, psychotherapysurvey@naswdc.org, no later than February 28, 2009.
Additional information about how reimbursement rates are developed is available at the following Web site:
National Association of Social Workers, www.socialworkers.org. Click on Managed Care Directory. Scroll to Reimbursement Section for practice update,
“How Reimbursement Rates are Developed for Clinical Social Workers in Private Practice.”
Posted in NASW, Social Work, Social Workers, career, clinical, health, practice, workplace | No Comments »
BPD 2009 Annual Conference
January 27th, 2009
The Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors will hold its 2009 Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona from March 18th through the 22nd. The theme of this year’s conference is BPD: Generalist Practice: The Future is Now.
NASW is a strategic partner with BPD in promoting this year’s conference and will host a Special Plenary Session on the Whitney Young Film and Leadership Development Project in Room 417 of the Convention Center at 11:00am—12:15pm.
In the Exhibit Hall, NASW Press will be promoting our new and forthcoming titles at Booth 100, adjacent to NASW Assurance Services (Booth 102). Our forthcoming titles are Incorporating Intersectionality in Social Work Research, Practice, Policy and Education by Murphy, Hunt, Zajicek, Norris, and Hamilton and Social Work Ethics Casebook: Cases and Commentary, by Frederic Reamer, and Social Work Speaks: NASW Policy Statements, 2010-2013, 8th Edition. If you are attending the conference, please stop by and say “hello”.
If you would like to attend and there is a possibility that your registration will not be received in BPD’s office by January 31st, do not mail it. Instead, bring the form and payment to the conference with you. Registration is $345 for BPD members and $575 for non-members. Additional information about the conference is available at http://www.bpdonline.org
Posted in NASW, Social Work, Social Workers, education, event, networking, school social work | No Comments »
Social Work in the News - January 27, 2009
January 27th, 2009
Source: Google News
Greenwich native lands White House job
Stamford Advocate - Stamford, CT
That’s really why she’s there,” said Medvey, 62, a clinical social worker. Medvey’s television viewing habits might be about to change thanks to her …
Staying sane as economy hits the skids
Buffalo News - NY
“You have to reach out and talk to people,” said Peter Sobota, an assistant professor at the University at Buffalo’s School of Social Work. …
Social Work Taskforce to review IT systems as first priority
Communitycare.co.uk - Sutton, UK
Ministers will ask the Social Work Taskforce to make reviewing the effectiveness of electronic case-recording systems a priority. …
Qualifying Low Income Mainers can Save up to $4800 in Tax Credits
MaineToday.com - Portland, ME
“The extra dollars eligible taxpayers can get through EITC can make their lives a little easier,” said Florence Young, LCSW, Social Worker with Casey Family …
Next Big Idea Conference At Baylor Hosts National Leaders in …
Baylor University - Waco, TX
The inaugural event is being jointly sponsored by the Baylor School of Social Work, Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary and the Leadership …
Charity helps break cycle of violence
Colorado Springs Gazette - Colorado Springs, CO
Thanks to the grant, it can hire another child-play therapist, said Mary Ann Carter, a licensed clinical social worker. “Educating children is so critical …
Spending time with kids is more important than ever
The Southern - Carbondale, IL
According to David Matthews, a licensed clinical social worker with Matthews and Assoc. in Herrin, it’s hard, but important. “It’s really something you have …
Social Workers at Barack Obama’s Inauguration
January 23rd, 2009
Millions of people attended the Inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20th, 2009 in Washington, DC. Are you a social worker who attended in person? Did you watch the ceremony online or on television? Leave a comment below and tell us your thoughts and stories.
Social Work in the News - January 23, 2009
January 23rd, 2009
Source: Google News
MARIAH CAREY GETS GRITTY ONSCREEN: Rave reviews for her role …
Eurweb.com - Los Angeles, CA
*Mariah Carey threw out her glamorous image to play a supporting role as a social worker who helps a sexually abused teen in the indie film “Push. …
Sweet relief: With chocolate in hand, social worker helps victims …
Knoxville News Sentinel - Knoxville,TN
But Britton, a clinical social worker who has office space at Faith Lutheran Church in Farragut, didn’t have the training she needed. …
Social worker invents device to access medical information
The Business Journal - Milwaukee, WI
A Milwaukee-area social worker has invented a product that will allow emergency medical professionals to access a patient’s medical history with a few …
For ‘Black Men,’ social work is social change
Daily Pennsylvanian - Philadelphia, PA
The gala celebrated the contributions of black males in the social work profession. In addition, seven “Outstanding Community Service Awards” were given out …
Posted in Social Work, Social Work in the News, Social Workers, career, clinical, health, practice | No Comments »
Social Work Reinvestment Initiative: Building on Successes at the State Level
January 23rd, 2009
Lunchtime Series Teleconference
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
Credit Hours: 1 CEU(s)
The teleconference will focus on the important social work workforce initiative launched in 2006 which seeks to secure federal and state investments in professional social work to enhance societal well-being. This presentation will provide an update on federal legislation including the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Initiative, but will primarily focus on the progress made by the 56 NASW Chapters as they address issues such as title protection, loan forgiveness, licensure, and establishing social work education programs.
Presenter(s):
• Elizabeth Franklin, MSW, NASW
Society for Social Work and Research Hosts 13th Annual Conference in New Orleans
January 16th, 2009
Focus this week is on research that promotes sustainability and rebuilds strengths
Washington DC—From January 16-18, the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) is hosting its 13th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Over 500 symposia, workshops, roundtables, and paper and poster presentations will be offered to attending doctoral students, faculty, researchers and policy developers. Topics cover the full range of social work research and practice interventions, including child welfare, aging, mental health, depression, welfare reform, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS. Research opportunities and strategies will also be explored in some sessions.
NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, said “The social work profession made a commitment at the national Social Work Congress in 2005 to actively connect research and practice through partnerships among researchers, the field, and communities. The outstanding content presented at this year’s SSWR Conference shows how much is being done by the social work educator community to advance this essential goal.”
Key presentations will be provided by:
For more information about SSWR conference presentations: http://www.sswr.org/conferences.php
Posted in NASW, Social Work, Social Workers, clinical, event, networking, practice, research | No Comments »
NASW Seeks Privacy Protections for Personal Health Records
January 14th, 2009
For Immediate Release
January 14, 2009
Contact:
Gail Woods Waller
202-336-8236 gwaller@naswdc.org
James Finley
202-336-8315
jfinley@naswdc.org
Nation’s Social Workers Urge Congress to Act in Economic Recovery Plan
Washington –The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) urges Congress to include provisions in the economic recovery bill that encourage the development of a national interoperable health information infrastructure (HIT), provided it includes comprehensive statutory protections for the privacy and security of consumer health records. NASW supports privacy and security for personal health records as an essential element of HIT legislation, now being prepared for passage.
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest professional social work organization in the world with nearly 150,000 members. NASW promotes, develops, and protects the provision of effective social work services to diverse client populations, most of whom expect confidentiality to be an important component of clinical services.
NASW supports the development of a national interoperable HIT network because it offers the possibility of improved care for clients and patients. However, such a network also entails a major risk to consumers, where personal records in a standardized system will be vulnerable to intentional or negligent disclosure on a massive scale. The possible loss of privacy and related problems is of grave concern.
NASW asks Congress to take a truly patient-centered approach to health IT by addressing use of a national electronic health information system in the core concept of a health professional’s ethics. Informed consent must be obtained for the disclosure of every individual’s identifiable health information. (more…)