Look for these articles in the upcoming October issue, available soon at NASW NEWS online.

From the Director: “Death Panel” Rhetoric Moves Us Backward

By Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH

America is described by experts as a death-avoiding society – but only when we are talking about the physical death of a loved one. Out of touch with death as a natural phenomenon, we have become fascinated with death in many other forms. We are surrounded by death imagery, and we use death to sell things such as newspapers, magazines, movies and video games. In the past few months, death also has been used to sell a political viewpoint in the health care reform debate. This happened when the term “death panels” entered our everyday lexicon.

Unification Transition Team Releases Final Report

In June 2007, a unification transition team was charged with examining possible organization structures, identifying resources and skills needed for transition, and engaging social work members in unification. The team released its final report this summer. The team was created at the conference Social Work: Future of the Profession, which brought together 33 representatives from 10 organizations, including NASW.

NASW Lauds Work of New NIH Director Collins

NASW is looking forward to working with social work supporter Dr. Francis S. Collins, the newly appointed Director of the National Institutes of Health. Social workers have an important and growing role at NIH through clinical social services and research grants on psychosocial care; health disparities; family caregiving; and innovative, community-based health, mental health, and substance abuse intervention.

Income-Based Repayment Gives Financial Relief to Student Borrowers

NASW is partnering with the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) program to help spread the news about a new way to reduce student loan repayments. The IBR became available on July 1, providing much-needed financial relief for hundreds of thousands of federal student loan borrowers. IBR allows a borrower to make student loan repayments based on his or her income.  The program also sets a cap on monthly payments based on income, and any remaining debt—including interest—is forgiven after 25 years of payments or after as few as 10 years if the borrower works in a non-profit, government, or other public service job.

The October issue of Social Work (Vol. 54, No. 4) covers a wide range of topics important to social work and social workers, from questions surrounding consumer-driven health care to issues involving child welfare worker caseloads. Below is a sampling of what’s inside the issue. Download the table of contents of the October Social Work Journal here.

• New Practice Model for Latinos in Need of Social Work Services
  Kurt C. Organista
  Does your work assist the Latino community?  Learn more about new practices presented in a model that thoroughly describes the four dimensions of culturally competent practice essential to working with U.S. Latino populations.
• The Big Picture: How Social Work Can Effectively Utilize Photographs
  Heather L. Marshall, Sarah W. Craun, and Matthew T. Theriot
  A picture is worth a thousand words….Examine the use of photography as a powerful tool for promoting positive attitudes about social work at an adult day care program.
• Civilian Social Work: Serving the Military and Veteran Populations
  Laura Savitsky, Maria Illingworth, and Megan DuLaney
  Help those that serve our country. Civilian social workers acknowledge their responsibility to competently aid military and veteran clients.

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC), through scholarship and loan repayment programs, helps Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in the U.S. obtain a sufficient number of fully qualified medical, dental, and mental health providers essential to meet their populations’ critical need for safe and fundamental health care.

Purpose of the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC LRP)

The purpose of the NHSC LRP is to ensure that an adequate supply of health professionals are available to provide primary health services to populations located in select Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), identified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. HPSAs can be found in rural and urban communities across the nation. The NHSC LRP recruits fully trained health professionals who agree to provide primary health services in NHSC community sites. In return, the NHSC LRP assists clinicians in their repayment of qualifying educational loans that are still outstanding.

Now accepting applications for Loan Repayment Awards. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act designated $200 million to fund the NHSC LRP. Applications will be accepted continuously until funds are expended or September 30, 2010, whichever comes first.

The National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program provides $50,000 (or the outstanding balance of qualifying student loans, if less than $50,000), tax free, to medical, dental, and mental health clinicians in exchange for two years of service at approved sites in Health Professional Shortage Areas. Upon completion of the service commitment, clinicians may be eligible to apply for additional support for extended service. Most applications will be processed within eight weeks of the submission of a complete application (i.e., on-line application, supplemental paper forms, and required documentation).

The National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program provides many benefits. Be sure you stay in compliance with the requirements of your in-service contract. Click here for a list of the in-service obligations.

National Health Service Corps loan repayment participants will be working under one of three types of assignments while serving their obligations. For more information about the Practice Assignments, click here.

Below are links to more information about the program and application process: (more…)

Mirean Coleman, MSW, LICSW, CT
September 2009

NASW would like to hear from clinical social workers and others who have encountered problems in providing mental health services to Medicare beneficiaries who are actively receiving home health care services under Medicare Part A. The association is also seeking information about the impact of situations in which Medicare beneficiaries receiving home care services were unable to acquire or continue with mental health services provided by a clinical social worker.

Under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (OBRA’89) (P.L. 101-239) clinical social workers are currently unable to seek reimbursement for services provided in a home health care setting because they are restricted to filing claims under Medicare Part B services. NASW is advocating for a change in federal statute or regulation that would allow Medicare beneficiaries receiving home health benefits to obtain or continue with mental health services provided by a clinical social worker. The association values members’ input in this process. Comments can be submitted online at psyhomecare@naswdc.org until November 20, 2009.

Visit www.socialworkers.org/practice/clinical for more information on Clinical Social Work.

NASW’s EvelynTomaszewski is the moderator for this event.

Forum On Hiv, Human Rights And Men Who Have Sex With Men

Sponsored by UNAIDS in collaboration with

The HIV Policy Working Group on Men Who Have Sex with Men and Other Sexual Minorities

Presentations by Dr. Eric Goosby and Michel Sidibé

WHAT: To discuss the future of the AIDS response with a focus on the vulnerable population of men who have sex with men, UNAIDS, in collaboration with The HIV Policy Working Group on Men Who Have Sex with Men and Other Sexual Minorities, is convening international AIDS experts, members of Congress and senior U.S. government officials. The event is co-sponsored by AIDS Project Los Angeles, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Global Forum on MSM & HIV, Advocates for Youth, AIDS Action, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, psi, IGLHRC, amfAR, National Association of Social Workers, and International Woman’s Health Coalition. There will be an opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with panelists at the end of the forum.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 12:00-3:00 p.m.

WHO: Presentations by:

Dr. Eric Goosby, Ambassador at Large and U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, U.S. Department of State

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, UNAIDS

Panelists:

Tudor Kovacs, Population Services International, Romania

Jaevion Nelson, Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN), Jamaica

Dr. Cheikh E. Traore, Senior Advisor, Sexual Diversity, UNDP

Other available experts:

George Ayala, Executive Officer, Global Forum on MSM and HIV

Chris Collins, Vice President and Director, Public Policy, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research

In cooperation with:

The Honorable Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA)

The Honorable Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA)

WHERE: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2200

Independence Avenue and South Capitol Street, Washington, DC 20003

Hispanic Heritage Month 2009 Celebration

September 15 – October 15, 2009

You are cordially invited to help the National Association of Social Workers celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2009.

Last year we reached out to Hispanic social workers and asked them to tell us why they chose the social work profession and what they felt were the most pressing issues in the Hispanic community.Their responses were published on NASW’s Web site for the general public www.HelpStartsHere.org. Please click here to see the roster of participants and links to their profiles. This project was extremely successful — the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration page was the 5thmost accessed page for the entire year with more than 8,000 visitors!

This year we would like to make submitting a profile a bit simpler. We ask that you tell us your name, work location, where you earned your social work degree(s) and tell us your area(s) of specialization. Please include an electronic photo, if possible. Next choose just one of the following questions to answer:

• How will the reduction in social services, health, and education by the federal, state and local governments affect programs supporting the Hispanic population?
• How can social workers help resolve social and public policy issues in the Hispanic population in a predominantly Americanized society without sacrificing cultural sensitivity?
• Describe a typical day on the job.
• Please describe some of the most rewarding moments in your career.
• How can we better prepare social work school graduates for what they will experience on the job?
• What do you want the public to know about Hispanic social workers that they may not be aware of?

Theresa Spinner from NASW Communications will compile your information, send you a draft for your review and approval, and then upload it to the HelpStartsHere.org web site.  You will not be asked to upload your information onto the site.  Email Theresa: tspinner@naswdc.org.

The deadline for submissions is Thursday, September 10, 2009.  Profiles will be published on HelpStartsHere.org on September 15, 2009.

Thank you.