CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATION

The National Voice for Clinical Social Work

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CSWA ALERTS


CSWA is proud to vigilantly monitor issues within the field of clinical social work, and national legislation that affects clinical social workers. Please see below for a history of those announcements and legislative alerts.


If you are not a current member, please consider joining CSWA today. Your support is instrumental in maintaining CSWA's ability to work nationally on your behalf and on behalf of the field of clinical social work. To receive timely information directly to your inbox and become part of the Clinical Social Work Association, join today

  • December 24, 2024 11:15 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    October 18, 2017

    By Laura Groshong, LICSW, CSWA Director of Policy and Practice

    One thing to keep in mind as we try to make sense of the chaotic developments over the past week is that the Affordable Care Act, with President Trump’s help, has become a political football, with winners and losers as to its fate. The real winners and losers will be our patients who may find themselves able to continue to receive mental health services, without plans that cover mental health services, or without insurance at all.

    President Trump’s ire at the inability of the Senate – and the specific senators who opposed the three attempts to repeal and replace ACA – has intensified to the point where he decided to issue an executive order last Friday which would undermine the funding of the ACA by removing the subsidies to insurers for ACA plans, i.e., cost-sharing reductions, that make the finances work. Since plans had to announce their rates for 2018 last week, many raised premiums up to 40%, which will price most of the ACA plans out of reach for those who need them. There was no pressure the President to do this; insurers were willing to make the usual 8-10% increases that have funded the ACA until a few weeks ago. The President’s ongoing threats to repeal the ACA himself had an effect on the ACA markets and led to these increases. Some states that saw the possibility premiums would be raised a lot created funds to cover the shortfall. A list of these states is being compiled and will be sent out shortly. There may be more states that choose to protect their citizens by finding a way to fund the ACA plans as well. It may, however, be too late to keep rates affordable in 2018.

    What does this have to do with LCSWs? The main way that the ACA is beneficial to mental health and substance use treatment is that they are one of the ten ‘essential benefits’ which must be covered by all plans. This guarantees a mental health/substance use benefit. Those of us on the younger side of 40 may not remember what plans were like before the ACA. A brief history of those bad old days – there were many plans that simply did not cover mental health because they did not have to; it was perceived as expensive; and there was no accounting for medical cost-offsets when people had access to MH/SA treatment.

    So our patients’ ability to get coverage for our services is in peril unless the essential benefits are maintained in some form. This is where the bill being developed by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) comes in. As Chair and Ranking Member of the HELP Committee, they have been looking for a way to tweak the ACA for the past nine months. The Alexander-Murray deal would continue the insurer subsidies for two years, while establishing new flexibility for states in mandating penalties for those who do not have insurance and other parts of the ACA. While it is not a perfect solution, the return to bipartisan process is almost as important as what the bill actually says. Somehow in the course of this unfortunate path we have been on, the President now believes that Congress has failed to do its job in not repealing the ACA and it is up to him to do so in a piecemeal way. This means that the President has become an enemy of bipartisan politics, a method to form compromise that CSWA stands firmly behind.

    Whether the Senate can find the will to bring the Alexander-Murray bill to the floor or get a vote on it is unclear at this time. It will take some spine, some luck, and much continued encouragement on our part to get our senators to do the right thing and preserve the ACA.

    If you can meet with your senators this week, do so. They are in district. If not, please send them, Sens. McConnell, Alexander, Murray, McCain, Murkowski, and Collins the following message at https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/: “I am an LCSW and a member of the Clinical Social Work Association and [your state society]. Please support the Alexander-Murray bill and encourage Sen. McConnell to schedule it for a vote. Without continuing the Affordable Care Act in some form, our citizens may not have access to the mental health and substance use services that they need. We are in the midst of an opioid crisis; the majority of people affected by it also have mental health problems. Please preserve the ACA and mental health/substance use treatment as an essential benefit.”

    As always, let me know when you have sent your messages.

  • December 24, 2024 11:14 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    September 26, 2017

    I am pleased to report that the Graham-Cassidy bill has been shelved. This is a huge victory for all people in favor of the Affordable Care Act and the way it has helped our country. Please thank Senators McCain, Collins and Paul for standing up to this terrible bill. And thanks to all who have worked with CSWA to make this possible.

  • December 24, 2024 11:13 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    September 22, 2017

    Sen. John McCain has just joined Sen. Rand Paul to oppose the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act making it almost impossible for the Senate to pass this bill.

    Thanks to all CSWA members who sent messages to your Senators. Please write them thank you notes if they are one of the above named group who oppose this terrible bill.

    While the Senate has until September 30 to repeal the ACA with only 51 votes, the likelihood of this happening is now slim. I will keep you posted on further developments.

  • December 24, 2024 11:11 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    September 19, 2017

    You have no doubt heard about the competing bills to revise or repeal the Affordable Care Act. One is the Alexander-Murray bill be reviewed in the Senate HELP Committee which seeks to tweak the ACA but maintain the parts that allow those who have been able to gain insurance to keep it. The other is the Graham-Cassidy bill which will essentially replace the ACA in the way that many previously proposed Republican-driven bills would have with a bill that would cause millions of ACA-covered citizens to lose care.

    I know we are all struggling with health care ‘fatigue’ but we need to make one more effort to stop the bill that would severely impact access to health care.

    The basic thrust of Graham-Cassidy is to turn everything over to the states for funding health care through block grants, would remove essential benefits. It is similar to the "skinny" version of House American Health Care Act which would likely result in about 22 million people losing insurance as the other Republican bills would have.

    Please go to https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/ and send the following message to your senators.

    "I am a licensed clinical social worker and a member of the Clinical Social Work Association [and/or your Society]. I have serious concerns about the way that my patients will be affected by the Graham-Cassidy bill that will repeal the Affordable Care Act. The elimination of the essential health benefits, which include mental health and substance use treatment, will surely severely limit access to care for these life-threatening conditions to millions of Americans. The opioid crisis we face requires more, not less, funding. Before the Affordable Care Act went into effect, many desperate individuals and families went bankrupt trying to pay for the costs associated with chronic emotional disorders. No matter what you may have heard, the costs associated with these conditions have been LOWERED over the past six years; the proposed changes to Medicaid and the elimination of universal inclusion of mental health treatment as a benefit, will be devastating to millions of Americans. If we do not care for the most vulnerable among us, we have lost that compass. The bill being considered by the HELP Committee will be much more reasonable. Please vote for the Alexander-Murray bill, not the Graham-Cassidy bill."

    As always, let me know when your messages have been sent.

  • December 24, 2024 11:10 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    September 7, 2017

    With all the environmental challenges we are facing – flooding in Texas, fires and smoke in the Northwest and California, anticipated hurricanes in Florida, South Carolina and up the east coast – it may be hard to think about something as mundane as how to transfer our licenses when we move to a different state. But this is a situation I have had many people tell me they struggled with so I urge everyone to look at this post in case you have been in this situation.

    The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) is launching an effort to make transferring an LCSW easier by creating more reciprocity between state boards. This will not be easy as state boards have vested interests in their own laws and rules. Nonetheless, I hope who has an experience to share will go to http://movingsocialwork.org/take-action/share-your-story/.

    This will be used as the base for making the case to the boards that this is an important issue for LCSWs and should be made easier than it is.

    Thanks for your help. I hope everyone gets through this weekend as well as possible.

  • December 24, 2024 11:07 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    August 29, 2017

    The Red Cross IT system is down. They hope to have it back up by the end of the day. In the meantime, fill out the form at http://www.redcross.org/volunteer-interest-form and you will be contacted. Keep trying the link below as well. ~LWG

    Red Cross has initiated a direct deployment for Hurricane Harvey. This program is for those who are not currently a Red Cross volunteer. I have attached a document with two versions regarding the Direct Deployment program that you can use to share this information far and wide and get the word out.

    These Event Based Volunteers (EBVs) will be 'screened' and followed by a mental health volunteer to guide and support them thru the process. The process has been streamlined and formalized since it was developed last year. To check it out yourself click on the link: http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/lp/hurricane-harvey-health-professionals . They must deploy for 9 days which includes 1 day on each end for travel, plus take a few classes online and other paperwork. Important to note that eligibility now includes retirees and out of state licenses.

    Please post this on your respective websites, Facebook, LinkedIn, emails, listservs etc. It is anticipated that this will be a long haul with a great need for mental health.

    Current volunteers are encouraged to note their availability in Volunteer Connection contact their local Staffing person. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at vicky.powell@redcross.org.

  • December 24, 2024 11:06 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    August 13, 2017

    The Clinical Social Work Association is stunned and outraged at the violence by white supremacists that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, yesterday. CSWA sends our best wishes and prayers to the families of those who injured and killed in Charlottesville. We oppose bigotry in any form and encourage all Americans to make it clear that our country will not stand for ‘internal’ terrorism based on prejudice.

    According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are now 917 hate groups in the United State (www.splcenter.org) . There has been a 67% increase in hate crimes (from 2014) as of 2015, the latest data available, according to the FBI (https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2015) .

    CSWA is disturbed by the fact that President Trump’s original statement about the incidents in Charlottesville was such a weak condemnation of the clear bigotry that led to the deaths of three people. His support of actions based on discrimination during his campaign paved the way for white extremist groups to act destructively toward those that they see as their enemies.

    We call upon President Trump to speak out against this rage that has been simmering in some of our citizens and stop this dangerous trend. It is time for all Americans to take a stand against those of us whose racist anger is turning into actions that hurt or destroy those they hate.

  • December 24, 2024 11:00 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    August 11, 2017

    By Melissa Johnson, CSWA President

    The Clinical Social Work Association has been working for several months to assess and discuss diversity of our membership. Several Societies have begun to develop programs to promote diversity awareness. Based on their work, below are some suggestions.

    Define your terms. Everyone has a different idea about what diversity means. Beyond race and gender, it can also include but is not limited to considerations of age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, mental and physical capabilities, gender identity, family status, language, opinions and experience.

    Assess. Review your bylaws and clauses that define diversity standards; check for any institutional bias or exclusionary language. Start a conversation about diversity and inclusion with Board members and within your Society. Be prepared to have difficult conversations. Collect rich data; the goal of a survey is not just a head count, but rather the beginning of an education process.

    Listen and affirm. Ask about the experiences of your members. Do not make assumptions about how people view this complicated issue. Encourage all Board members to evaluate their own perspective. Don’t scold or shame those who are struggling with understanding.

    Learn, share, educate. Offer trainings; invite speakers; build coalitions with other associations; plan a conference on diversity and inclusion. Identify all of the ways you can define diversity and how inclusion is experienced within your society and the profession. Embed these principles in your leadership and others will follow.

    Contact Melissa Johnson, CSWA Board President, or any of the board members if you want to discuss these concepts with other Societies or find experts to conduct trainings. It helps to not have to reinvent the wheel. CSWA wants all its members and Societies to be self-aware about what healthy understanding and acceptance of diversity means to them and others.

  • December 24, 2024 10:58 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    August 8, 2017

    The Clinical Social Work Association has been working for several months to assess and discuss diversity of our membership and our Board. Planning and discussion at the 2016 Annual Summit helped to launch a larger consideration of diversity within our membership. While it is beyond the mission of CSWA to alter the demographics of clinical social work, it is our responsibility to regularly assess our membership and evaluate the perspective we are representing. Our goal was simple: start a conversation about encouraging diversity of membership and Board representation, and continue this conversation by offering action steps and educational tools. In order to reach our goal, we disseminated a survey, created an ad hoc diversity committee, and incorporated the results into our strategic planning.

    We are not alone in our commitment to assess and discuss diversity and inclusion. Several Societies have been facilitating these critical conversations for years. Others have begun to take action recently. We know that despite CSWA’s best efforts, there will always be room for improvement. We encourage all state societies to promote through trainings and increased inclusion of diverse populations on Society Boards and in membership. Additionally, CSWA encourages Societies to reach out to other clinical social work organizations to build bridges for more unified membership and advocacy efforts. CSWA supports all attempts to create a clinical social work community that is inclusive and sensitive to the experience of all its members.

    We are proud to send the following statement and reminder of the CSWA Code of Ethics that outlines our long standing commitment to cultural competency.

    2017 CSWA Diversity Statement

    The Clinical Social Work Association has long supported the values of diversity and inclusion. During these troubling times it is vital we create a welcoming and supportive environment for all our members and the people we serve. We firmly believe that we can best promote excellence within our profession by offering educational tools for dialogue and professional development, assessing our membership, and promoting our strong code of ethics regarding cultural competency standards. Further, we recognize the responsibility for excellence, diversity and inclusion lies within each of us who make up the clinical social work profession. CSWA encourages all members and affiliated societies to promote increased awareness of the meaning of diversity to all.

  • December 24, 2024 10:57 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    August 4, 2017

    Our Government Relations Committee has been carefully tracking the eight attempts in Congress to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act over the past four months. We are pleased that none of the proposed attempts has been passed by both Houses.

    One of the major drawbacks to the process from CSWA’s point of view has been the partisanship that has led to only the majority party crafting the bills that were considered. Bipartisanship is the only way a reasonable bill to improve the ACA can be developed. Both Houses now have working groups that will be trying to accomplish this. It remains to be seen whether leadership will support these groups.

    I want to draw your attention to part of a speech given by Sen.John McCain (R-AZ) on July 25 that supports the importance of bipartisanship eloquently.

    “…I hope we can again rely on humility, on our need to cooperate, on our dependence on each other to learn how to trust each other again and by so doing better serve the people who elected us. Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio and television and the Internet. To hell with them. They don’t want anything done for the public good. Our incapacity is their livelihood.

    Let’s trust each other. Let’s return to regular order. We’ve been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle. That’s an approach that’s been employed by both sides, mandating legislation from the top down, without any support from the other side, with all the parliamentary maneuvers that requires….

    What have we to lose by trying to work together to find those solutions? We're not getting much done apart. I don't think any of us feels very proud of our incapacity. Merely preventing your political opponents from doing what they want isn't the most inspiring work. There's greater satisfaction in respecting our differences, but not letting them prevent agreements that don't require abandonment of core principles, agreements made in good faith that help improve lives and protect the American people....”

    To read or see the whole speech go to http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/25/politics/john-mccain-speech-full-text-senate/index.html

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