August 4, 2022

Update on CareDash

Here is an update on the CareDash/BetterHelp fiasco. Many members complained to CareDash and received the following form letter:

Sarah (CareDash)

Aug 2, 2022, 15:43 ADT

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to CareDash! As a mental health provider, we understand your concerns regarding the importance of protecting your privacy and would be happy to help remove any personal information. We permit the redaction of a personal phone number or address and can flag profiles as retired or deceased, as needed. However, CareDash's policy is not to remove a profile since this information is of the interest to the general public.

While we provide information on healthcare providers and practices by aggregating information from various public sources, such as the NPI Registry, it is most important to us that you and your practice are appropriately represented on CareDash. The information disclosed on the NPI Registry are FOIA-disclosable and are required to be disclosed under the FOIA and the eFOIA amendments to the FOIA. There is no way to 'opt out' or 'suppress' the NPPES record data for health care providers with active NPIs.

We'd be happy to help you update your profile to ensure you and your practice are appropriately represented on CareDash. We permit the redaction of a personal phone number or address and can flag profiles as retired or deceased, as needed.

We've created this guide on how you can protect your privacy: https://www.caredash.com/articles/how-health-care-providers-can-protect-their-privacy. At CareDash, we're deeply committed to protecting the privacy of providers and keeping our data accurate, so please let us know if we may be misrepresenting you or your practice in any way in order for us to correct it immediately. The easiest way to ensure your data stays up-to-date is for you to take control of your profile by claiming and updating it on CareDash. Please follow the simple instructions here: https://www.caredash.com/portal.

Lastly, please visit the NPI Registry to edit the source of the public information we use: https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov. Many sites use this data and you may have accidentally placed personal information when registering for your NPI. Our team will periodically update our data to match what's in the NPI Registry if you choose not to claim and update your profile today. Please check back in a few weeks for your changes to be in effect.

Kind Regards,

Sarah B.

CSWA regards this letter as disingenuous, since the issue is not just where CareDash found all our information, the NPI list, but how they are using it to restrict access to our services. CSWA has also discovered that CareDash is connected to Teledoc and Nufit Media, which we are looking into.

Several members suggested that CSWA consider filing lawsuits against CareDash. We are exploring this possibility with attorneys, are examining what the legal issue or issues might be (restraint of trade, kickbacks, possibly) and are determining the feasibility of filing a lawsuit (class action, through attorneys general, etc.). In addition, we are working with PsiAN to send a letter to the FTC.

Several members have reported that they sent letters to NPR and other groups that use BetterHelp as a sponsor objecting to the policies of CareDash and BetterHelp.

Please continue to send your individual letters to your state attorney general and the FTC about your objections to CareDash and BetterHelp policies. They have already made a difference in Maryland where the consumer protection department at first refused to look into the situation but changed its mind after a flood of complaints.

I will be sending weekly updates about the progress being made and/or new actions to be taken. Thanks to the over 300 members who let me know they have sent messages on the subject. Please continue to let me know if you have done so.

I also urge you to join the discussion in the comments at this link.

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

July 30, 2022

LCSWs at Risk: CareDash and BetterHelp

CSWA would like to call to your attention a duplicitous practice which a company called CareDash is engaging in. CareDash has partnered with BetterHelp to drive potential patients to CareDash or BetterHelp affiliated therapists. It has gathered information about thousands of LCSWs and other clinicians to direct them to CareDash or BetterHelp affiliated clinicians without the permission of the non-affiliated LCSWs listed.

If the LCSW is not affiliated with BetterHelp, CareDash will say that there is no way to connect with them through CareDash, without directing them to the website of the LCSW, or noting that this is an active licensed clinical social worker. CareDash receives a commission for all patients referred to BetterHelp.

CareDash also has its own list of LCSWs which they will only use for referrals if an LSCW affiliates with them. These practices could significantly reduce the ability of patients in gaining access to LCSWs who are not connected to CareDash or BetterHelp. Please note that if you are not on the CareDash list, patients will be directed to BetterHelp. CareDash at this point refuses to take anyone off their list who is not officially connected with them or BetterHelp.

There is little doubt that the CareDash list has been compiled from public lists such as NPI, insurers, and others, then made to look as if the LCSWs listed are not being artificially limited by CareDash.

Here is what CareDash said about me:

About

Laura W. Groshong LICSW (she/her) is a clinical social worker in Seattle, WA.

For new and existing patients, please see recommendations on how to schedule an appointment with Laura Groshong online. As a clinical social worker, she may specialize in Anger Management and Anxiety, in addition to other issues.

Laura Groshong got her license to practice in Washington.

If you want to see Laura Groshong, please contact her to book an appointment. You can also see how she compares to other clinical social workers in Seattle or get matched to an online therapy provider.

When anyone clicks on “schedule an appointment” or “book an appointment” they get the following message: “Laura Groshong has not provided a way to schedule online through CareDash. However, you could get connected with an online therapist or chat with our virtual assistant to get help finding a therapist.” There are then over 1000 mental health clinicians listed as “the best” clinicians in the Seattle area, all sponsored by BetterHelp, many of which offer 20% discounts for the first month.

Here is what CSWA recommends each member do to protect your practice:

1. Go to CareDash.com and see if you are listed as a member. Unless you are working for BetterHelp and want to remain on the CareDash list, send a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/. You will need the CareDash corporate address which is 614 Massachusetts Ave., Ste 400, Cambridge, MA 02139, and the BetterHelp corporate address which is 990 Villa Street, Mountain View, CA 94041.

2. You may also file a complaint with your state attorney general consumer protection department. To find the location of your state’s consumer protection department go to https://www.consumerresources.org/file-a-complaint/.

3. A template for sending a complaint is found below:

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker writing to inform you that a company, CareDash, is unfairly restricting my practice as a clinical social worker. They have listed my professional information on their website without my permission and refer anyone who checks my name to another company, BetterHelp, or to their own list of clinicians. I do not wish to work with CareDash or BetterHelp. CareDash refuses to take my name off their list, claiming it is public information. Thus, CareDash is falsely marketing my services to generate online traffic for BetterHelp or itself, ultimately resulting in the selection of BetterHelp’s participating providers or its own, rather than me. This is a restriction of trade that should be stopped immediately.

CSWA encourages all members and affiliated societies to file complaints with the appropriate state and/or national organizations. Please let me know when you have done so.

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

July 29, 2022

H.R. 4040, THE ADVANCING TELEHEALTH BEYOND COVID–19 ACT OF 2021

A bill passed the House yesterday which would allow Medicare to cover LCSWs and other mental health professionals for telemental health services until 2024, including audio only treatment. Additionally, the requirement that patients be seen in person every six months was eliminated. The vote was 416-12.

This is a huge win for CSWA, clinical social work, and all of the groups in the Mental Health Liaison Group that worked to get this bill passed. The bill now goes to the Senate where it is likely to pass, as long as it is brought to a vote.

All CSWA members should send the following message to their senators at https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm?OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC: “I am a member of the Clinical Social Work Association and a constituent. Please ask Speaker Schumer to bring H.R. 4040, The Advancing Telehealth Beyond Covid-19 Act of 2021, to a vote. Many patients struggling with mental health problems will be unable to get the help they need unless this bill is passed by the Senate. Thanks for your support on H.R. 4040.”

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

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

July 19, 2022

July 16, 2022 was the roll-out date for ”9-8-8”, the new US network for people looking for help with suicidality or other emotional crises. This phone number is designed to be used for text or for telephone access to volunteers who will provide initial assistance to callers, then triage them to LCSWs and other licensed clinicians.

Ultimately, 9-8-8 will become the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK); the new number will be easier to remember and access. This older hotline will remain in effect for an as yet undetermined period of time while 9-8-8 becomes fully operational.

There is no question of need: there has been an exponential increase in suicides and suicide attempts since the pandemic began almost three years ago. Here is what LCSWs should know about the implementation of this new system.

Funding

The $400 million set aside in Federal funding for 9-8-8 is about half of what will be needed to fund the services in every state. So far, the only states that have provided the needed state funding are Colorado, Nevada, Virginia and Washington. Nine states have legislation in progress to provide this funding; 37 states have no plan to provide funding. CSWA encourages members to ask their state legislators to find the state funding for 9-8-8 so that it can be fully functional as soon as possible. To see what your state’s plan is for funding 9-8-8, go to https://reimaginecrisis.org/map/.

Current Statistics

How serious is the issue of suicide? Here are the number of suicides in the most recently recorded year, 2020:

• In 2020, the U.S. had one death by suicide about every 11 minutes
• Suicide was the leading cause of death for individuals between ages 10-34 in 2020
• Over 100,000 individuals died from drug overdoses in the nine months from April 2020 to the end of the year

While 2020 actually saw a decrease in suicides from 2019 overall (17.7%, https://suicidology.org/2021/04/02/2020data/), of grave concern is the fact that there was an increase for young adults and BIPOC communities of all ages in 2020 (https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20211103/suicide-rates-2020-cdc) .

More Information

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has prepared a toolkit to further explain the need for 988. For FAQs and Fact Sheets, go to https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988/partner-toolkit. Also feel free to contact me for more information.

July 11, 2022

As you know, CSWA has been involved in the development of a Compact which would allow clinical social workers to practice in all states that join the Compact without having to become licensed in individual states. For the past 8 months, Laura Groshong, CSWA Director of Policy and Practice, and I have attended the Social Work Compact Technical Advisory Committee meetings monthly, sponsored by the Department of Defense and Council of State Governments.

A document for the Compact has been created which is now available for review by the public, including CSWA members. I encourage all CSWA members to attend one of the two webinars which will be held on July 30 at noon ET and September 8 at 3 pm ET for more detailed information on the Compact. Keith Buckhout and Matt Shafer of the Council of State Governments will be available to explain the process and answer your questions. Registration for these webinars will be on the website shortly.

Among the issues that will be addressed are:

To review the document before the webinars, go to https://compacts.csg.org/compact-updates/social-work/

To submit comments or feedback on the draft, please fill out the online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/socialworkcompact.

Please let Laura know if you have any questions and watch for an email later this week from our new Administrator, Angela Katona, regarding how to sign up for one of the two webinars.

- Kendra Roberson, PhD, LICSW, CSWA President

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

July 8, 2022

CSWA members have expressed concerns about the way that companies like Betterhelp are providing a kind of mental health treatment based on texting. The lack of direct contact is cause for concern. The asynchronous nature of Betterhelp limits emotional communication.

A new article from California Healthline written by award-winning journalist Harris Meyer, has just come out and has echoed some of these concerns. The article, “Digital Mental Health Companies Draw Scrutiny and Growing Concerns”, can be found at https://californiahealthline.org/news/article/digital-mental-health-companies-scrutiny-concerns/.

Both Marlene Maheu, PhD, who presented a webinar on telemental health for CSWA, and Laura Groshong, CSWA Director of Policy and Practice, are quoted in the article.

June 29, 2022

Please visit the CSWA Position Papers page to view the Position Paper on Dobbs v. Jackson: Supreme Court Opinion on Abortion. 

June 14, 2022

This episode of The Aware Advocate will focus on POS Codes for Medicare; Public Health Emergency extension; and the Social Work Compact development.

POS Codes for Medicare

There remains a lot of confusion about which POS codes should be used for Medicare. Here is a reminder of what Medicare and other insurers are requiring for claims:

Be sure to check with EACH private insurer for a patient to find out what combination of POS and Modifier are being requested so that claims will not be denied.

Public Health Emergency

The Public Health Emergency is predicted to be in effect until the end of 2022, possibly longer. I will be keeping you informed on any changes that take place which may affect Medicare coverage and commercial insurance.

Social Work Compact

As you know, CSWA began working as part of the Technical Assistance Group (TAG) in October of 2021, along with representatives from ASWB, NASW, CSWE, and Department of Defense and the Council of State Governments to create a Social Work Compact. The latter two groups listed are funding the effort to create a compact for clinical social workers that would allow us to work in any state that has joined the Compact. The process for creating the Compact is as follows:

Once the process is moving forward, we will need to have a legislative campaign to pass the Compact in as many states as possible. I will be sending materials to help you make the case for the Compact in your state.

Let me know if you have any questions about any of these issues.

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

June 7, 2022

Below is a Letter to Congress on gun violence that CSWA signed on to with 9 other national organizations which was published in USA Today this morning.

May 25, 2022

The Clinical Social Work Journal (CSWJ) is pleased to announce a call for papers for a special issue called: Life After the MSW. This special issue will be co-edited by the Editor in Chief of the journal, Melissa D. Grady, PhD and Kendra C. Roberson, PhD, the President of the Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA). In this issue we will be seeking manuscripts that offer readers a mix of historical/scholarly information about the topic, as well as concrete and practical information for soon to be and/or recent MSW graduates. The aim of this special issue is to offer practical advice to newer professionals in the field. We hope that the articles within this special issue can be used by faculty members and supervisors who are helping to train new social work practitioners, as well as by the graduates/students themselves.

Some examples of topics for this special issue could include, but are not limited to issues related to post-masters education, clinical supervision considerations, navigating and/or preparing for the licensure process, practicing clinical social work with a social justice lens, and potential career paths as a clinical social worker.

Interested authors should submit an abstract of no more than 750 words describing the proposed manuscript. Those that are chosen will then be invited to submit full manuscripts that will be between 10-15 pages in length.

Each abstract should include the following:

In addition to the above, full manuscripts will also require

Deadlines for process:

For any questions, please contact Melissa D. Grady at grady@cua.edu or Kendra Roberson at kacey@uw.edu.