October 2017
SOCIAL WORKERS LEADING FOR JUSTICE
Hello,

There have been several major national tragedies in the past few weeks including a horrendous incident just last night of a mass shooting in Nevada. The hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands is also at the top of our minds. Sometimes the bad news feels overwhelming and we wonder what we can do.

Here at NASW-MA we work to provide information on what social workers can do in the midst of crisis on our social media pages, in our committee meetings, in coalitions, and through FOCUS. Please be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Please reach out to us with resources you would like us to share with our members and those who interact with us.

This month we are busy advocating to lift the welfare cap on kids, fighting for the rights of immigrants and refugees, executing our Annual School Social Work conference , and continuing to advocate for a health care system on state and national levels that works for all . We are thrilled that the latest effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act was once again defeated. It's our collective activism that makes a difference! We are also teaming up with SEIU 509 more concertedly to advocate for legislation that would prevent insurance company "clawbacks" on private practitioners.

As you know, this newsletter, FOCUS, our website, and our social media channels are excellent resources to stay up-to-date and find ways to take action.

Together we make a difference.

In solidarity,
Rebekah
Rebekah Gewirtz
Executive Director
617-227-9635 x16
IN THIS ISSUE:

  • Membership Hub
  • Social Work Action Center
  • Private Practice
  • Notes from the Field
  • Symposium 2018
  • Licensing Test Prep
  • CE Opportunities
  • Focusing on FOCUS
  • National News
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MEMBERSHIP HUB
Be a Social Work Student Leader on Campus
Become a Student Ambassador!
NASW offers steeply discounted membership rates to students. Join today to take full advantage of everything student membership has to offer!
Our chapter’s student ambassador program is an exciting way for students to be involved with the NASW. Become an ambassador to:

  • Network with other social workers and students from across the state
  • Develop macro practice competencies and leadership skills
  • Serve as a liaison between the chapter and your school of social work
  • Earn free licensing test prep
  • Jump-start your social work career

Student ambassadors commit to less than 3 hours per month. Sign up today!
Lesser Known Membership Perks
New and less known member benefits include:

  • A Google Group for private practice clinicians
  • A legislative alert e-list
  • Coming soon: an organizational Google Calendar to find continuing education programming, committee meetings, legislative hearings, and other relevant events all in one place.

More information on all of these things throughout this email.
Deadline Extended! Nominate a Colleague for a Social Work Award
Do you know a social worker or leader in the community who is breaking new ground? Someone who is leading the social work profession in a new direction or taking a social issue and moving it forward? 

Nominate  them today f or a NASW-MA Chapter Award !  The nomination deadline has been extended to 10/31/17 .  

P.S. The application is easy to do from your phone or tablet! No attachments required.
SOCIAL WORK ACTION CENTER
Sign-up to Receive Legislative Alerts Straight to your Inbox
Stay up-to-date with what’s happening on Beacon Hill by subscribing to legislative e-alerts! From urgent action items to important news, stay in the loop to stand with us for social justice and the profession. Email Sophie Hansen to get added to the list.
Caps and Mittens for Lift the Cap
Help us Lift the Cap on Kids and collect winter hats and mittens for our state's most vulnerable children.

Over 9,500 children born to families already on welfare are excluded from basic necessities like diapers and warm clothing. As a member of the Lift the Cap coalition, NASW-MA is leading a cap and mitten drive because no child should be left out in the cold - which includes being denied essential welfare benefits.

You can drop off new winter hats and mittens at the NASW office (14 Beacon St., Suite 409, Boston, M-F, 9 am - 5 pm) or use this Amazon Wishlist to send your donation directly to us.

You can also join us at the State House on Wednesday, October 18th (details in hearings and events section). Together, we can lift the cap on kids.
Clinicians Needed to Assist Immigrant Citizens of Boston
In response to the phasing out around DACA and the threat to TPS, a cross-departmental team at Boston City Hall is working with the  Design Studio for Social Intervention and planning to create a pop-up  Social Emergency Response Center  (SERC) to support impacted individuals and families dealing with frightening uncertainty connected to their immigration status. While much attention has been given to those directly affect by DACA in regards to legal status, people’s emotional needs have be inadvertently neglected.

Would you be available Sunday, October 22 nd from 12:00-6:00 pm in Roxbury to provide clinical services for this population? We are looking for:

  • All licensure levels
  • All backgrounds (crisis counseling, working with immigration population a plus)
  • Multilingual/Multicultural clinicians (Haitian Creole and Spanish a plus)
  • Workshops/group facilitators related to mental health throughout the day
  • People to provide low-cost/pro-bono counseling services on site and after the event is over

Please email Sophie Hansen for more information.
Funding Cuts for Affordable Care Act (ACA)/Obamacare Open Enrollment Activities
The Trump administration has announced severe cuts to funding for enrollment activities that have been important to informing Americans about insurance options available to them. The budget for marketing efforts for the Affordable Care Act open enrollment period has been cut by 90% and the 2018 enrollment window has been made shorter: it is now available from November 1 st through December 15 th 2017.

NASW encourages social workers to share enrollment information with clients and communities they serve to bring awareness to the narrow window for health insurance enrollment this year.
Help us Fight for Livable Wages and Paid Leave
Collect signatures with NASW-MA and Raise Up Massachusetts. 

NASW-MA is a member of the Raise Up Massachusetts coalition, which is working to ensure everyone in our state can earn a living wage so they can make ends meet, feed their families, and be healthy. We're also working to secure paid family and medical leave for all Massachusetts workers because no one should have to choose between caring for a loved one and keeping their job.

Join us October 7th in Davis Square, Somerville to collect signatures with NASW-MA staff at the Somerville Homelessness Coalition 5K Road Race.

Email Sophie Hansen to help us collect signatures for Paid Family and Medical Leave and a $15 Minimum Wage! We have a goal of collecting 1,000 signatures between September and November. Your help will make a big difference!
Upcoming Hearings & State House Events
10 /3/17  -  An Act advancing contraceptive coverage and economic security in our state (ACCESS) Bill Hearing , Gardner Auditorium, State House, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm. RSVP here. 

10/18/17 - Caps and Mittens for Lift the Cap, State House, 1:00 - 2:00 pm. More information here.
Join a Committee or Shared Interest Group
10/10/17 - Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) Committee, NASW-MA (14 Beacon St, Suite 409, Boston), 5:30 - 7:00 pm.

10/11/17 -  Legislative Advocacy Committee, NASW-MA (14 Beacon St, Suite 409, Boston), 6:00 - 7:30 pm.

10/16/17 - Education Center Commission , Brigham House (341 Mt Auburn St, Watertown), 9:00 - 10:30 am. Interested in helping us plan future CE programs? Contact Jonas Goldenberg at: [email protected].

10/16/17 - LGBTQ Shared Interest Group, NASW-MA (14 Beacon St, Suite 409, Boston), 5:00 - 6:00 pm. Call-in Option: (563) 999-2090 | Access Code: 317932.

10/16/17 -  Criminal Justice Committee, MassHousing (1 Beacon St, 6th floor, Boston), 5:30 - 7:00 pm. 

10/23/17  -  Addictions Shared Interest Group , NASW-MA (14 Beacon St, Suite 409, Boston), 6:00 - 7:30 pm.

Get involved! See a full list of our 30+ member groups and contact information here .
NASW-MA PACE Endorses Candidates in Local and State Elections
Candidate and Position:

  • Paul Feeney | Bristol & Norfolk State Senate
  • Jennifer Lemmerman, MSW | Ward 2 Melrose Alderman 
  • Marc McGovern, MSW | Cambridge City Council 
  • Kathleen Kelly, MSW | Cambridge School Committee
  • Khrystian King, MSW | Worcester City Council At-Large
  • Barry Sanders, LICSW | Taunton City Council 
Date of Election:

October 17th
November 7 th
November 7 th
November 7 th
November 7 th
November 7 th
PRIVATE PRACTICE
Join the Private Practice Google Group
The Private Practice Google Group is an exclusive member benefit powered by social work colleagues from across the state. By signing up you'll receive updates from your colleagues about ethics, billing and insurance, and other critical private practice issues. You can also pose your own questions to the group to crowd source answers from colleagues.

Sign up by sending an email to [email protected] with "Join Google Group" in the subject line.
Joining Forces to Fight Clawbacks
NASW-MA has teamed up with SEIU Local 509 to fig ht " clawbacks ," or retroactive denials of health insurance claims for behavioral health and substance abuse services.

Be on the lookout for details on a joint phone bank and additional ways you can get involved soon.
Clinical Social Workers Be Aware: New Claim Changes Coming
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking steps to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare cards. Between April 2018 and April 2019, CMS will issue new Medicare cards to all beneficiaries. Each card will include a new unique, randomly assigned number called a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI). Beginning April 2018, clinical social workers who are Medicare providers in private practice will need to update their patient files to include the new MBI number and use it on the CMS-1500 form when submitting a claim. In addition, other systems may need to be updated to accept the new MBI format. 
Coordinating Care for MassHealth Youth in Outpatient Therapy 
The Children’s Behavioral Health Knowledge Center at the Mass Department of Mental Health in collaboration with MassHealth’s Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative recently released a new free online training resource to assist outpatient therapists who are working with youth with MassHealth under the age of 21. The online resource details positive changes to billing procedures and reimbursement for care coordination activities that outpatient clinicians provide on behalf of MassHealth enrolled youth. It also provides information on the “hub” service system and background information about CBHI. Access it here .
Service Exclusively for Private Practitioners - Fall Special!
Don't miss your chance to save big on referrals! They practically pay for themselves.

Now through November 2018,
New SWTRS members get 25% off the 2017-18 fee

Join the Social Work Therapy Referral Service (SWTRS) to gain:

  • New Clients
  • Expanded Referral Base
  • Connections to Other Clinicians in Private Practice

Our call volume is higher than ever before!
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Code of Ethics Revised
On Friday, August 4, 2017, the Delegate Assembly of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) approved the most substantive revision to the NASW Code of Ethics since 1996. After careful and charged deliberation, the Delegate Assembly voted to accept proposed revisions to the Code that focused largely on the use of technology and the implications for ethical practice.

The new version of the NASW Code of Ethics comes into effect January 1, 2018.

Culture, Care, and Challenges Survey
P/PAL (the Parent/Professional Advocacy League) is conducting a survey (“Culture, Care, and Challenges”) about how stigma, culture, and previous experiences have affected accessing care for a child.
 
This survey is intended specifically for parents and family members whose children have behavioral health and other special needs.
 
If you potentially have access to appropriate persons for this survey, please pass along this link . The survey takes about 20-28 minutes to complete and there is a link to a raffle for a $20 Amazon gift card at the end of the survey.
SYMPOSIUM 2018
Symposium 2018 Updates: Everything you Need to Know Right Here!
Save the Date: April 12-13, 2018
Exhibit, Advertise, or Sponsor at the Largest Gathering of Social Workers in New England
Symposium 2018 offers a wide range of promotional packages to accommodate all budgets and is a unique opportunity to:

  • Promote your brand to 800 practicing social workers from all over New England
  • Network with 1,000 professional attendees, vendors, sponsors, and presenters
  • Gain brand awareness with hundreds of influential community member

For more information, email Cassandra Prager, [email protected] or visit: naswma.org/symposium.

Registration for attendees will be available soon!
LICENSING TEST PREP
Thinking about taking the licensing test? Don't miss these courses!
Early bird rates available.
10/14/17 - Simmons College, Boston. This course is filling up fast! Register here.

11/4/17 - Western New England University, Springfield. Register here.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Interesting and low-cost workshops for you!
Book Club: Chasing the Scream - 2 CEs
Join us in person or online!
10/3/17 - NASW Reads Book Club: Chasing the Scream, AdCare Outpatient Services, Worcester, MA, 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Register here.

Discussion moderated by members of NASW-MA's Criminal Justice Committee and Addictions Shared Interest Group.
2017 Annual School Social Work Conference - 5.5 CEs
1 0/20/17 - 2017 Annual School Social Work Conference - New Social/Emotional Learning Initiative: What You Need to Know
with The MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Hogan Center, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, 8;45 am - 3:30 pm. Register here .

Keynote Speaker : Anne Gilligan, Director, Office of Student and Family Support, DESE

Panelists: Deni Howley, PhD., LICSW, Melanie Irwin, LICSW, and Richard Deneault, CAGS

Afternoon Workshops:
  1. Facilitating Hope – One School Day at a Time: Trauma Sensitive Strategies | Speaker(s): Kristin McKenna, MEd., Licensed School Adjustment Counselor/School Social Worker, Casey O’Brien, LMHC, REAT, RN, MA in Expressive Arts and Mental Health, Licensed School Adjustment Counselor/School Social Worker, and Dr. Claudia Gallagher, PsyD., Med., CAGS, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
  2. School Based Social Thinking Implementation Across all Educational Tiers | Speaker: Nancy Clements, Executive Director of Social Thinking Boston®
  3. Suicide Prevention with Teens and Children | Speaker: Dr. Barry Feldman, UMASS Medical School
  4. Restorative Justice in the School Setting | Speaker(s): Carolyn Boyes-Watson, PhD., Professor of Sociology at Suffolk University and founding director of the Center for Restorative Justice at Suffolk in 1997, and Adina Davidson, LICSW, Restorative Practices Facilitato at the McCormack Middle School
NASW Fall Film Festival: Moonlight - 3 CEs
10/22/17 - NASW Fall Film Festival: Moonlight, The Studio Cinema, Belmont, MA, 2:00 - 5:30 pm. Register here .

Discussant: Gary Bailey, MSW, ACSW
Culturally Informed Psychodynamic Psychotherapy - 3 CEs
10/23/17 - Culturally Informed Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Grand View Farm, Burlington, MA, 9:30 am - 12:45 pm. Register here .

With: Usha Tummala-Narra, PhD
NASW Fall Film Festival:
3 Generations - 3 CEs
10/29/17 - NASW Fall Film Festival: 3 Generations , The Studio Cinema, Belmont, MA, 2:00 - 5:30 pm. Register here .

Discussant: Robin Chalfin, LICSW
Relationship-Based Health Care and Coaching - 6 CEs
11/3/17 - Relationship-Based Health Care and Coaching, Upper Student Union, Regis College, Weston, MA, 9 am - 4:30 pm. Register here .

With: John Livingstone, MD and Joanne Gaffney, RN, LICSW
NASW Fall Film Festival: Untouchable - 3 CEs
11/5/17 - NASW Fall Film Festival: Untouchable , The Studio Cinema, Belmont, MA, 2:00 - 5:30 pm. Register here .

Discussants: Raymond Knight, PhD, Ros Winsor, LICSW, and Bill Canavan
Integrating Sensory Motor Techniques in Group (and Individual) Treatment with Trauma Survivors - 3 CEs
11/17/17 - Integrating Sensory Motor Techniques in Group (& Individual) Treatment with Trauma Survivors, The Walker Center, Newton, MA, 9 am - 12:15 pm. Register here .

With: Jayme Shorin, LICSW
CONTINUING EDUCATION - WESTERN MA
Exclusive member benefit: relevant and timely workshops for members in the Berkshires and Pioneer Valley
Identifying and Managing Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults, Couples, and Families: Psychotherapy Guidelines - 1.5 CEs
10/18/17 - Identifying and Managing Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults, Couples, and Families: Psychotherapy Guidelines, MA Dept. of Mental Health, 333 East St., 4th floor, Pittsfield, 12 - 1:30 pm.
Advance registration is not necessary. Free for NASW members, $10 for non-members.
Social Work in End of Life Care - 1.5 CEs
10/19/17: Social Work in End of Life Care, Dewey Common Room, Smith College, Northampton, 7:30 - 9:00 pm.

Advance registration is not necessary. Free for NASW members, $10 for non-members.
Enhancing the Social Work Profession in the Berkshires - 1.5 CEs
11/15/17 - Enhancing the Social Work Profession in the Berkshires, MA Dept. of Mental Health, 333 East St., 4th floor, Pittsfield, 12 - 1:30 pm.

Advance registration is not necessary. Free for NASW members, $10 for non-members.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Addictions - 1.5 CEs
11/16/17 - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Addictions, Franklin Medical Center (Conf. Room A), Greenfield, MA, 7:30 - 9:00 pm.

Advance registration is not necessary. Free for NASW members, $10 for non-members.
FOCUSING ON FOCUS
Vote to Help us Rename FOCUS!
Our premier monthly newsletter, FOCUS, is getting a face lift and a new name. Our goal is to name the publication something that better speaks to the profession and our mission.

Place your vote - it takes less than 2 minutes! Take the survey here .
November FOCUS
FOCUS is the premiere monthly social work publication in MA and an exclusive NASW-MA membership benefit. 

November's issue will include:

  • MassHealth Workforce Development Initiative and Loan Forgiveness Updates
  • What is Transgender Day of Remembrance?
  • Social Work and the Opioid Crisis (Part II)
  • Ask our Attorney: Love in the Time of Ethics
  • CE Course (1.5 CEs) - Psychosocial Interventions for Chronic Pain
  • and more!
NATIONAL NEWS
Policy Restrictions Waived for Policyholders in the Aftermath of Hurricanes
The NASW Risk Retention Group is pleased to provide our policyholders with extended insurance protection outside of their practicing state(s) in order to participate in hurricane relief efforts in affected areas. The NASW RRG has waived certain policy contract provisions to allow social workers insured with us to practice in the affected areas through September 1, 2018.
New NASW National Website Launched
Improving technology and communications is core to helping you maximize your membership. In September, National NASW launched a new website to make it easier to find information relevant to your practice.

Check it out: www.socialworkers.org.
NASW National Conference - Save the Date: June 20-23, 2018
The 2018 NASW National Conference will be held June 20-23, 2018, at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. Mark your calendars now and plan to be a part of the meeting of the profession! More information will be forthcoming in the weeks and months ahead.