April 2020
SOCIAL WORKERS LEADING FOR JUSTICE
Hello,

First and most importantly, thank you for all that you are doing. March should've been a time to lift up and celebrate social workers, but instead, we all had to turn our attention to the coronavirus pandemic.

I am always inspired by the grit, tenacity, and bravery of social workers, but now I feel each of those things to the nth degree. In case you missed it, we published an op-ed in the Worcester Telegram calling out the essential work social workers are doing in response to COVID-19.

Our staff is hard at work responding to COVID-19 in every way possible. Our primary goal is always to support and advocate for social workers. I hope you feel that NASW-MA has your back during this time.

We're released 4 bulletins so far in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Check them out here:

In order to help meet your needs, we're updating this webpage with telemental health information frequently (almost daily!) to keep you as up-to-date as possible during this rapidly changing and evolving time.

We're also hosting a series of webinars so that you can access much-needed information related to COVID-19 while earning CEUs. We've hosted 4 program so far, and additional webinars will be posted here: naswma.org/CEwebinars. Descriptions of our upcoming April webinars are below in this e-news.

Additionally, at a time when social connection (at a safe physical distance!) is more important than ever, we hosted our first-ever "cyber social" and a Virtual Town Hall via Facebook Live, both last week.

In March, in collaboration with our Racial Justice Council, we released a statement condemning racism and xenophobia. Check it out here.

Wishing you strength, peace, and health during this challenging and unprecedented time. Please let me know what you need from NASW-MA and how we can best support you in your practice and in your community.

In Solidarity,

Rebekah
Rebekah Gewirtz
Executive Director
IN THIS ISSUE:
  • Membership Hub
  • Continuing Education & Events
  • Symposium 2020
  • Social Work Action Center
  • Clinical and Private Practice
  • Notes from the Field
  • Licensing Test Prep
  • National News
MEMBERSHIP HUB
NASW-MA Staff and Members in the News
Resources to Help You Cope Right Now
  • First Responders First is an initiative led by the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and Thrive Global and is endorsed by NASW-MA. This initiative will provide access to actionable Microsteps, online workshops, virtual training, and coaching that support and sustain our frontline care providers, like social workers. Additional information here.
  • Free Meditation and Mindfulness resources from Calm, available in multiple languages. Access here.
  • Free Yoga for Caregivers (hosted by a school social worker!), Every Tuesday from 12:00 - 1:00 pm EST. Details here.
  • Headspace, a popular meditation app, is offering free access to health care workers, all you need to do is supply your NPI number and email here.
Vote for Your Board and CCNLI Representation: NASW-MA Chapter Elections Now Open
Our entire Board of Directors, and the folks who help identify and encourage social workers to serve on the Board and in other leadership positions within the organization (the Chapter Committee on Nominations and Leadership, or CCNLI), is elected by the Chapter’s membership - YOU.

Login to our website to vote TODAY and have a voice in the direction of our Chapter! Voting is open only until May 1, 2020.

If you don't remember your login information or member ID, just send us an email to chapter.naswma@socialworkers.org and we will be happy to help!
Join NASW and Gain Access to FREE Referrals!
Are you a private practitioner who is not yet an NASW member?  We have a very special offer for you!

Let Therapy Matcher expertly match new clients to your practice. We provide pre-screened, personalized referrals that make growing your private practice easy. Join NASW-MA now for up to 3 months of FREE referrals.

If you are not a member and you join NASW before July 2020, you can receive introductory membership to our Therapy Matcher program FREE through June 2020. 

Join now! Start receiving personalized referrals to your practice right away.
More information at  https://www.naswma.org/page/TMprovider or contact us at  info@therapymatcher.org.

Contact us for more information about membership options for NASW members and non-members!
Resources for Upcoming Graduates and New Professionals
Due to many schools going remote for the remainder of the semester, we will be mailing graduation cords to students.  If you would like to receive a graduation cord, please email  Noël Schutz  and include the following:
  • Your school's name
  • Your graduation date
  • Your NASW membership ID number
  • Your current mailing address

Graduation cords are available to current, new, and rejoining NASW-MA members, as well as school of social work faculty members.

In order to participate, you must  be a member of NASW-MA   and request a cord  by May 15, 2020. Please note, graduation cords must be requested at least 14 business days prior to your graduation date. If you have already requested a graduation cord, please send  Noël Schutz   an email with your current mailing address.
In Your Mailbox: Social Work Voice
In March, you received the March/April issue of Social Work Voice . Note: many of the events, programs, and meetings printed in this issue were cancelled, postponed, or made virtual as a result of COVID-19. As always, check our website's calendar for the most up-to-date information .

Highlights from this issue include:

  • The Safe Communities Act: Rejecting Racist, Anti-immigrant, Fear-mongering Rhetoric
  • Chapter Elections: Vote for Your Board and CCNLI Representation
  • Authenticity in Social Work
“Less Talk. More Do.” The Power of PACT's 'Doing With' Approach
  • ...and much more!
Have an upcoming event, job opening, or other opportunity to share with the social work community? Advertise with us! All ads appear on our website and are published in Social Work Voice. The ad deadline for the upcoming May/June iss ue is April 24. Email Jamie Klufts for more information.
SYMPOSIUM 2020
Symposium 2020 Has Been Postponed
We've been closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak. We take this matter very seriously and we are working to ensure that we are prepared, informed, and a trusted resource for our members and stakeholders as we all work together to get through this time. We have made the decision to postpone our Symposium event to Spring 2021. We will continue to provide virtual CEU options for our members, both through our chapter and the NASW Online CE Institute. We will also have special offers for Symposium registrants and sponsors coming soon.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to symposium.naswma@socialworkers.org for more information about CEU opportunities. We look forward to seeing you at Symposium in 2021!
CONTINUING EDUCATION & EVENTS
Webinar
Politically Active While Physically Distant: Advocating for Others and Self During Unprecedented Times
1.5 CEUs Available!
During this unprecedented time of physical distancing, staying socially connected and civically engaged is more important than ever, especially for social workers. This program will explore local opportunities to advocate for others and ourselves during the current global health and economic crisis.

April 14, 2020
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Live Webinar

with  Kate Audette, MSW , Director of Government Affairs, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Webinar
Humanity & Equity in the Face of Crisis: Social Workers' Role
1.5 CEUs Available!
The economic fallout of COVID-19 will expose our systems’ deepest flaws, fractures, and inequities, but we can take action now to respond. The impact of this pandemic extends far beyond the illness itself. Social workers have a role in what is just the beginning of a long rebuilding for our clients and our country.
April 16, 2020
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Live Webinar

with  Jennifer Valenzuela, MPH, LICSW , Chief People & Equity Officer, Health Leads
Webinar
School Social Work Under COVID-19 Quarantine Conditions: Legal and Ethical Considerations
 1.5 CEUs Available!
During this webinar participants will develop an understanding of legal and ethical considerations of school-based social work services, and how they translate to new environments under COVID-19 quarantine conditions. Participants will learn to plan for legally and ethically sound provision of school social work services to students while school is not in session, as well as when school returns to being in session.
April 21, 2020
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Live Webinar

with  Seth Kleinman, LICSW , a school social worker in Danvers and professor at Simmons University School of Social Work
Virtual
Therapy Matcher Virtual Open House
Join us online for the first ever Therapy Matcher Virtual Open House
Sunday, May 17th, 3:00 - 4:30 pm . The Open House is an annual event for current and prospective Therapy Matcher members. We will continue the tradition, in an online format!

This will be a chance to learn more about the workings of Therapy Matcher, and connect with colleagues in our online meeting room. Please email Barbara Burka at  bburka.naswma@socialworkers.org  to RSVP. 
Greater Boston
Save the Date: Nursing Home Conference is June 11, 2020!
Save the date for NASW-MA's
38th Annual Nursing Home Conference!
Maximizing Social Work in Residential Settings

June 11, 2020

Call for Papers is now OPEN! Social workers in the field of nursing home social work can submit papers in advance of this important conference. Those papers that are selected will be shown at the conference. There is also a portion of the day's agenda dedicated to hearing from the authors of three selected papers.

Nursing Home Social Worker of the Year Award nominations is now open! Every year, at the annual National Association of Social Workers Nursing Home Conference, we present the Nursing Home Social Worker of the Year Award. We rely upon nursing home administrators, supervisors, co-workers, and outside agency representatives who interface with nursing home social workers to identify candidates for this prestigious award. To submit a nomination click here before April 30, 2020.

Submit your papers by May 15, 2020: chapter.naswma@socialworkers.org .

Additional information and conference registration will be available at naswma.org/events
Online
Online Continuing Education Available 24/7 through the CE Institute
Hundreds of web-based continuing education offerings are available to social workers for free or low-cost on NASW's Online CE Institute
SOCIAL WORK ACTION CENTER
Medicare: Cover Telephone-based Treatment!
The current COVID-19 crisis has made it incredibly difficult for many Massachusetts Medicare recipients to get the mental health services that they need. While video telehealth is currently being covered, telephonic services are not . This has an especially large impact on Medicare recipients, who are among the most vulnerable members of our community - older adults and those with disabilities. With anxieties heightened during this uncertain time, Medicare recipients need access to telephonic services in order to access crucial mental health treatment.

Click the Take Action button below to send a letter to your US Senators and Representative.
MPHA Emergency Task Force on Coronavirus & Equity
We've joined the  Massachusetts Public Health Association's Emergency Task Force on Coronavirus & Equity  to advocate for 4 essential actions Massachusetts must take now to ensure the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable residents. Please call or email the Governor now and help advocate for a clear plan to protect the health of people living in shelters, reassurance that everyone will have access to safe testing and treatment regardless of immigration status, and two other essential actions.  Details and contact information here .
Relief to Those in Deep Poverty
The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the poorest families and individuals in our state especially hard. Families who were already struggling to meet their basic needs are now facing higher utility bills and grocery costs. That’s why NASW-MA supports HD4951 An Act to provide short-term relief for families in deep poverty , which would provide immediate one-time supplemental cash assistance to Massachusetts’ to some of our most vulnerable populations.

Click the Take Action button below to send a letter to your State Senator and Representative.
Support for Moratorium on Evictions and Foreclosures
Providing a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 emergency is crucial to protecting all members of the Commonwealth. While the original moratorium bill language provided strong protections, the version now moving through the Senate lacks many of these guidelines. Contact your legislators now to ask them to support and expand HB.4615 An Act providing for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 emergency .

Click the Take Action button below to send a letter to your State Senator and Representative.
Support for Decarceration
Last week, in collaboration with our Criminal Justice Committee, we sent a letter to Governor Baker asking him to create a plan to r educe the number of people detained and incarcerated to help protect their safety and well-being during this time.

Since then, we've signed on as supporter of a bill filed by Rep. Sabadosa to reduce jail and prison populations in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in correctional facilitaties.
PACE Needs YOU
NASW-MA PACE , our political action arm, is preparing for our endorsement process this fall. NASW-MA PACE endorses social workers and other candidates on the state level that support our Legislative Agenda and social work values. In the fall we endorsed 4 social worker candidates for local office, all of whom won their elections.
 
We need your help - do you know of any candidates running for special election, State Senate, or House of Representatives that should be participating in our process? Let us know!

We are always looking for new members to get involved with NASW-MA PACE. Here are a few reasons why you should join, as told by current members:
  • "You're taking action!"
  • "[You're] able to influence change on a state and local level"
  • "Keeps me informed on policy issues as they intersect with clinical work"
  • "As a clinical social worker [it's important that] I'm engaged in policy"
  • "I have a better understanding of state government and statewide issues"

Convinced? Email Noël Schutz to join our next m eeting.
CLINICAL AND PRIVATE PRACTICE
Telemental Health During COVID-19
Our staff are hard at work each day making sure we can convey the most up-to-date information to you on the ever-evolving rules and regulations around tele-mental health in response to COVID-19. We  update this page  routinely (almost daily!) as the insurance and health care landscape adapts and changes.  Bookmark this page and check back frequently  to learn about telehealth and its impacts on your practice during this time.
*NEW* Therapy Matcher Half-Year Special!
Are you a private practitioner who is not yet an NASW member? We have a very special offer for you!
 
Let Therapy Matcher expertly match new clients to your practice. We provide pre-screened, personalized referrals make growing your private practice easy. Join NASW-MA now for up to 3 months of FREE referrals.
 
If you are not a member and you join NASW before July 2020, you can receive introductory membership to our Therapy Matcher program FREE through June 2020. 
 
Join now! Start receiving personalized referrals to your practice right away. 
 
More information at  https://www.naswma.org/page/TMprovider or contact us at  info@therapymatcher.org.  
 
Contact us for more information about membership options for NASW members and non-members!
Free GoToMeeting Trial for NASW Members
LogMeIn is providing GoToMeeting and several other helpful solutions for 3 months at no charge to all NASW members. To get set up, simply call 1-800-514-1317 to speak with one of their consultants. Learn more here .
Valuable Member Benefit: Join the NASW-MA Private Practice Google Group
The Private Practice Google Group is an exclusive member benefit powered by social work colleagues from across the state and NASW-MA. By signing up you'll receive timely 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. NASW-MA also uses this platform to send important clinical alerts to members.

Sign up to join the group by sending an email to chapter.naswma@socialworkers.org with "Join Google Group" in the subject line.
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Social Service Resources During COVID-19
  • Many AA meetings have moved online to help those struggling with substance misuse during this time of physical distancing. See details from AA Boston here.
  • new webpage is now available from the Children’s Bureau to help child welfare professionals and families respond to COVID-19.
  • Massachusetts 2-1-1 is a public service that includes Call2Talk, a hotline for mental health supports in the state. Details here. They're also accepting volunteers for the hotline, if of interest. 
  • Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) Virtual Town Halls: DUA is hosting daily town hall meetings where we will take our constituents through a step by step process of achieving a successful unemployment claim and taking questions from claimants across the Commonwealth. Learn more here.
  • Hunger and Food Resources: Project Bread is maintaining their toll-free hunger helpline during this time and has compiled excellent information about school meal sites for kids.
  • Network of Care Massachusetts: A directory of over 5,000 mental health and substance use programs and organizations across the Commonwealth, searchable by keyword and zip code.
  • Health Insurance Coverage: A special enrollment period is now open to get currently uninsured MA residents on health insurance plans. This will help ensure folks get proper treatment should they become infected. Special enrollment is open now through April 25.
  • TAFDC and EAEDC Online Applications: Cash assistance applications can be filed online at DTAConnect.com (click the blue "apply" banner). A case manager will need to speak with the client after the application is filed. This is a significant step towards ensuring folks have access to these critical benefits during the COVID-19 crisis. 
  • Compilation of Public Resources from our friends at EMPath
Student Loan Repayment Program and Special Projects Program - Deadline Extended!
Are you a social worker working in a community-based setting? Take advantage of this partial loan repayment program (up to $30K available to LCSWs and LICSWs!). Applications are now due May 5 (originally March 24!). Learn more about this program and apply here .
Census Day: Make People Count!
April 1 was Census Day! The 2020 Census is facing challenges associated with technological innovations and ongoing concerns involving a citizenship question. This is further exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Census data are used to determine how approximately $675 billion is allocated to states and localities through over 132 federal programs; provide demographic information on which voting maps are drawn; apportion 435 congressional representatives; and provide accurate data on which many human service and social programs are designed, and grant funding is pursued. Social work and human service leaders and managers should inform themselves of the scope of the census and become engaged to ensure that all people are counted. Read more here .

Sesame Street also has resources in English and Spanish to make sure young children are counted in the 2020 Census. More here: www.Sesameworkshop.org/2020Census
The Social Work Assistance Network (SWAN) - An NASW-MA Resource for You!
SWAN is a free, confidential colleague assistance program sponsored by the Massachusetts Chapter of NASW. SWAN assists social workers with consultation regarding personal and professional issues, which may be having an impact on their ability to practice in an optimal manner. Learn more about this service and member benefit here .
LICENSING TEST PREP
Licensing Test Prep Courses in Your Neighborhood
NASW-MA hosts Licensing Test Prep courses each month in various parts of the state. Upcoming courses include:
  • April 18 | Virtual (previously Worcester)
  • May 9 | Cancelled
  • May 16 | Virtual (previously Boston)
  • June 6 | Worcester
  • June 6 | Boston
  • June 13 | Northampton
  • September 19 | Worcester
  • November 20 | Bridgewater
  • December 5 | Springfield

Be in touch with Adam Linn for more information.
NATIONAL NEWS
$2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Package Will Support Social Workers, Clients They Serve
“This economic stimulus plan is an important step in helping our nation cope with this crisis,” Angelo McClain said. “We are also glad it will give social workers some of the supports that they need, such as greater flexibility to practice telehealth as they continue doing the hard work of ensuring clients access to services, including health care and mental health care they need as our nation contends with this pandemic.”

Practice Alert: Addressing the Crisis of Black Youth Suicide
A new Practice Alert from NASW highlights the findings and recommendations of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Task Force on the increasing rates of suicide among black youth in the 5-11 age group. See the Practice Alert here .