During Social Work Month this month, NASW will launch the “ Elevate Social Work” Campaign, educating the public about the crucial contributions social workers make in our society and why the profession is so vital to our nation.

NASW also wants to shine a spotlight on the importance of social workers receiving adequate compensation for the work they do.

Read more about the 2019 rationale for this year's theme here.

As part of this year’s Social Work Month celebration, NASW-MA is organizing an exhibit at the Massachusetts State House in Boston from Monday, March 4 - Friday, March 8, to highlight the vital roles social workers play in a variety of settings across the Commonwealth and in society at large. More than 60 NASW members will be featured. Stop by the State House, 4th floor exhibition space, during business hours to see many of your friends and colleagues featured! Read the press release to learn more.

There will be a reception on Wednesday, March 6, from 1:00 - 2:00 pm, in Room 437 of the State House. Social workers, legislators, and allies will be in attendance to celebrate Social Work Month together. Join us! RSVP here.

On Tuesday, March 19, 2019, from 5:30 - 8:30 pm, at the Concord Colonial Inn in Concord, MA, we will celebrate and honor the incredible contributions of our social work colleagues and allies during our 46th Annual Awards Celebration. What better time to celebrate social workers than during Social Work Month!

We can't wait to honor the incredible contributions of the following social work colleagues and allies with these awards:

You can read more about each of these inspiring honorees here.

This event is SOLD OUT , but you can still take out an ad in the program book congratulating one or more of the honorees. Click here to learn how to take out an ad or be in touch with Samantha Thompson-Foster, NASW-MA Events and Program Manager, at [email protected].

NASW-MA's annual LEAD will take place on Monday, March 25, 2019. LEAD offers an opportunity for social work students and professionals to lobby with state lawmakers and advocate for legislation that is important to clients, communities, and the social work profession. Be informed on important social work and social justice legislation and take action with us!

This year's keynote speaker will be Johnnie Hamilton-Mason, PhD, MSW, Professor, Simmons University School of Social Work. The event's opening speaker will be State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston). Learn more about LEAD and this year's agenda here.

We have TWO opportunities for you to connect with social work colleagues in Western Massachusetts during Social Work Month (March). Do you enjoy meeting fellow social workers to share best clinical practices, to hear of new referral resources, to discuss social policy, and to hear what concerns are challenging colleagues? Would you like to hear of other employment opportunities from your fellow social workers? Want to get plugged into clinical and macro happenings at NASW-MA? RSVP to attend one of two opportunities:

Celebrate Social Work Month in the Southeast Region by joining new senate Ways and Means Chairman State Senator Michael Rodrigues , NASW-MA's Executive Director Rebekah Gewirtz, and fellow NASW-MA members for a Social Work Celebration in Fall River.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019 , 6:00 pm

Tequila Lime Cantina, 197 Bank St., Fall River

Please email Melissa Dawson by 3/20 to RSVP: [email protected] .

As part of this year’s Social Work Month celebration, NASW-MA is encouraging members and our legislative allies to submit letters to the editor (LTEs) to their local papers during the month of March. The goal is to highlight the value social workers bring to communities across Massachusetts.

Letters to the Editor (LTEs) are great ways to get the word out about issues you care about - and they're short (200-500 words)! They can be used to educate the public, air frustrations, spread gratitude, indirectly inform public policy or influence legislators, and publicize the work of specific groups or organizations. LTEs are published as part of a newspaper or magazine’s opinion section, one of the most widely read features of any publication. Learn more here .

Aren’t you glad there are social workers in the world? What would the world be like without them? This brief 2019 Social Work Month PSA educates the public about the invaluable contributions of social workers everywhere.

There are an estimated 682,000 social workers in the US. Check out this infographic to learn more about where social workers are and how their compensation compares to other helping professionals. See the infographic here.

The Education Center Commission is a group of volunteers who play a major role in planning continuing education programs for NASW-MA. We are looking to bring in members who will share new ideas, concepts, and perspectives for program planning. Joining the Commission is a chance to have a role in one of the key functions of the MA Chapter. Members participate in regular planning meetings, and volunteer at some CE events. As an active member of the Commission, you earn free CEUs for Chapter-sponsored programs. Contact Barbara Burka, Director of Clinical Practice, for more information:  [email protected]. 

Join us for a screening of the 2017 film "First Reformed," followed by a discussion centered on spirituality in social work and working with clients with severe mental illness.

Sunday, March 3, 2019

2:00 - 5:30 pm

The Studio Cinema, 376 Trapelo Road, Belmont

Discussant: Christopher O’Rourke, LICSW , Director, Social Work Practicum Training at the Danielson Institute, Boston University

Register at the door

Join us for a screening of the 2018 film "Leave No Trace," centering on a homeless father and daughter who are taken into custody after being found living off the grid outside of Portland, Oregon.

Sunday, March 17, 2019

2:00 - 5:30 pm

The Studio Cinema, 376 Trapelo Road, Belmont

Discussant: Dennis Balcom, LICSW , private practice

Compassion fatigue is something that can affect social workers in their role as helping professionals. This program will help social workers identify how compassion fatigue may show up in their lives and work and assist them in developing strategies to cope with and prevent its effects.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

5:30 - 8:00 pm

GVNA Healthcare, Inc.

481 Electric Avenue, Fitchburg

Speakers: Rebecca Getman, LCSW , Clinical Reviewer, UMass Medical School, and Wendy Ackley, LICSW , private practice

In honor of Social Work Month, this event is FREE for both NASW members and non-members. Please RSVP to Jessica: [email protected] .

Join us for a screening of "A Fantastic Woman," a 2018 film following Marina, a young transgender woman who is bowled over by the death of her older, live-in boyfriend, grappling with grief and complicated family issues.

Sunday, March 31, 2019

2:00 - 5:30 pm

The Studio Cinema, 376 Trapelo Road, Belmont

Discussants: Sebastian Barr, PhD , a psychologist who specializes in transgender mental health and trauma, and  Gerardo Moreno-Serrano, MS, LMHC , Bilingual Psychotherapist, Fenway Health

Most of the research and public discourse on sexual victimization has centered on females. As a result, males have not been recognized for support and various interventions/services needed to protect them from perpetrators and a life of victimization. It is important for providers to understand male victimization and the prevalence of psycho/social issues of abuse on male development.

Friday, April 5, 2019

9:00 am - 12:30 pm

Courtyard by Marriott Boston Natick, 342 Speen St., Natick

Speaker: Steven Procopio, LICSW, ACSW , private practice. Steven is a voice for sexually exploited males, from childhood sexual abuse to commercial sexual exploitation/human trafficking.

"Still Alice" follows Alice Howland (played by Julianne Moore), a linguistics professor diagnosed with familial Alzheimer's disease shortly after her 50th birthday.

April 7, 2019

1:00 - 4:00 pm

Elm Draughthouse Cinema, 35 Elm St., Millbury

Discussant: Marie Fusaro-Davis, PhD , Director of Clinical Services, Hospital for Behavioral Medicine, a joint venture with UMass Memorial

Join us for a screening of the 2018 film "The Rider," based on a true story, following a rodeo cowboy from South Dakota who fell off his horse and suffered a traumatic brain injury. This film was named one of the best films of 2018 by The Atlantic and a "film to savor" by the New York Times. 

Sunday, April 7, 2019

2:00 - 5:30 pm

The Studio Cinema, 376 Trapelo Road, Belmont

Discussant: Bet MacArthur, LICSW , private practice

with Dr. Anne Hallward, psychiatrist and host and founder of Safe Space Radio. Anne speaks internationally on stigma and shame, traumatic silence, and voluntary vulnerability as a form of leadership.

Friday, May 10, 2019

9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center, 1657 Worcester Rd., Framingham

This day-long workshop will re-examine therapy as a relationship to foster courage. Whether our work is to support the courage to bear the feelings that have been unbearable, foster the courage to name and address reality, or recognize the courage that is absent from narratives of trauma and victimization; therapy is an incubator for courage. We will examine how shame and longing shape courage, looking at both the psychological and political dimensions of shame and longing. We will mine our own experiences of courage, or its absence, to understand in a deeply personal way the forces that foster our own courage, as a window into how we can support it in our work. This presentation is informed by the principles of IFS, but will be accessible to those without prior exposure to Internal Family Systems Therapy.

See highlights from an interview with Anne in the upcoming March/April issue of Social Work Voice!

Alcohol use by women has doubled from 2002 to 2013, causing researchers to state that current drinking trends are a public health crisis. Come learn effective strategies to treat AUD in women.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

9:00 am - 12:30 pm

Sheraton Needham Hotel, 100 Cabot St., Needham

with Karen Kantor, MEd, LICSW, McLean Hospital, and Molly Van Wert, LICSW, McLean Hospital

with Joe Pereira, LICSW, CAS , Co-founder of Outlook Associates of New England, a practice to assist persons with anger control problems

Friday, May 31, 2019

9:00 am - 12:15 pm

Parish of St. Michael, 90 Concord Rd., Bedford

Anger is an emotional state that can range from mild irritation to overwhelming rage and is a response to events which can be interpreted through a set of unrealistic expectations. The workshop will look at how an individual can monitor his/her anger and will also offer specific anger regulation techniques that a person can use to develop a range of choices when experiencing feelings of anger.  

Join the NASW-MA Nursing Home Committee for the Annual Nursing Home Conference:

Thursday, June 13, 2019

LaCava Center, Bentley University, Waltham

Keynote: Sarah Dereniuk-Dudley, MHA, NHA, Senior Program Administrator, Healthcentric Advisor

Conference Workshops:

Advanced Practice Intensive: "Sexuality and Intimacy" with Adrianna Alpaugh, MSW, Director of Social Services at Springhouse Senior Living Community.

Additional details and registration available soon!

This annual breakfast series is an opportunity for members of the mental health community to meet with their legislators, thank them for their support and discuss how DMH helps people with mental illnesses recover and live satisfying lives in communities of their choice. It is also an opportunity for consumers and family members to share good news and success stories about their life experiences.  The breakfasts are free and open to the public! Registration for all events starts at 9:30 am and the program runs from 10:00 - 11:00 am.

Additional information available here.

UniCare will be hosting a webinar on how to submit behavioral health claims. We invite you to join us to learn helpful tips for submitting claims, enrolling for EFT payment, and how to register for Availity.

Thursday, March 7, 2019

10:00 - 11:00 am

Skype link:  https://meet.lync.com/wellpoint.com/paulette.ricciardone/DJ9L5L3S

Trouble Joining? Try Skype Web App:  https://meet.lync.com/wellpoint.com/paulette.ricciardone/DJ9L5L3S?sl=1

Conference telephone number: 866-308-0254 | Conference code: 852-200-7268

 

To directly join the webinar, use the Skype link and conference telephone / code provided at least five minutes before the scheduled start time.

AllWays Health Partners (formerly known as NHP) transitioned to a new behavioral health vendor (Optum) as of 1/1/19. In order to reduce provider disruption, AllWays Health Partners and Optum, in collaboration with NASW, is encouraging NASW members to join the Optum network for all lines of business: Medicaid/ACO, Commercial (including Connector Care members), and Partners ASO. 

What we have learned during the provider recruitment efforts is that many providers did not realize there was anything they needed to do if they had been seeing AllWays Health Partners’ (formerly NHP) members previously. In fact, though, providers need to contract with Optum – and, for providers with Optum contracts prior to 1/1/19, Optum needs to ensure that providers have the necessary paperwork in place to see Medicaid members (since this was a population not previously managed by Optum). If you’ve already been seeing Medicaid Members, no need to reach out to Optum. If you are planning on seeing Medicaid Members, please contact Optum with your Medicaid ID# to have your profile updated with Optum.

If you are not currently a participating Provider with Optum, please visit Optum’s web portal to join the network: www.providerexpress.com | For a direct link to join Optum’s network: https://www.providerexpress.com/content/ope-provexpr/us/en/our-network.html

Join us on Sunday, April 7, from 3:00-5:00 pm in Needham to learn more about Therapy Matcher, and network with fellow private practitioners. If not yet a member, we encourage you to attend and learn more! Contact Barbara Burka for more information about the Open House or Therapy Matcher membership:  [email protected]. 

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 [email protected] with "Join Google Group" in the subject line.

While we are currently not in danger of another government shutdown, March SNAP benefits have been changed slightly.  DTA will be issuing SNAP to the majority of households before March 1 and March 4. This means most people will get their SNAP a few days early. April SNAP will be issued on a normal schedule (between April 1 & 14th). DTA is doing this to help households with the long delay between getting SNAP early in January and March. This might be confusing for families - but it is a good thing!

For up to date information from DTA go to:

Nazda Alam, NASW-MA member and 2019 Beverly Ross Fliegel Greatest Contribution to Social Policy and Change Award honoree, will screen her new documentary, Rohingya: Atrocities Against Women , on March 28, 6:00 pm, at Regis College. This documentary focuses on sharing the real stories of the unspeakable tragedies committed against Rohingya women. The event is open to the public.

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 .

NASW-MA hosts Licencing Test Prep courses each month in various parts of the state. Upcoming courses include:

The NASW Foundation is accepting applications for scholarships and doctoral fellowships to help provide financial resources to social work students pursuing a variety of social work specialties. Apply online. Applications accepted through March 5. Visit this link for more information. If you have questions, please send an email .

The NASW Board of Directors approved for vetting, a proposed amendment to the NASW Bylaws , Article XIV – Budget and Finance. The proposed amendment will be accessible for a 90-day member review and comment period. For your comment to be considered, it must be submitted at the link below, by close of business May 10, 2019.

 

https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Governance/NASW-Bylaws