July 2022 Chapter Update
NASW-WA provides updates this month related to our Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) activities, our new board of directors, practice updates, continuing education opportunities and more. Thank you for your membership -- take a moment to respond to our member survey to help inform our work!

Jeremy Arp, MSW, ACSW
Executive Director, NASW-WA
(he/him)
NASW-WA Board of Directors Last Meeting for FY 2022

The Washington Chapter's Board of Directors hosted a joint meeting of our incoming and outgoing board members. The Chapter offered an in-person option as well as a virtual option for the meeting. The in-person portion was hosted at Heritage University in Toppenish, WA on June 25th. The NASW-WA Board discussed programming and more for FY 2023. Appearing in the picture are Chapter President Garrett Hebel, President-Elect Miguel Juárez, and Eastern WA Regional Representative Rayanna Tensley. To see our incoming board, click here.

COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN! Looking for ways to engage with YOUR professional association? NASW-WA seeks members to participate in standing and ad-hoc committees to help implement our strategic plan. We encourage you to volunteer for Committee or Board service. Apply here today!
Chapter Membership Survey Now Open!

The NASW-WA Membership Engagement Committee worked to create a survey to gather information from membership to help inform and guide the activities and opportunities provided in Washington. Your responses to these questions are confidential and will be used to develop a chapter agenda for improving our commitment to the social work profession and our local communities. Please take a moment to complete our survey by clicking here.
PACE Activities: First Round of Endorsements!

PACE stands for Political Action for Candidate Election. The purpose of PACE is to promote NASW legislative policies through political action and through support of candidates. The Chapter PACE Committee provides support to candidates in statewide elections who support legislation and policies that are consistent with the goals of the social work profession and the needs of those who are served by the social work profession. The Chapter PACE Committee met in May and June and completed an initial round of endorsements. View our endorsements list here.

PACE provides this support is through endorsements of campaigns and through donations to candidates, especially those is swing districts or potentially close elections. Each election, PACE seeks donations from NASW-WA members for this effort. Please consider making a donation to PACE today at https://www.nasw-wa.org/make-a-pace-donation

Thank you in advance for your donation!
Social Work Licensure Compact Update

The Chapter received an update regarding the development of an interstate compact for social work licensure. The social work compact development process has been led by the Council of State Governments (CSG), through funding from the Department of Defense. This work has been underway for nearly a year, with a draft expected to be released for stakeholder review and public comment in July.
NASW developed a set of Frequently Asked Questions related to the development of an interstate licensure compact here. NASW and chapters will also seek member feedback to inform us once the language is released for public comment.

Please find a brief update on the process below from CSG.

SOCIAL WORKER LICENSURE COMPACT: JUNE 1, 2022 UPDATE DRAFT DEVELOPMENT
Starting in October 2021, The Council of State Governments (CSG) convened representatives from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA), National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and other stakeholders in the profession to develop the first draft of an interstate compact for social work licensure. The project team has made substantial progress and expects to complete a first draft in the coming weeks.

STAKEHOLDER REVIEW
In early July 2022, CSG, in partnership with ASWB, CSWA and NASW, will circulate the Compact draft online and by request and distribute a stakeholder review survey to gather comments and assessments. Additionally, CSG will host regular webinars and other public review sessions to provide information, review the draft and solicit feedback. This process is expected to occur throughout the summer and conclude in early fall 2022. If you would like to participate, please email socialworkcompact@csg.org and check compacts.csg.org for additional details. CSG will reconvene representatives from ASWB, CSWA and NASW throughout the stakeholder review phase to assess responses and make necessary edits to the draft. The editing process will continue until stakeholder suggestions are thoroughly addressed.
From the Washington Health Care Authority:
Behavioral Health Agencies Can Bill for Naloxone

Opioid treatment programs and certified and licensed behavioral health agencies (BHAs) may be reimbursed for giving prepackaged naloxone to clients at risk of an opioid overdose.
What claim type is used to bill for naloxone?
The provider uses claim type J-professional (837p) when billing for naloxone.
Who can bill for naloxone?
Certified or licensed behavioral health agencies (BHAs) provided by any of the following services:
  • Mental health outpatient use
  • Substance use disorders outpatient and inpatient
  • Opioid treatment programs
  • Secure withdrawal management
  • Evaluation and treatment
  • Psychiatric hospitals
For more information

The U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Mississippi case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization effectively overturns Roe v. Wade. This decision is the first time the Court has taken away a recognized individual liberty. The decision decimates the nearly 50-year precedent that established abortion rights as an extension of the implied Right to Privacy found in the 14th Amendment. With this ruling, the Court is allowing Mississippi to enforce its 15-week ban on abortion and is inviting eager state legislatures to further restrict and ban abortion. In many states, these restrictive measures will even go so far as to criminalize providers – including social workers – who may simply be doing their jobs by supporting a pregnant person in making decisions regarding reproductive care.
The American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and NASW warn the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade will have an adverse impact on the mental health of millions of Americans.

NASW Report: Social Work Roles in Elder Abuse Prevention and Response

NASW published a report describing how Social Workers at local, state, national, and Tribal levels are responding to and preventing Elder Abuse. This publication aims to advance Elder Justice within the Social Work profession and to underscore the innumerable contributions of the profession to the elder justice field. Download the report at https://bit.ly/NASW-SW-ElderJustice-2022
Legislative Alerts


Urge your U.S. Senators to Support the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (S. 4182)

The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (S. 4182) seeks to keep social workers, health care professionals and social service professionals safe at work. This much-needed legislation would require workplace settings, such as hospitals, residential treatment facilities, substance use disorder treatment centers, clinics at correctional or detention facilities, and other service facilities to develop and implement comprehensive violence prevention plans and provide whistle-blower protections for workers. The House version of this bill, H.R. 1195, passed in the U.S. House on April 16, 2021 with bipartisan support.

Social workers serve individuals, families and communities in a variety of settings, many of which pose a risk of violence. When social workers show up to work, they should not have to worry about whether they are going to be injured in an assault. This legislation is essential in ensuring safer healing environments for clients. When a client harms a social worker or other social service worker, it can be traumatizing to both the worker and the client. Other clients witnessing violence are also traumatized. Click here to contact your Senators today and ask them to support social workers, nurses, and other healthcare and social service professionals by co-sponsoring S. 4182 and moving the bill toward passage.


Urge your Representative to Cosponsor the PSLF Payment Completion Fairness Act (H.R. 7465)

The Payment Completion Fairness Act represents an important step towards eliminating barriers to public service loan forgiveness and achieving the original intent of the PSLF program. This bipartisan legislation especially removes a key barrier to PSLF forgiveness for social workers who have devoted their careers to public service and who continue to struggle with the crushing burdens of student loan debt.

Please act now to urge your Representative to cosponsor the PSLF Payment Completion Fairness Act (H.R. 7465). Click here to take action.
FEATURED UPCOMING EVENTS
Call for Presenters

Are you interested in presenting a workshop for NASW-WA? We have an open call for presenters (live, virtual, or recorded). Click here for more information about what we're looking for: https://www.nasw-wa.org/request-for-proposals
Chapter Classifieds

NASW-WA offers a space on our website for text-only classified ads. Go to: https://www.nasw-wa.org/classifieds

THANK YOU FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP!
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