July Letter to the Membership

Dear Membership,
 

We are living in a time of great change and hardship. Just as we begin to slowly emerge from the pandemic and feel our way towards a new normal, we are shoved towards a political change that rocks the center of our very world. The WSSCSW board stands alongside Governor Inslee’s commitment to protect reproductive freedom. If you would like the board to add reproductive freedom to our current list of legislative goals for the fiscal year, please email presidentwsscsw@gmail.com. We will continue to use the survey results from the Legislative Stakeholder Input Survey that members completed in January to guide our legislative goals and to guide our lobbyist interviews. We’ve attached the report HERE in case you would like to review members’ feedback.

We understand the power that comes from uplifting the voices of our members and from joining our fellow mental health organizations who share similar legislative goals. Because of such, we will be attending The Alignment Summit on August 27th. The Alignment Summit is a newly created space for mental health organization leaders to share where their legislative goals may overlap with other attendees. During the summit, attendees will network and coalition build so as to intentionally position their resources, energy, and gifts towards shifting the dial closer towards their legislative goals. If you are a mental health organization leader, or if you know of an organization that should join the summit, please email thealignmentsummit@gmail.com for the registration link.

Our organization is a wonderful space where we are striving to uplift and affirm an inclusive environment. We are currently working towards implementing the evaluator’s most recent feedback. Please let us know if you have any comments and/or questions regarding the updates below.

• Members responded to our requests for lobbyist suggestions and the following people were put forth for consideration. Guillermo Rogel Jr, Sam Martin, and Majken Ryherd. Of the names submitted, Sam Martin is the only lobbyist that shares our vision for supporting both our members and our members' clients. The board will interview him in July and if the board believes that he is a good fit for the organization, he will join Nick Federici in August to interview with membership. More information is forthcoming in the coming weeks.

• The nomination committee will be seeking members to fill the following roles: Associate Chair, Inclusivity Chair, Legislative Chair, Membership Chair, President-Elect, and Treasurer. Please email your nominations and their email addresses to admin@wsscsw.org as well as share why you are choosing to nominate them.

• Members’ suggestions for organizations to help us facilitate White caucusing and BIPoC cacusing groups were CARW and TISE Consulting and Counseling. CARW was unresponsive to outreach but we were able to meet with TISE Consulting and Counseling. After meeting with TISE we believe they share our vision for creating an anti-racist organization. We plan to move forward with TISE and hope to introduce them to membership in the coming months during one of our town halls. Please email presidentwsscsw@gmail.com if there are elements that you would like us to add to the caucusing groups.

• The organizations that were put forth for healing spaces were Seventh Self Consulting and Crisálida Healing and Transformation, PLLC. Seventh Self Consulting is able to support our healing spaces and Crisálida is able to provide support towards the healers who will be helping us shift the organization towards anti-racism. We are in the final talks with these organizations. If you would like to provide us with requests of what you would like to see included in their program offerings, please email presidentwsscsw@gmail.com. 

• We are still interviewing people to fill our mindfulness group facilitator role. If you know of someone that would be a good organization add, please email presidentwsscsw@gmail.com.

• Board members recently met with the leadership team at MEND to determine how we can partner together in leading anti-racism workshops throughout the year. Talks are continuing and we hope to provide membership with an update in the coming weeks.

• If there are any workshops that you would like WSSCSW to host in the upcoming fiscal year please email presidentwsscsw@gmail.com. Members have already submitted ten workshop facilitator suggestions and we are always happy to explore more so as to meet our members' needs.

• It was suggested to us through our evaluator that we create a space where members can support shifting the organization towards anti-racism. Because of this, we are in the process of creating a new program called the Anti-Racism Coach Program.. Anti-Racism Coaches will participate in a free 3-hour DEI training on Friday, August 19th from 9am to 12pm PT with our consultant, Janelle Johnson of Bridges Family Life Center. The training will support the anti-racism coaches in building the capacity of our Society to understand and dismantle systemic racism and sustain this change. Culture change requires that members with different lived experiences and intersectional identities are represented throughout this process. We recommend members who hold a foundational knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion and members who are interested in building their skills in this area. If you would like to volunteer as an anti-racist coach for the Society, we'd love to have you join us in this training, and future anti-oppression training workshops, at no cost. Please indicate your interest by filling out this short form. As training spots are limited, the board will be using your responses to this form to help with the selection process.

• To better support anti-oppression practices, we are exploring which programs we can hire outside facilitators for. This year, we will be hiring an organization that can lead our mentorship groups for mental health students and recent graduates. We are in the final stages of speaking with Sunflower Mental Health. We will also be exploring hiring an outside lead for the Anti-Racism Coach Program. If there are other organizations that you think would be a good fit for us to explore a partnership with, please email presidentwsscsw@gmail.com.

• The renewal application and new member form now includes an acknowledgement statement recognizing that the organization is moving towards becoming an anti-racist organization.

• We have updated our policies to now reflect the process for requesting older meeting and/or financial budget records. At the direction of our evaluator, we have also included an accountability policy and we now list our hours of availability. We would greatly appreciate it if you could please review the accountability policies and procedures and email presidentwsscsw@gmail.com to share your perspectives with us.

• We are continuing to streamline forms and processes within the organization. For example, we recently shifted paper submission requests for workshop registration pages to Google Forms. We are researching how much it would cost us to update our website so that the website will automatically update the member ListServ and perform similar time saving tasks.

• We recognize that there are areas of the clinical society that you may wish to see updated. If there are areas that you think could be improved upon please email your suggestions to admin@wsscsw.org. We welcome your feedback on how we can create a more inclusive culture.

Thank you for continuing to lend your perspectives, wisdom, and talents. We are excited to be members at this pivotal point in our history and we look forward to continuing to share regular, transparent updates so that we may better partner alongside you.

In Community,

The WSSCSW Board

Salomé Valencia-Bohné, President; Chris Garrido-Philp, Communications Chair; Danielle Winterwood, Ethics Chair; Katherine Walter, Outreach Chair; Jenna Montgomery, Secretary; Brenda Bible, Treasurer

WSSCSW VIRTUAL BOARD MEETING FOR JULY:

Monthly meeting of the board Thursday, July 14, 7:00pm-9:00pm PST

Members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Once registered a confirmation email will be sent with the Zoom link. If you do not find the email in your in-box please check your spam folder.

Questions? admin@wsscsw.org

June 24, 2022

Public and constituent inquiries | 360.902.4111
Press inquiries | 360.902.4136

West Coast States Launch New Multi-State Commitment to Reproductive Freedom, Standing United on Protecting Abortion Access in face of U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Roe vs. Wade

California, Oregon and Washington will continue to be a safe haven for all people seeking abortions and other reproductive health care services in these states.

***Gov. Jay Inslee will hold a press conference tomorrow at 10:00am at the Capitol. Advisory to come.***

The governors of California, Oregon and Washington today issued a Multi-State Commitment to defend access to reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, and committed to protecting patients and doctors against efforts by other states to export their abortion bans to our states. 

This Multi-State Commitment affirms the governors’ commitment in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s unprecedented decision to strip away a constitutional right that has been in place for half a century, leaving abortion regulation to the states. The sweeping decision means that for patients in more than half the country, home to 33.6 million women, abortion care is illegal or inaccessible. 

In a video message the governors share a powerful message that the West Coast will remain a place where reproductive health care will be accessible and protected. 

A copy of the Multi-State Commitment to Reproductive Freedom can be found here.

“The law remains unchanged in Washington state, but the threat to patient access and privacy has never been more dangerous. Even in Washington state, Republicans have introduced about 40 bills in the past six years to roll back abortion rights and access to reproductive care,” said Governor Jay Inslee. “The right of choice should not depend on which party holds the majority, but that’s where we find ourselves. More than half the nation’s population now lacks safe access to a medical procedure that only a patient and their doctor can and should make for themselves. Instead, law enforcement, vigilantes and judicial systems can force patients to bear the burdens of forced pregnancy and birth. Washington state remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting the ability and right of every patient who comes to our state in need of abortion care, and we will fight like hell to restore that right to patients all across the country.”

“The Supreme Court has made it clear – they want to strip women of their liberty and let Republican states replace it with mandated birth because the right to choose an abortion is not ‘deeply rooted in history.’ They want to turn back the clock to a time when women had no right to make decisions about their own bodies, when women had to seek care in the shadows and at great danger, when women were not treated as equal citizens under the law. This is another devastating step toward erasing the rights and liberties Americans have fought for on battlefields, in courthouses and in capitols. This is not the America we know – and it’s not the California way,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “California has banded together with Oregon and Washington to stand up for women, and to protect access to reproductive health care. We will not sit on the sidelines and allow patients who seek reproductive care in our states or the doctors that provide that care to be intimidated with criminal prosecution. We refuse to go back and we will fight like hell to protect our rights and our values."

“Abortion is health care, and no matter who you are or where you come from, Oregon doesn’t turn away anyone seeking health care. Period. Let me be clear: You cannot ban abortion, you can only ban safe abortions — and this disgraceful Supreme Court decision will undoubtedly put many people’s lives at risk, in addition to stripping away a constitutional right that disproportionately affects women and has been settled law for most of our lifetimes,” said Governor Kate Brown. “For all the Americans today feeling scared, angry and disappointed — for everyone who needs an abortion and does not know where they can access safe reproductive health care –– please know you are not alone, and the fight is not over.”

Over the past several years, each state has taken action to expand access to reproductive health care in preparation for just such a decision:

• In 2018 Governor Inslee signed the Reproductive Parity Act that requires all health plans that include maternity care services to also cover abortion and contraception. In 2021 he signed the Protecting Pregnancy Act that allows doctors who practice in Catholic-run hospitals to bypass ethical-religious directives and provide medically necessary abortion when a woman’s life is in danger. Earlier this year Inslee signed the Affirm Washington Abortion Access Act that better ensures the ability of Washington abortion care providers to serve any person who comes in Washington state seeking an abortion. Washington law also protects patients and clinic personnel from harassment outside of clinics. Further, when federal changes were made to the Title X program to not allow family planning clinics to reference abortion as an option, Washington state stepped up to fund the Title X clinics instead of having to comply. While the federal funding has been restored, the state will continue to provide needed funding to support access to abortion.
• Governor Newsom has proposed a $125 million Reproductive Health Package to expand access for women and help prepare for the influx of women seeking reproductive health care from other states. The California Legislature has introduced a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution, Governor Newsom recently signed legislation eliminating copays for abortion care services and has signed into law a legislative package to further strengthen access and protect patients and providers. Additional proposals are being considered with the Legislature.
• Oregon led the nation by passing the most comprehensive reproductive health legislation at the time. Governor Brown signed Oregon’s Reproductive Health Equity Act into law in 2017 — a first of its kind bill that expanded access to reproductive health services for all Oregonians and codified the right to an abortion into state law. Adding to that work, Oregon invested $15 million for community-based organizations to expand access to abortion across the state and provide immediate support to patients, health care providers, and community advocates, with a focus on rural communities, communities of color, and low-income communities to overcome barriers to access

Message from CSWA to the Community 6-29-22

The Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA) is profoundly concerned by the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling affirming a Mississippi law that outlaws abortion in the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. The Court added the overthrow of Roe v. Wade to their Opinion. This Opinion also jettisons any person’s right to privacy in health care decision making, and puts the health and mental health of women and their families at risk. By removing any guarantee that women can have access to safe and legal abortion, the Court’s Opinion returns responsibility for reproductive law-making in the hands of Congress and the states.

As states respond to this Opinion with their own laws, it appears that in many instances women and families will be prohibited from receiving much needed mental health therapeutic interventions from Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs). 

In the Constitution, the Founding Fathers made no reference to women at all, let alone rights afforded women to bear or not bear children. Similarly, in the 213-page Opinion of the Court majority, there is no mention of the rights or needs of women, or of children-to-be. The Opinion does not acknowledge the physical health or mental health needs of a woman forced by law to carry to term. There is no mention of support for pregnant women, such as pre-natal care, housing, paid sick leave, health insurance, or food stamps. Nor is there acknowledgement of the needs of the fetus in the womb and beyond.

There are so many reasons that women consider abortion. LCSWs see the anguish that making this decision entails and work with clients to come to a valid decision. LCSWs are bound by Federal and state laws. This Opinion in essence has accepted forced-birth laws, limiting the way that LCSWs can work with clients. In some states, there may be felony charges for a woman simply asking for emotional support, or an LCSW providing that mental health support. Understanding the laws in their states will be essential for LCSWs to protect their clients.

LCSWs know that women who are struggling with their mental well-being need sustained access to care. The data is clear that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and Black women in particular, have the highest maternal mortality rates globally and face terrible risk as a result of this Opinion.

CSWA is still gathering information on the states’ responses to this Opinion and will keep the clinical social work community apprised. State legislatures and Congress are now responsible for creating the laws needed as a result of this Opinion.

What else can LCSWs do? Here is a list that is may help clarify the issue:

• Combat misinformation about abortion
• Avoid criminalization of pregnancy
• Provide information on the impact of Dobbs on privacy
• Work with groups who provide confidential hotlines

No matter what your point of view is, knowing your state laws, vote for legislators who will not criminalize abortion and who will provide the supports mentioned above. VOTING is the most effective way for LCSW voices to be heard. 

Message from CSWA to the Community 6-14-22

[The Aware Advocate is an occasional newsletter sent to members with information that is relevant to Licensed Clinical Social Workers ~LWG]

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:

• POS “11” should be used until the end of the Public Health Emergency, timing of which is currently the end of 2022, even though this POS “11” is for office visits.
• POS “10” was made “available” for LCSWs for telemental health treatment as of April 4; however, there is a rate cut for those who have used POS “10” so using POS “11” is a better option.
• POS “10” will be required for telemental health when the Public Health Emergency ends, currently the end of 2022.
• Check with YOUR Medicare Administrative Contractor to clarify which POS code is being accepted currently if the patient is being seen through telemental health in their home.
• You can find your MAC contact information at the CSWA website under “Clinical Practice”.
• If a patient is seen in their car, the POS code should be “02”, but POS “11” is also acceptable. 
• The Medicare Modifier for all POS codes is still 95. This may seem counterintuitive as 95 is supposed to be for telemental health, but it is the only combination that currently works.

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:

• States will join the Compact by passing legislation through the state legislatures after the draft legislation is approved by DoD and CSG
• The draft legislation will be open for public comment some time this summer. I will let you know how to access the draft and send in your comments when it is available
• The draft will likely go out to states in late 2022 or early 2023

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, Director, Policy and Practice

NOMINATION COMMITTEE: WSSCSW WANTS YOU!
 
Do you want to make a difference for your fellow Social Workers and the community?

Do you want to be a part of shaping our field towards social justice and ethical practice?

Do you want to learn more about mezzo and macro level Social Work?

Then we are looking for you!
 
The Nomination Committee is NOW OPEN to accepting nominations for the following board positions:
 
Associate Chair
Oversees, coordinates and organizes Society’s program offerings for student and associate members, including but not limited to networking events, licensure education and support, lunch and learns, training programs, associate consultations, mentorship program, various student and associate recognitions, supervision, and low fee psychotherapy resources.  Regularly attends board meetings and Society’s events.  
 
Inclusivity Chair
Oversees the organization’s attention to and respect for diversity within the membership, addresses any diversity issues relevant to board and member relationships and recruitment, and develops and distributes the diversity survey every two years and presents results to the membership. The Inclusivity Chair communicates with both membership and board, holding both accountable to the values of the Society, CSWA, and NASW.
 
Legislative Chair
Oversees, coordinates and organizes Society’s program offerings for members, including but not limited to networking events, social policy writing, coordinating visiting legislatures to speak with members, advocacy training programs, sending monthly updates to be included in the newsletter On Our Minds, and creating or sharing legislative resources. Is the link between the Society, the board, and the lobbyist.
 
Membership Chair
The Membership Chair supports WSSCSW membership through hosting social and networking activities, working alongside the executive administrator to complete the annual membership drive, and ensuring a diverse membership and inclusive environment grounded in equity and anti-racism.
 
President-Elect
President-Elect is a member of the Executive Committee for the Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work. The president-elect works with the president to identify how to spend their initial year learning the roles of each of the committees and supporting each committee with completing their tasks.
 
Professional Development Chair
Plans, organizes, and leads clinical evening meetings for membership and the professional mental health community. Supports each chair with hosting and completing professional development workshops and programming throughout the year. 
 
Treasurer
Treasurer is a member of the Executive Committee. They are responsible for the receipt and disbursement of Society funds and for maintaining accurate records of all financial matters, including the investment portfolio in accordance with accepted accounting procedures, the Society’s non-profit status and any tax implications.
 
What are the general duties of a Board member?
A board member meets virtually with the WSSCSW Board once a month to discuss the operation of the organization, its service to the community through programs and legislation, and creating spaces for inclusion and social justice. A board member is a leader of their Committee and will meet with the president to determine what projects they (old and new) that feel passionate about and would like to work on during their term. In addition to this, all board members attend virtually or in-person an annual board retreat and annual membership meeting or dinner.
 
What are the Benefits of being a board member?
Aside from community recognition of leadership in WSSCSW, you also get the following benefits: Your Membership to WSSCSW is paid during your time of service, and you get free access and CEUs to all the Professional Events, Social Events, Groups, Programs, and Recordings during your term on the board.
 
Who are you looking for?
We're looking for a wide variety of applicants all over Washington State. As a society, we value accessibility and have embraced virtual access to our offerings and meetings. If you identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, have a LSWAIC, LICSW, or are a 2nd Year MSW Student, we'd like to hear from you!
 
How do I self-nominate (or nominate someone I know)?
If you or any WSSCSW member you know are interested please contact the Nominating Committee at admin@wsscsw.org and submit your name/name of the person nominated and contact information. Share what drew you to submit a nomination or if you're nominating someone, why you think they would be a great addition to the board.

This is the perfect time to be an advocate. If you want to make a difference both in the field of Social Work and Washington state, take the step to connect! We are looking forward to meeting you!
 
Warmly,
 
Your Nominations Committee:
 
Chris Garrido-Philp, MSW, LICSW
WSSCSW Communications Chair
 
Katherine Walter, MSW, LICSW, CSW-G
WSSCSW Outreach Chair
 

Description: 'Every voice raised against racism chips away at its power. We can't afford to stay silent. This book is an attempt to speak'

The book that sparked a national conversation. Exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Britain today.