The Latest News

According to Instructor Liz Lansky, coaching is one of the fastest ways to improve client-centered care. This workshop teaches you the difference between therapy and coaching, how to cultivate your coaching mindset as groundwork to incorporating coaching into your practice or workplace, and how to bridge coaching and social work.

Taught by popular instructor Teresa Tivenan, this workshop introduces you to the fascinating use of the Enneagram, a personality system that promotes the integration of psychology and spirituality, and enhances self-knowledge and growth. You’ll learn foundational information about the Enneagram, basic theoretical underpinnings of Enneagram Theory, its potential application in clinical situations, and ways it can be used to promote deeper self-knowledge and use of self in the therapeutic relationship.

Early-Career Social Workers: You're Invited to the Next NASWVA Early-Career Professionals Group Meeting Oct. 25 

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Topic: “Early-Career Roundtable Discussion”

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Guest speaker: Tara Funches, MSW, Group Facilitator

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If you're an NASW social worker who has been in the field less than three years OR a senior-level student, you're invited to attend this month’s Early-Career Professionals Group roundtable meeting Oct. 25 from 6 to 7 p.m. via Zoom!

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The meeting will be an open-discussion-style format to start off the programmatic year. You’ll be able to ask questions, network with peers, and identify areas regarding future topics of interest.

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Tara Funches, MSW, is our highly experienced group co-facilitator who will guide the discussion. Tara, a school social worker with Prince William County Schools, has a background of 22+ years in the field and has worked in educational consulting and women’s and youth empowerment! She enjoys creating and facilitating various after school and mentor programs addressing social skills and self-esteem for at-risk African American middle school girls.

Who should come: YOU! And other NASW Virginia members who are social workers with less than three years of experience in the field, as well as students who will soon enter the profession.

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1. Enjoy an engaging, practical round table discussion with Tara!

2. Network, connect with your peers, and discuss topics of interest to you in social work!

Please contact one of the following people for the private Zoom link: Email Roshonda Poole, shondaro@yahoo.com; Tara Funches at tfunches@users.smore.com, or Executive Director Debra Riggs, CAE, driggs.naswva@socialworkers.org. No registration required.

What is it like to be placed in solitary confinement in VA? 

• 20 hours in a 7-by-10 foot cell for 20 hours a day 

• Little environmental stimulation

• No required access to mental or medical health check-ups 

• Similar symptoms as prisoners of war 

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Solitary confinement is torture and strips human beings of their dignity. We must end the inhumane practice of solitary confinement in Virginia and that starts with passing the upcoming bill – call your legislator today and ask them to support this bill! #SolitaryNOMoreVA Together, we must end solitary confinement in Virginia to treat human beings with dignity and create safer

communities for us all. Call your representative and ask them to support the upcoming bill to once and for all say #SolitaryNOMoreVA. 

Action Alert--Make the Child Tax Credit Permanent! 

The Child Tax Credit has lifted millions of kids out of poverty, ensuring they have food on the table and more stability at home. The CTC should be permanent and fully refundable. The Virginia Chapter has signed this letter requesting immediate action to make this assistance permanent, and we invite all social workers and social work researchers to sign the letter as well to voice your support! https://bit.ly/3C8ZZAw 

Please share this link with others who may want to sign, too: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiQbtp2YnpEmZKtxfNviKGtR-gK2CWGJ3fc2l00KOzEXC7_g/viewform

NASW Foundation Received $3.3 Million Joint Grant with University of Texas-Austin for Social Worker Vaccination Trainings

NASW Foundation and the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute (HBRT) at The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work have been awarded a $3.3 million, one-year grant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to engage the nation’s more than 700,000 social workers in boosting COVID-19 vaccine confidence, uptake and access, particularly among populations with low vaccination rates and higher vulnerability to severe forms of infection.

“As an essential health care workforce, social workers are well positioned to help people in their decision making around their vaccination status and address any impediments to getting vaccinated, for themselves and for their family members,” says NASW President and NASW Foundation board member Mildred (Mit) Joyner, DPS, MSW, LCSW. “Whether they work in health care settings, schools, mental health clinics, child welfare agencies or out in the community, social workers are trusted professionals who are able to meet people where they are in their COVID-19 vaccination journey and help them navigate any personal, systemic or logical barriers to becoming fully vaccinated."
 
More than 63% of the total vaccine-eligible population are fully vaccinated, with much lower vaccination rates among certain populations. With the rampant spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, cases, hospitalizations and deaths are once again sharply rising, largely among unvaccinated people.

The Virginia and Metro DC chapters, as well as all other NASW chapters and specialty social work associations, will be engaged in the initiative. The one-year project will include a comprehensive education campaign for social workers on COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness, barriers to vaccination (e.g., mis/disinformation, logistical challenges, psychological, etc.), and the role of social workers in promoting vaccination. The initiative will also include trainings for social workers on facts and myths about the vaccines as well as training in Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and other evidence-based, culturally competent, public health- and social work-informed methods for helping clients to process health-related decisions and choices. Through reflective listening and other strategies, versus traditional advice-giving approaches, these methods support and honor the client’s capacity and right to make choices about their health, while centering science-based and accurate information.

HBRT will collaborate with Michigan State University to develop a smartphone mobile application for social workers. The mobile app, which will supplement training, will support social workers by providing them readily accessible vaccine information, motivational interviewing strategies, screening questions and brief interventions, and effective vaccine messaging for real-time support. HBRT will also collaborate with NORC at the University of Chicago to assist in developing messaging and in evaluation efforts.

NASW Virginia Chapter Fall Professional Development Calendar Enables Social Workers to Earn CEs from the Safety, Convenience of Home

NASW Virginia Chapter is offering a record number of virtual trainings this fall, making it easy for you to meet the 30-CE license requirement by June 30, 2022. Check out what past attendees say about our trainings and instructors:

"[Instructor] Allison Jackson is a marvel!" (trauma courses)

“The engagement and interaction with participants were great. It helped to give examples and to

follow up with information that was covered. The facilitator was great with asking questions and

providing her own examples.” (supervision)

[Dr. Dawn Apgar] “was amazing since I went into this with dread, but I now feel more prepared and more confident. She was able to talk like a person not an instructor.” (exam prep)

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October

• Oct. 1-2: Foundations of Supervision (14 CEs, including 2 ethics CEs) Expected sellout.

• Oct. 7-Nov. 19: NASW Virginia Professional Certification in Trauma- and Resilience-informed Care (37.5 CEs)

• Oct. 8: Social Work License Exam Prep Workshop/Study Package (6 CEs)

• Oct. 15: Telehealth 2021: Level-Setting Social Work’s Foundation for Practice Training (6 CEs, including 6 ethics CEs)

• Oct. 21: Social Work and “One Health:” Animal-Informed Practice with Individuals, Families, and Communities (1.5 CEs) Filling fast—book today!

• Oct 29: Trauma-Based Dissociative Identity Disorder

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November

• Nov. 5-6: Supervision: Digital Technology and Clinical Supervision AND Independent Supervision Best Practices (14 CEs, including 14 ethics CEs; one-day registration available, 7 CEs each, including 7 ethics CEs) Meet Virginia supervision requirements!

• Nov. 12: Social Work License Exam Prep Workshop/Study Package (6 CEs)

• Nov 10: Embodying a Coaching Mindset for Social Workers

December

• Dec. 3-4: Foundations of Supervision (14 CEs, including 2 ethics CEs) A likely sellout!

• Dec. 15: Social Work License Exam Prep Workshop/Study Package (6 CEs)

Visit the Calendar of Events for the latest 2021 professional development schedule.

Virtual space is limited for all trainings to maximize instructor access and learning. NASW members enjoy deep discounts on all chapter trainings and CE Institute recordings. Plan your learning and start registering today!

Not a member? Join NASW today for deep discounts on all trainings and events!

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Now available: CE-qualifying On-Demand Recordings of the

2021 NASW Virginia Annual Conference Sessions at the NASW CE Institute—train anytime, anywhere!

Act Now to Increase Clinical Social Worker Medicare Reimbursement Rates, Increase Access to Care

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It’s time for Metro DC social workers to use their clout and expertise to ask Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton to support and advocate for the Improving Access to Mental Health Act (S. 870/H.R. 2035) to reduce barriers to care! The reintroduced bipartisan act is crucial to modernizing Medicare mental health and ensuring that this major federal program can meet the pressing needs of millions of beneficiaries. Clinical social workers (CSWs) are the largest provider of mental health services in the nation and have been Medicare providers since 1989. However, due to the narrow, outdated definition of clinical social work and other regulatory factors, they aren’t able to practice at the top of their license, and their reimbursement rates are inadequate.

The legislation will

• Increase Medicare Reimbursement Rates for CSWs: The bill increases the reimbursement rate from 75% to 85% of the psychologist fee schedule, thereby ensuring payment parity and equity.

• Increase Access to Mental Health Services for Residents of Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF): Currently, independent CSWs who are not employed by the SNF are unable to seek reimbursement under Medicare Part B for providing psychotherapy services to SNF residents receiving care under Medicare Part A. S. 870/H.R. 2035 would rectify this problem by excluding CSW services from SNF consolidated billing.

• Increase Supports for Medicare Beneficiaries Coping with Physical Health Conditions: Although Health and Behavior Assessment and Intervention (HBAI) services are within the scope of practice for CSWs, Medicare only reimburses CSWs for the “diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses.” S. 870/H.R. 2035 would broaden this narrow definition of CSW services to enable CSWs to receive Medicare reimbursement for HBAI services, which are cognitive, behavioral, social, and psychophysiological interventions to prevent, treat, and improve physical health and well-being.

Currently, the bills have 42 cosponsors in the House and five in the Senate. We need at least 175 cosponsors in the House and over 50 in the Senate to demonstrate broad support for the legislation and to elevate the bill for potential consideration before the Congressional committees of jurisdiction. Unfortunately, if we don’t secure enough cosponsors in this Congress, the bill will likely not advance through the legislative process and would need to be reintroduced in future Congresses.

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Please encourage Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton to support and advocate for this legislation by responding to this NASW Action Alert. Reimbursement for services in Medicare substantially influence the rates paid by private-sector insurers. Many private insurers simply adopt Medicare’s levels of reimbursement to providers. For this reason, it is especially critical that members of Congress hear from social workers.

NASW Virginia Early-Career Professional Group

Meeting September 27, 6pm

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Senior social work students and social workers who have been in the field less than three years are invited to the chapter's Early-Career Professionals Group meeting September 27 from 6 to 7 p.m. Guest speaker is group leader Tara Funches, MSW. This is a free event! 

If you have not received the meeting emails or reminders, please contact Roshonda Poole at shondaro@yahoo.com to request the meeting Zoom link or to ask any questions about the free monthly group. Meetings usually feature a guest speaker and networking/check-in conversation meant to support early-career and incoming social workers as they develop their leadership and professional identities and skills.

Early Voting in Virginia Has Started! Voting Is Social Work 

It’s that time of year again! Early voting begins Friday, Sept. 17 for the 2021 General Election involving Virginia governor and lieutenant governor, House of Delegates members, attorney general, and other localities. 

The deadline to register to vote or update voter registration information is Tuesday, Oct. 12, and the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Friday, Oct. 22. Offices will close for early in-person voting on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. 

Virginia offers a variety of acceptable forms of voting identification, including school IDs (public and private, local, or nonlocal to Virginia – picture regulations vary), voter confirmation documents, current utility bills and banking statements (within 12 months of age), a signed ID confirmation statement, driver’s licenses, Department of Motor Vehicles-issued IDs, passports, and more!

For more ID information, visit: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/media/formswarehouse/voter-id/outreach-materials/documents/Voter-Identification-Chart-Rev-4-28-21.pdf .  

Access this link to request a ballot, update your voter registration information, and find your district and polling information:  

https://www.elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal/ 

Access this link to view this year’s list of candidate information: 

https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/candidate-list/ 

Information regarding voter accessibility information – national disability voter registration week is September 13-20:  

https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/accessible-voting/

NASW Action Alert: Contact Your Congressional Representatives about Addressing Climate Change 

It's time to act on climate change and environmental justice! Contact your elected officials to amplify the messages that climate change is a health emergency and that adequate funding must be allocated for climate action on infrastructure and transportation that protects the health of our communities. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3t2OzdV

Action Alert! Provide Your Feedback on Proposed 

CY 2022 Medicare Reimbursement!

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On July 13, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule regarding CY 2022 Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and other Part B Payment Policies (CMS-1751-P). NASW will be submitting comments on the proposed rule on behalf of our members and chapters. We welcome many of the provisions to continue telehealth flexibilities and include our workforce in the Quality Payment Program, but we must fight the proposed 3.75% cut to our reimbursement rates and the proposed requirement that telemental health services include an in-person visit.

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Please submit your own comments as a social worker using this template letter by September 13, customizing your letter to reflect your unique experiences and perspectives, and providing supportive examples whenever possible.

The agency will issue the final rule later this year.

Below are the key provisions of the proposed rule regarding billing and reimbursement for social workers.

Reimbursement Rates

Faced with the need to meet budget neutrality requirements instituted by Congress, CMS proposes in this rule to reduce the conversion factor (CF), the figure by which all code values are multiplied to achieve a payment amount for each service. For CY 2022, CMS proposes to reduce the CF by 3.75%, which would lead to significant payment losses for social workers who bill Medicare. Congress waived this cut for CY 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Telehealth

CMS is proposing the following, some of which would continue much-needed flexibilities implemented by the agency during the pandemic:

• Implementation of a provision included in a late 2020 congressional appropriations bill to remove geographic restrictions and permitting the home as an originating site for telehealth services furnished for the purpose of diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of a mental health disorder.

• Implementation of a provision included in a late 2020 congressional appropriations bill requiring that an in-person, non-telehealth service be furnished by a provider at least once within 6 months before each telehealth service furnished for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of a mental health disorder (other than for treatment of a diagnosed substance use disorder or co-occurring mental health disorder).

• Permitting use of audio-only (e.g., telephone) communications technology for mental telehealth services under certain conditions when provided to beneficiaries located in their home. Coverage would be limited to providers who have the capability to furnish two-way audio-visual services, but the beneficiary is unable to use, does not wish to use, or does not have access to two-way audio/video technology.

• Extending through December 31, 2023, the telehealth services, known as Category 3 services, that were added on a temporary basis by CMS in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Providing payment for mental health visits when they are provided by Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) through interactive telecommunications technology.

• Permitting the provision of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) therapy and counseling services via audio-only technology when two-way video is not available. CMS is proposing that during and after the pandemic, Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) would be required to indicate in a patient’s record when and why a visit for substance use counseling or therapy was audio-only.

Quality Payment Program

Beginning in January 2022, CMS proposes to revise the current eligible clinician definition to include clinical social workers. Being an eligible clinician in the Quality Payment Program allows clinical social workers to report measures and outcomes when appropriate. 

To see the rule, go to 2022 Physician Fee Schedule. Advocacy is social work! Please share your expertise and opinions with CMS at this important time.

NASW Seeks Volunteers to Revamp Its Standards for Clinical Social Work

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Great volunteer opportunity! NASW is seeking clinical social workers to serve on a new task force to revise its NASW Standards for Clinical Social Work in Social Work Practice, a resource published in 2005. 

Social workers should be licensed at the clinical level in the state in which they are practicing and have at least 10 years of experience in one or more of the following practice settings: 

• Community Mental Health Centers

• Hospitals

• Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Programs 

• Schools

• Ambulatory Healthcare Settings

• Partial Hospitalization Programs

• Child Welfare Agencies

• Aging Services

• Employee Assistance Programs

• Private Practice 

Estimated time of commitment is 12-18 months with meetings via teleconference. If interested, please submit your resume to cswstandards@socialworkers.org by September 30.  

Social Workers: Join the “March On for Voting Rights” Event August 28 in Washington, DC

RSVP today to join social workers from Virginia, Metro DC, and other states for a March On for Voting Rights event August 28 at 11 a.m. in McPherson Square on 15th Street NW to protest the rising number of anti-voting laws and regulations being passed by legislatures throughout the nation.

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Since January, 48 states have introduced 389 bills that amount to shameful, outright voter suppression, and many have already become law. These laws suppress voting methods that enrich our democracy by leading to high turnout: banning ballot drop boxes and mail-in voting, reducing early voting days and hours, restricting who can get a mail-in ballot, prohibiting officials from promoting the use of mail-in ballots (even when voters qualify), and even criminalizing the distribution of water to voters waiting in the long lines these laws create.

Racist, anti-democratic voter suppression laws amount to rigging the game. But in America, elections are not a game—and lives depend on their outcomes.

That’s why the National Association of Social Workers—working in partnership with the NASW Virginia Chapter, NASW Metro DC Chapter, and NASW chapters nationwide—are marching August 28 on Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Miami; Houston; Phoenix; and other cities across America to draw attention to the fact that social workers like you, alongside other ally organizations, will fight back!

We will NOT be silent when our voices are threatened. We will NOT sit still when people try to take away our right to vote and limit our ability to elect the officials we want to represent us in a democratic America. Advocacy Is Social Work!

Great Volunteer Opportunity: NASWVA Accreditation Committee Members

The NASW Virginia Chapter seeks volunteers to serve on its Accreditation Committee and help review trainings under our Course Accreditation Program (CAP). NASWVA is an accrediting body for trainings offered by other organizations in the behavioral health field as indicated in the Regulations Governing the Practice of Social Work issued by the Virginia Board of Social Work.

CAP certifies workshops, conferences, seminars, and other types of programs that contribute to social work knowledge in all areas of practice (health, mental health, child/family services, etc.) and methodology (including clinical, administrative, management, policy, etc.).  The goal of the program is to encourage continuing education (CE) by all Virginia social workers and to establish a professional standard of excellence for such training offerings.

Members of the Accreditation Committee will review applications and supporting documents on a rotating schedule. As a volunteer, all information will be emailed to you with a link to a survey where the results of your review are documented. 

For more information, please email Debra Riggs, CAE, executive director, at driggs.naswva@socialworkers.org

“Reopening Ahead of a ‘Fourth Wave:’ NASW, Council of Social Work Education, and Association of Social Work Boards Issue Joint Statement on Readiness to Address Increased Mental Health Needs during Pandemic

In a statement issued in August by NASW, Council of Social Work Education, and Association of Social Work Boards, the organizations note, “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve with cases surging due to the Delta variant in a population that has yet to reach herd immunity. Evolving in tandem with the public health crisis is a deepening mental health crisis that has been dubbed COVID’s ‘fourth wave.’ … Whether in person or virtually, addressing the fourth wave will be front and center for many of us, whether we practice in schools, programs, health care facilities, child welfare settings, or private practice. CSWE and NASW stand ready to support social workers, students, and educators as they bring their valuable expertise to bear in meeting the challenges of this moment.”

The statement explains, “Students reported more mental health challenges last year compared to previous years, according to CSWE research, and more than half of educators reported that colleagues dealt with more mental health challenges…. As [governors’] Emergency Orders expire, regulators (and licensees) face new challenges to ensure practicing licensees meet jurisdictional requirements. In many cases, the EOs are expiring without a transition period. Continuity of care and continuity of billing are two concerns arising from this ‘hard stop’ ending of COVID-related licensing and practice flexibilities. The best advice for social workers practicing under emergency order provisions in a jurisdiction where you don’t hold a full license: Check with the regulatory board about next steps.

“Yet for all of the challenges facing social work as we battle pandemic variants and work to reopen our schools and communities, there is encouraging news to share. People want to become social workers. Enrollment is up more than 1% at accredited social work programs for Fall 2021, according to CSWE research. Even during the pandemic, despite a nationwide 4.2% dip in post-secondary enrollment in 2020 (National Student Clearinghouse, 2021), enrollment increased at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs.

“We wrote last year that the country ‘will eventually emerge from the shadow of COVID-19, and social workers will pivot again, quietly providing the vitally important services, advocacy, and leadership needed for a recovery that benefits people from every community… This is who we are.’ After we reopen and adjust to another ‘new normal,’ it is encouraging to know this is who we will continue to be.”

Social Work Disaster Assistance Fund Helps Members Recover from Catastrophe

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Social workers are known for helping people recover following a disaster. NASW’s Social Work Disaster Assistance Fund aids social workers who themselves have been impacted by disasters. Administered by the NASW Foundation, the fund has raised desperately needed dollars from generous NASW members, NASW chapters, friends, partners, and other donors to assist in relief efforts. Read about this important program in NASW’s Social Work Advocates magazine.

The Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) announced the elimination of “restrictive housing,” one of the Departments euphemisms for solitary confinement.

“Restrictive housing” is defined by the American Correctional Association as confinement in a cell for 20+ hours per day. That is NOT true. Throughout this period, numerous people have contacted the Virginia Coalition on Solitary Confinement with complaints of VDOC’s continued use of solitary confinement. A report filed earlier this year by an independent, court-appointment monitor concluded that Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women routinely isolated people with mental illnesses for 23+ hours a day. When lawmakers introduced a bill earlier this year to end solitary confinement and require that every incarcerated person be given four hours out-of-cell per day with few exceptions, VDOC claimed it would cost 23$ million a year to implement, effectively killing the bill’s chances of passage.

For years, VDOC has routinely denied that it uses solitary confinement. Instead, it has kept people isolated for 22-24 hours per day, in units with a variety of names: restrictive housing, administrative segregation, mental health units, etc. By any name, solitary confinement is torture.

Being isolated in a cell the size of a parking space for a vast majority of the day causes physical and mental illnesses. VDOC is able to make these unsubstantial claims because there is no system of independent oversight over Virginia prisons, and the public has no way to verify its alleged reforms. Partners in the Virginia Coalition on Solitary Confinement will continue to call out VDOC’s lies, as well as its human rights abuses, and anyone who helps maintain the status quo.

NASW Virginia Celebrates Disability Pride Month in July

Happy Disability Pride Month! Disability Pride Month in July started as Disability Pride Day to commemorate the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. It has since turned into a month-long celebration and educational campaign, including parades that occur in cities nationwide. Disability Pride Month is similar to LGBTQ+ Pride since its main goals are to bring awareness to the community and designate a time for people to connect and learn more about the different disabilities that people have.

The Disability Pride flag reflects myriad symbols that include the vast spectrum of disability:

1. The Black Background: This field is to represent the disabled people who have lost their lives due not only to their illness, but also to negligence, suicide, and eugenics.

2. The Lightning Bolt: The shape of the lightning bolt represents the lives that many disabled people live, often having to adapt themselves or their physical routes to get around an inaccessible society.

3. The Colors: Each color on this flag represents a different aspect of disability or impairment:

• Blue: mental illness

• Yellow: cognitive and intellectual disabilities

• White: invisible and undiagnosed disabilities

• Green: sensory perception disabilities

• Red: physical disabilities

To learn more or participate in some events visit the links below: 

• Omnium-A Bold New Circus: Extraordinary, Inclusive, Diverse, Multi-Sensory, Accessible Family Circus Experience

• 10 Ways to Celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month

• How Disability Pride Month Started and What It Means

New Practice Guidance Available: “New Program Instruction from Administration on Children, Youth, and Families: Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment”

A new document is available to provide guidance for social workers who assist their agencies with applications for Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Treatment Programs State Grant Funds, work in agencies administering the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) State Grant, and/or work with Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) Program grantees.

“New Program Instruction from Administration on Children, Youth, and Families: Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment” is available at https://bit.ly/PracticeAlertChildAbuseFunds.

The Program Instruction provides information on the allowable use of the funding and actions states and territories must take to report on planned and use of the funds. Additionally, the PI provides updates on the regular fiscal year 2021 appropriation for the CAPTA State Grant program and the requirement to prioritize use of funds to develop and implement plans of safe care for substance-exposed infants and their families.

NASW Apologizes for Racist Practices in American Social Work

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has released a statement acknowledging that “our profession and this association have not always lived up to our mission of pursuing social justice for all. NASW apologizes for supporting policies and activities that have harmed people of color.”

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According to NASW CEO Angelo McClain, PhD, LICSW. “While NASW continues to offer anti-racist training in communities, publicly denounces violence, and advocates tirelessly for anti-racist policy changes, we must also acknowledge the role the social work profession has played in supporting discriminatory systems and programs for decades.”

For instance:

• Progressive Era social workers built and ran segregated settlement houses.

• Social worker suffragists blocked African Americans from gaining the right to vote.

• Social workers helped recruit Black men into the infamous Tuskegee Experiment.

• Social workers participated in the removal of Native American children from their families and placement in boarding schools.

• And since the founding of the profession, bias among some social workers has limited delivery of health care, mental health treatment, and social services to people of color.

Details of this work are included in the newly released report, Undoing Racism through Social Work: NASW Report to the Profession on Racial Justice Priorities and Action.

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“This acknowledgement comes at a critical time, especially as we enter the Juneteenth weekend,” says Virginia Chapter Executive Director Debra Riggs, CAE. “Our recent surveys show that fighting systemic racism is members’ top social justice issue of concern, and they are committed to advocacy around it. We also have expanded trainings on racial equity, social work and race, implicit bias, self-awareness, multicultural supervision, and other such topics to support social workers as they reflect on their own biases and serve clients directly harmed by ongoing racism. Together, we will make progress on this stubborn and complex issue.”

Read the full statement here.

CLOSED: Tuesday, June 29 Only! An NASWVA Flash Sale on Summer Courses--Take 10% Off till Midnight

Save 10% off summer trainings Tuesday, June 29 until midnight if you register with the code SUMMER-10! This is the first time we have offered trainings in the summer, so the chapter is offering a hot one-day-only FLASH SALE to save you money and bring in the sunshine.

NASW members are welcome to stack your savings—taking advantage of members-only discount rates AND the 10% off code! Save on the following two trainings:

JULY 16: Licensure Exam Prep Workshop Package—NASW members save $22.20 off the regularly member-discounted rate of $222!

Nonmembers save $28.70 off the $287 rate! Nationally known instructor Dr. Dawn Apgar will hold a July 16 workshop worth 6 CEs to prepare you for any level of the license exams. Breaking down the test into logical, organized study modules; creating a study plan; overcoming test-taking fears—she covers it all and more!

Included with the exam prep package are six months of access to Dr. Apgar’s amazing learning management portal, which offers you 24/7 on-demand convenience to study guides, a discussion board, practice exams, self-assessments, interactive flash cards, Q&A with Apgar, and other tools to help you pass on the first try.

Register by midnight, June 29 and use the code SUMMER-10—you’ll receive the study manual ($90 value!) prior to the workshop. If you register between July 2 and 14, you will NOT save the 10%, and you’ll receive the manual after the workshop, but member discounts do apply.

AUGUST 20-21: Foundations of Supervision—NASW members save $27.50 off the member-discounted $275 rate! Nonmembers save $35 off the usual $350 rate.

Yes, our most popular supervision course of all—the one that sells out fastest—is on sale at the best rate we’ve EVER offered on this 14-CE (including 2 ethics CEs) course!

We’ve sold out this course so quickly in 2021 that we decided to try one in August as well to help as many social workers as possible meet the Virginia minimum hours required to legally supervise social work supervisee.

Hurry! This flash sale only runs until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29.  

NASW Celebrates June 17 U.S. Supreme Court Ruling that Affordable Care Act Will Remain Law

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 17 that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) will remain as law. The 7-2 ruling in California v. Texas determined that the plaintiffs, a group of 18 Republican-led states, did not have legal standing to bring the case. The plaintiffs sought to dismantle the ACA, arguing that the ACA could not continue without the financial penalty of the individual mandate, which was eliminated by Congress in 2017.

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NASW celebrates this important victory for Virginia and our country. Over the past several years, legal challenges to the ACA have created uncertainty for millions of Americans. They have also put many consumer protections at risk, including protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions, access to preventive services, and access to behavioral health services.

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACA has been more important than ever before. As people have suffered financial hardships, the health care marketplaces and Medicaid have seen record enrollment. More than 31 million people now have health insurance coverage through the ACA, and the law has made a significant difference in reducing the uninsured rate in all 50 states since 2010. Today’s ruling ensures that individuals and families will continue to have quality health insurance coverage through the ACA.

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NASW continues to support the Biden Administration’s efforts build on the ACA’s successes to make health care more affordable and accessible for all people.

2022 NASWVA Annual Conference Call for Session Proposals Now Open

Virginia social workers are invited to submit session proposals for the 2022 NASWVA Annual Conference in March to help hundreds of social workers learn the latest about professional practices and social justice issues.

The call for proposals aims to attract submissions that reflect what past attendees from Virginia and elsewhere have suggested for future conferences: COVID-19 impacts on social work, telehealth, ethics, racism and other discrimination, trauma, grief, LGBTQ issues, addiction, aging, self-care, new methods and techniques, and public health priorities, to name a few.

Please note that all presenters—like the chapter—must remain nimble and flexible to adapt content and instruction format in light of potential pandemic scenarios. The conference will likely be divided into in-person and virtual events (Virginia location will be announced later).

Deadline for proposed sessions is October 1.

NASW CE Institute Offers 17 LGBTQ+ On-demand Trainings

Pride Month in June is a great time to gain more understanding of your LGBTQ+ clients. Check out the 17 on-demand trainings available at NASW’s CE Institute for convenient 24/7 viewing.

NASW Virginia LCSWs: Deadline for Licensure Requirements Is June 30

The countdown is ON! You have until June 30 to meet the 30-CE professional development requirements of licensure in Virginia. Note that you will need six ethics CEs as part of those 30 CEs. 

Still need CEs? Visit www.naswva.org/calendar-of-events for the remaining June trainings that can earn you CEs prior to the deadline. The NASW CE Institute also offers NASWVA and other CE-qualifying on-demand trainings at https://naswinstitute.inreachce.com.

In addition, you  can still register for on-demand-only access to the 2021 NASWVA Annual Conference recorded sessions to earn up to 49.5 CEs, including 11.5 ethics CEs. Viewing is available until June 18, and you can use your special member discount for the best rate. Register at http://bit.ly/2021ConfOnDemandRegistration

NASW members, do you have questions about licensing? Email Debra Riggs, CAE, at driggs.naswva@socialworkers.org. 

New Multicultural Supervision Training Added June 18-19! Earn 14 CEs

Although the June 4-5 Foundations of Supervision course has sold out, NASW Virginia has added "Supervision: The Many Faces of Multicultural Competence: Ethics, Awareness, Sensitivity, Humility, and Responsiveness,"[LINK to https://bit.ly/MulticulturalSupervisionJuneRegis] which offers 14 CEs, including three ethics CEs. 

Day 1 will cover “Ethics Alive” concepts such as cultural sensitivity, awareness, humility, responsiveness, and other essential multicultural components. Day 2 will focus on application of multicultural strategies in supervision, including a brief overview of generational cohort cultural characteristics and their impacts on supervisory relationships.

Taught by Delores Dungee-Anderson, PhD, LCSW CTST, Professor and J. Patrick Slifka, LCSW, the two-day course fulfills the training requirement mandated by the Virginia Board of Social Work to provide clinical supervision for LCSW candidates. Cost is $275, NASW members; $350, nonmembers. A sellout is expected, so hurry to save your virtual seat now.  

Final Chance! Earn up to 49.5 CEs with On-Demand-Only Registration for the 2021 NASWVA Annual Conference, View through June 18 

Register to earn up to 49.5 CEs, including 11.5 ethics CEs, is still available for convenient on-demand-only access to the 2021 NASWVA Annual Conference[LINK TO THE MAIN AGENDA] recorded sessions.

The conference, which ran March 25-27, has received excellent ratings from its record-breaking attendees. Access to the sessions, as well as two keynotes by civil rights icon Bettie Mae Fikes and PostSecret.com founder Frank Warren, is available until June 18. 

NASW members can use your special member discount for the best rate. Register at http://bit.ly/2021ConfOnDemandRegistration

NASWVA Early-Career Professionals Group Meeting Will Feature Q&A on Virginia Social Work Licensing

Senior social work students and social workers who have been in the field less than three years are invited to the chapter's Early-Career Professionals Group meeting June 28 from 6 to 7 p.m. Guest speaker is Executive Director Debra Riggs, CAE, who will talk about updates to license requirements and answer questions on licensing trends, exam prep, license requirements, and anything else related to licensing in Virginia. Free! 

If you have not received the meeting emails or reminders, please contact Roshonda Poole at shondaro@yahoo.com to request the meeting Zoom link or to ask any questions about the free monthly group. Meetings usually feature a guest speaker and networking/check-in conversation meant to support early-career and incoming social workers as they develop their leadership and professional identities and skills.

Registration is now open! Earn 12 CEs at the NASW Virginia “Encore Conference” May 1-2

Join your peers this Saturday and Sunday, May 1-2, for an NASW Virginia “Encore Conference” that lets you earn up to 12 CEs, including six ethics CEs! It’s a great chance to earn ALL of your required six ethics CEs for your Virginia license in one weekend!

DC-licensed social workers also can earn three public health priorities CEs.

Thanks to the generosity and support of our presenters, the chapter is offering this live-virtual event to provide more opportunities to earn CEs via a selection of popular sessions from the chapter’s March 25-27 Annual Conference.

NASW members pay the discounted rate of $160. Nonmembers are welcome and pay $242.

Not an NASW member yet but want to save that $82, as well as enjoy year-round discounted trainings and other benefits?
Join NASW today!

Earn 12 CEs at the Just-Announced NASW Virginia
“Encore Conference” May 1-2

Missed the NASW Virginia Annual Conference March 25-27? Registration opens shortly for an NASW Virginia “Encore Conference” Saturday and Sunday, May 1-2! You can earn up to 12 CEs, including six ethics CEs!

Thanks to the generosity and support of our presenters, the chapter is offering a live-virtual event that features a variety of popular sessions from the March conference.

Members, check your inbox regularly—a registration link will be sent shortly, but meanwhile, save these dates! It’s a great chance to earn ALL of your required six ethics CEs for your Virginia license in one weekend!

NASW members pay the discounted rate of $160. Nonmembers are welcome and will pay $242. Nonmembers can check here later for the registration link.

Not an NASW member yet but want to save that $82, as well as enjoy year-round discounted trainings and other benefits?
Join NASW today!

NASWVA Responds to Chauvin Verdict, Offers Support to Black Social Workers and Others

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter April 20. This verdict offers a small glimmer of hope that we can live in a community where police are held accountable for harming and murdering Black and brown people.
 

However, this verdict will not bring murder victim George Floyd back. Our hearts are still broken over his death.
 

We thank all the advocates who have worked on the front line to tirelessly seek justice for Mr. Floyd and his family and friends. Although this feels like a victory in one sense, we continue to echo NASW’s national call for dramatic reform of the current police state in the United States. We must look at how white supremacy, imperialism, and capitalism compel us to fundamentally reshape community safety and protection for one another. We must invest in care and community.
 

If you have not yet read NASW Virginia’s statement on racial justice, equity, and equality, you’ll find it here.
 

To all Black social workers and members, please know that the chapter stands beside you in solidarity at this difficult time. As your professional home, we want to support you however you find meaningful, knowing full well that the social work profession must itself continue candid conversations about its own role in systemic racism. We know that looking within is as critical as working toward external change. We promise that we as a chapter and wider organization are working to do better. 

Gold Exhibitors:

Family Insight

Good Neighbor

Gardner-Webb University

Virginia Victim Assistance Network 

Silver Exhibitor:

Deer Oaks

Bronze Exhibitors:

Devereaux Advanced Behavioral Healthcare

Patient Advocate

Smiles for Children

NASWVA 2021 Annual Conference Attracts Record Attendance 

Thank you to the 376 social workers, exhibitors, and sponsors who attended the NASW Virginia Annual Conference March 25-27! Using the Social Work Month theme, "Social Workers Are Essential," the event provided nearly 30 breakout sessions on a range of practice-related and social justice issues, as well as four outstanding keynote speakers--civil rights "songstress" and storyteller Bettie Mae Fikes, PostSecret.com founder Frank Warren, Platinum-selling musician Jim Donovan, and poetry slam duo Adios America.

"Although the conference had to be virtual again due to the pandemic, the format enabled attendees to conveniently engage in their professional development in new ways," says Executive Director Debra Riggs, CAE. "They also benefited from the peer-to-peer expertise of social workers from 10 other states and even overseas, since the event could be borderless."

The Call for Proposals for the 2022 Annual Conference will open in June.

Meanwhile, the virtual Exhibit Fair is still ongoing with its 16 exhibitors and sponsors until April 27; it remains available to all registrants, some of whom may not have had a chance to complete their one-on-one meetings and shopping during the March 25-27 meeting. To access, please login into the conference and click on "Exhibitors." An encore Exhibit Fair is scheduled for April 14--look for more information in your inboxes soon.

Thank you for helping to make the conference a success, exhibitors and sponsors! Here is the list of those with virtual booths at the Exhibit Fair: 

Lead Sponsors:

NASW Assurance Insurance Inc. (Lead sponsor)

Anthem HealthKeepers Plus (Lunch & Learn sponsor)

Diamond Exhibitors:

Angel Flight East

Brain Injury Association of Virginia

Dominion Behavioral Healthcare

Newport Academy

NorthSpring Behavioral Healthcare

Virginia Relay

NASW Virginia Chapter Honors Five Social Work Leaders, Students for Outstanding Achievements
RICHMOND, VA: The Virginia Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers presented its 2021 Annual Awards for professional and academic excellence to three social workers, a state legislator, and a social work student March 27 during its Annual Conference.

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Lifetime Achievement in Social Work Award, the chapter’s highest individual honor recognizing a social work professional with a proven career-long commitment to strict ethics and the social work profession, as well as outstanding professional performance and leadership:

Recipient: Kimberly Jones, MSW, LCSW, behavioral health provider, Horizon Health Services, Sutherland, Va.
 

Social Worker of the Year, the chapter’s highest annual honor of a social worker and an NASW member who has demonstrated service beyond job requirements, has taken risks to achieve results, has contributed to the public's knowledge and positive image of social work, and has demonstrated clear, ethical leadership qualities:

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Recipient: Alison Sampson-Jackson, PhD, LCSW, MSW, CEO, Integrated Solutions, 
 

Legislator of the Year, in recognition of policy leadership and achievements in the political and public arena of mental and behavioral health advocacy and policy making:

Recipient: Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-25th District)

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Public Citizen of the Year, the chapter’s highest honor for an outstanding community member who is not a social work or legislator but whose achievements exemplify the values, ethics, and mission of professional social work:

Recipient: Jorden Costen-Sumpter, founder and executive director, Safe Space NOVA, Alexandria, Va.

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Bachelor of Social Work Student of the Year in recognition of exemplary performance and leadership by a BSW student:

Recipient: Emily Hewett, Christopher Newport University

“Through their many achievements and leadership during the past pandemic year, these five honorees have demonstrated deep commitment and high performance within the public and social work fields,” says Debra Riggs, CAE, executive director of NASW Virginia. “At a time when social workers have emerged as essential mental and behavioral health heroes in the COVID-19 pandemic, NASW Virginia is especially proud to applaud each of these award recipients.”

NASW Virginia Distributes Social Work Month Press Release to Educate Public about Social Workers as Important Advocates, Resources

The NASW Virginia Chapter asks members to keep an eye out for articles published in local newspapers, magazines, and elsewhere that are or could be based on its press release sent statewide March 2 to 155 print media and wire services. The release aims to increase awareness of what social workers do, why the public is encouraged to tap into these professionals for their advocacy abilities and resource knowledge, and what Social Work Month and its "Social Workers Are Essential" theme mean. 

Please send any print or digital articles mentioning Social Work Month or content from below to Executive Director Debra Riggs, CAE, driggs.naswva@socialworkers.org. The chapter also invites members to cut and paste the release to send to their own media contacts!

Social Work Month in March Showcases the Many Roles of Virginia’s “Unsung Heroes” in Providing Mental and Behavioral Health Care

RICHMOND, VA—The Virginia Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and its nearly 3,000 members are celebrating Social Work Month this March with the national theme “Social Workers Are Essential.” The campaign educates the public about social workers as advocates and resources, and highlights the valuable contributions social workers make statewide, especially during the pandemic.

Social work is one of the fastest growing professions in the U.S, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, rising from a current 700,000 to an estimated 800,000 professionals by 2029. Virginia has nearly 10,000 licensed clinical social workers, and demand for social work services continues to outpace availability of behavioral health providers.

“Few people realize that social work professionals comprise the largest behavioral health group in the country, or that many of our members work alongside doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers, thus experiencing similar risks and exhaustion,” says Executive Director Debra Riggs, CAE. “The profession has exploded over the past decade and is poised to grow exponentially. Even Ashley Biden, daughter of President Biden, is a social worker!”

Riggs notes that Virginia social workers “have worked extra-long hours and executed a radical pivot to telehealth to respond to skyrocketing public needs for more mental and behavioral health services in our state. We are grateful that the General Assembly, Gov. Northam, and leaders such as Sen. Creigh Deeds recently boosted funding and established a new oversight entity to strengthen Virginia’s mental health care systems.”   

While TV and movie versions of social workers have generated an unfair stereotype of these professionals as people “who just take away kids from their families,” social workers are embedded in many work settings throughout society. They provide mental health and substance use disorder treatment, assist active military and veterans, help schoolchildren, transition the returns to society of people who have been imprisoned, help corporations better serve communities, and protect children from neglect and abuse. They also work in nonprofits, private practice, the court system, and local and state agencies.

However, the profession has other challenges beyond public confusion. A severe shortage of social workers in schools, colleges, and universities has often left young people inadequately supported when faced with complicated issues such as trauma, addiction, anxiety, loneliness, grief, and online learning stressors—all of which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

And although social workers play a critical role in the nation’s health care system, they could and should be much better compensated for their efforts, according to a 2019 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

“We hope Social Work Month will help the public realize that social workers are highly educated and well-trained professionals who subscribe to one of the healthcare industry’s most stringent codes of ethics,” says Riggs. “People should feel confident turning to social workers, who work tirelessly to advocate for their clients and communities.”

She notes that “social workers often are unsung heroes, and their natural tendency toward humility and discretion mean their extraordinary work is often undervalued or unseen. Please consider saying a kind word to the social workers in your lives and at work, especially during Social Work Month. Like our chapter, they are always fighting for policies that benefit families, individuals, and the vulnerable populations they serve such as children and older adults.”

Happy Social Work Month! NASW Virginia will be celebrating the 2021 Social Work Month throughout March as a recognition of the diverse ways that social workers contribute to their communities. Look for stories from our members and others about why they love social work and how they know that "Social Workers Are Essential," the theme for this year AND for our chapter's conference March 25-27. Thank you all for your hard work and commitment!  

NASW Virginia Supports Texas Social Workers Fighting Code of Ethics Changes That Enable Potential Discrimination

The NASW Virginia Chapter stands in solidarity with Texas social workers who are fighting their Governor’s removal of protections against discrimination for disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression from the Social Work Code of Conduct!

The Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (TSBSWE) accepted the language from the Governor, whose rationalization is that agency rules cannot be more expansive than those in state law. However, the board has the explicit statutory authority to propose and adopt rules regarding “the scope of practice of and standards of care and ethical practice for social work.” 

This includes defining anti-discrimination protections under the Code of Conduct, which “should receive protected status,” says the chapter. “Social workers already have the ability to decline to provide services to a client based on their competencies and training, but they cannot discriminate based on selective personal values … [the new language] could send the erroneous message that [discrimination] is allowed. This might deter a client from coming in for services or cause a social worker to withhold a service they are ethically obligated to provide.”

Sign this petition to show Texas social workers you oppose any changes to their Code of Conduct!

NASW Practice Alert on Home Health: Telehealth During COVID-19 and New Payment System

The Medicare home health benefit, which includes medical social services, has long been essential to beneficiaries living with acute, chronic, and advanced health conditions. Access to home health services is of utmost importance during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. 

A new NASW Practice Alert provides an overview of the Medicare home health benefit, describes NASW’s advocacy on behalf of both home health social workers and beneficiaries served during the COVID-19 pandemic, and clarifies the status of home health social work under the Patient-Driven Groupings Model.

NASW Virginia Chapter Calls for Justice, Healing, and Further Action on Racial Equality

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At this painful historical time, social workers statewide strongly condemn the May 25 murder of African American George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers and urge Virginia residents to unite for healing that enables collaboration and a recommitment to genuine progress toward racial equality, says the Virginia Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Virginia is home to 1.6 million African Americans—19% of its total population and the ninth highest percentage in the country, according to the 2010 Census. Many Black residents feel disenfranchised, their cries for attention to inequities around education, housing, employment, health, and criminal justice carrying over from generation to generation without redress.

Social workers witness the short- and long-term harm and agony caused by these injustices every day in their jobs—from schools to hospitals, government agencies to private practices. As the largest behavioral health providers in the country, social workers already receive extensive diversity and inclusiveness training, follow a code of ethics and cultural values grounded in respect and tolerance, and advocate fiercely for the advancement of equality whether based in race, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristic.

Now, others are waking up to the tremendous need to add their voices to ours. The shock of watching Mr. Floyd murdered in front of pleading bystanders and complicit peers has traumatized Americans to the point that indignation has moved into outrage and action.

We see and affirm the pain of the African American community and acknowledge four centuries of harassment, degradation, and injustices done to fellow community members due simply to skin color. The massive, largely peaceful protests show that larger society is finally demanding the end to atrocities such as police brutality against people of color. Like our NASW national leaders, we in Virginia echo the call for policing reform as a vital step toward racial unity.

A separate but related reform to diminish police violence would be adoption of a “Marcus Alert,” a de-escalation approach named for teacher Marcus David-Peters, who was fatally shot by officers in 2018 after having a mental health crisis. A Marcus Alert would require law enforcement to activate a mental health professional as a first responder with possible police backup in a situation identified as a suspected or confirmed mental health crisis. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who has advocated for a Marcus Alert system, reports that the city’s police department is already exploring how that intervention would work.  

Social workers are well-educated in violence and systematic racism of all types. We as social workers stand poised to give informed input needed for deeper law enforcement training and procedural reforms. But we also support NASW’s demand that “before America can end racial disparities in use of force, there must be a change in police culture. Police departments must root out the many officers who continue to view Black lives as being less valuable than that of other Americans.”

As society comes to terms with the robust agenda needed to dislodge deeply embedded systemic racial bias, NASW Virginia pledges to step up more to do what it does best: advocate for the protection and equal human rights of our clients and the social workers who serve them. We pledge to scrutinize public policy even closer for signs of inequity in outcomes, fight effort to legitimize wrongdoing as acceptable norms, and further leverage the strengths of our members to offer solutions and insights that help Virginia and America truly become a place where “liberty and justice” is for all.

Trouble registering for an event or purchasing something?

Try these tech solution tactics:

1. Click on “Forgot your password?” on the login page.

2. Enter your email address.

3. You will receive an email to reset the password. Check your junk folder if it doesn’t arrive in a few minutes, since many workplaces regularly adjust their security filters.

4. Cut and paste the URL from the email directly into a new browser. Clicking straight from an email may trigger a workplace firewall.

5. If you click the email link, and it doesn’t work, do NOT try to cut and paste it into the browser, since all links are for single use only. Instead, please return to the main web page and click again on “Forgot your password” to re-send the email. Follow the directions above.

6. Contact professionaldevelopment.naswva@socialworkers.org if you still have problems.

ARTS and DMAS Guidance Available on Business Re-opening 

Governor Ralph Northam has announced a “Blueprint for Easing Public Health Restrictions” starting Friday, May 15, 2020. While Behavioral Health and Addiction and Recovery Treatment Services (ARTS) and the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) understand that some providers may be eager to resume more face-to-face services, they are reminding everyone that the provider flexibilities, allowances, directives, and limitations related to delivery of behavioral health and ARTS services extend throughout the declared public emergency in Virginia until otherwise formally notified.  

Health providers and stakeholders are invited to sign up for automatic notifications of business re-opening guidance from ARTS and DMAS.

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To access archived ARTS’ COVID-19 guidance, directives, recordings, webinars, and FAQs effective until the state emergency ends or otherwise notified, visit https://www.dmas.virginia.gov/#/emergencywaiver. 

Richmond Newspaper Publishes NASW Virginia Op-Ed on Social Workers as Pandemic Heroes

The Richmond Times Dispatch has published “Unrecognized Heroes Adapt Mental Health Services in a COVID-19 Era,” an op-ed by NASW Virginia Executive Director Debra Riggs, CAE, about social workers as “invisible” essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The May 4, 2020, article describes what social workers do and how some are adapting in a COVID-19 era. It also calls for more workplace safety measures, including adequate personal protection equipment and legal enforcement against employers who retaliate against social workers for raising safety concerns in the execution of their daily duties. 

The chapter continues to reach out to media outlets to build awareness about the social work profession and its contributions as behavioral health experts both in general and during the pandemic.

The full text of the op-ed can be read here.

NASW Victory! CMS Approves Medicare Reimbursement for Audio-only Device Delivery of Mental Health Services by Social Workers

A strong advocacy campaign led by the National Association of Social Workers and its chapters has resulted in victory with the May 1 announcement by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that it will permit clinical social workers to receive Medicare reimbursement for psychotherapy services provided via audio-only devices such as landlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CMS made the rule adjustment, along with other temporary waivers and changes, to increase access to healthcare and mental health services for the millions of older adults who currently cannot safely receive services in person. The agency had previously enabled greater deployment of telehealth by allowing healthcare providers such as clinical social workers to use smartphones with video chat apps to provide services in addition to pre-pandemic-approved video conferencing platforms.

“This CMS change will directly assist thousands of Medicare beneficiaries in Virginia, especially those living in rural areas or with low incomes who may not have smartphones or reliable internet access,” says NASW Virginia Executive Director Debra Riggs, CAE. “Audio-only capability for delivering mental health services adds another valuable telecommunications tool that clinical social workers can use to better serve diverse populations such as older adults and people living with disabilities.”  

A Special Thank-you to Social Workers Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic

Virginia social workers continue to rely on their training, professionalism, and experience as they adapt their daily duties to troubleshoot issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Rarely have social workers been so needed by their clients and organizations, whether schools or hospitals, private businesses or government agencies.

Because they are integrated into nearly every element of society, social workers are leading calmly and competently to help ensure children are safe, families receive needed services, and individuals are supported.

The work is stressful and exhausting at the best of times, but never more so than during an international public health crisis. However, social workers are—as always—resourceful, creative, and committed. They continue to develop special resources, master new communication tools, shift to a telehealth business format, and more. Especially moving is their consistent rallying of each other as they offer optimistic and empathetic phone calls, emails, and texts. This is when the strength and diversity of Virginia’s social work community counts most. This is when NASW Virginia is needed most.  

We thank you! Please turn to us for support and help during this difficult period!

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• Bookmark the chapter’s COVID-19 web section and check it often for news curated just for Virginia’s thousands of social workers.

• Scan the revised NASW Virginia Calendar of Events and consider earning your required CEUs virtually by registering for the many workshops and courses that have moved online for safe, easy access from your home.

• Share Your Story! NASW Virginia is collecting stories of how COVID-19 is affecting the daily lives and workloads of social workers around Virginia. Please email driggs.naswva@socialworkers.org to share how the pandemic has changed your organization, personal activities, and experiences.

These stories will be shared as part of the NASW Virginia COVID-19 website and publicized to build awareness of what social workers do and, from a peer-to-peer standpoint, how they are adapting in this disruptive but temporary period. Read the first story of two NASWVA members—2020 Social Worker of the Year recipient David Lewis and Central Virginia social work leader Heather Stone—here.

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NASW Calls for Greater COVID-19 Protections for Social Workers 

NASW has asked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to remind employers that retaliation is illegal against social workers and other healthcare employees who raise legitimate concerns about their personal safety while caring for patients with COVID-19. NASW urges any social workers experiencing acts of retaliation on the job are urged to file a whistleblower complaint online with OSHA or call 1-800-321-OSHA.

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The organization also announce March 19 that it continues to vigorously advocate to Congress and the White House for social workers and other healthcare workers to have much greater access to optimal personal protective equipment, and for the federal government to invoke a wartime production law to require mass-production of PPE and other critical medical supplies. For more information on both stories, visit the NASW Virginia COVID-19 site. 

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NASW 2020 Virginia Training Opportunities

The many unknowns related to the pandemic mean specifics around locations and formats of NASW Virginia trainings are ever-changing. Please check the Calendar of Events for the latest information and email professionaldevelopment.naswva@socialworkers.org before registering for a course or workshop. Whenever possible, we will offer either virtual formats or webinars until told that in-person meetings are safe. Your health and safety remain a priority for us. Thank you for your understanding and patience under these extraordinary circumstances.  

CEU Requirement Deadlines Extended One Year

The Virginia Board of Social Work has extended the deadline for LCSWs to complete their 30 hours for this cycle by a year (until June 30, 2021), unless you are newly licensed and not required to complete continuing education requirements this year. However, this does not change the next two-year cycle—LCSWs must also complete an additional 30 hours by June 30, 2022.

Each LBSW or LMSW will have until June 30, 2021, to complete the required 15 hours of CE. Every LCSW is still required to complete the required 30 hours of CE for the June 30, 2022, renewal, and each LBSW and LMSW is still required to complete the 15 hours of CE by the June 30, 2022, renewal, as well. The extension does not apply to those individuals who must complete CEs as part of a Board order. If you have questions, please contact your compliance manager. 

Look online at our CE Institute for many training courses and/or at the chapter’s Calendar of Events. Local training will be scheduled continuously. Our 2020 conference  also offers numerous opportunities for ethics contact hours.