April 2018
SOCIAL WORKERS LEADING FOR JUSTICE
Hello,

Today is our annual Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD)! We look forward to welcoming nearly 700 social work students and professionals to the State House. Secretary Marylou Sudders, First Lady Lauren Baker, and many state legislators will be in attendance. Read our press release here.

In just 10 days we will see many of you in Framingham for Symposium 2018: On the Front Lines. Symposium is the largest gathering of social workers in New England and an incredible opportunity to earn up to 15.5 CEUs, network with colleagues, and re-energize for the work ahead. Registration closes April 8. Register today!

Later this spring we have incredible opportunities to earn CEUs and network with colleagues. Read on to learn more about our upcoming " Health Care and the Future of Social Work " conference and the NASW-MA MLK, Jr. Forum on Racial Justice " Racism in the Criminal Justice System: Confronting Oppression ," both in May.

Our Chapter Elections are happening now! Please VOTE for your representation on NASW-MA's Board of Directors, Chapter Committee on Nominations and Leadership Identification (CCNLI), and Delegate Assembly. Voting closes April 30, 2018.

As always, if you have questions about any of the work we are doing please contact me. I'd love to hear from you.

Best wishes,

Rebekah
Rebekah Gewirtz
Executive Director
617-227-9635 x116

IN THIS ISSUE:

  • Membership Hub
  • Symposium 2018
  • Social Work Action Center
  • Private Practice
  • Notes from the Field
  • Continuing Education
  • Licensing Test Prep
  • National News
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MEMBERSHIP HUB
VOTE for YOUR Chapter Leadership!
As an NASW-MA member, you elect your representation on the Chapter's Board of Directors, Chapter Committee on Nominations and Leadership Identification (CCNLI), and Delegate Assembly.

Make your voice heard in the 2018 Chapter Elections. Read about the candidates and place your vote online TODAY. Voting closes April 30th.
We're Hiring! Seeking Dynamic, Motivated Membership & Inclusion Coordinator and Northeast Regional Organizer
The Membership and Inclusion Coordinator is a part-time staff person responsible for coordinating Chapter recruitment and retention initiatives. This position is also responsible for advancing and monitoring the racial justice component of the NASW-MA strategic plan in coordination with the executive director and other staff. Read more .

More to come on Northeast Regional Organizer . For inquiries, be in touch with Rebekah Gewirtz: rgewirtz.naswma@socialworkers.org.
Thanks for Marching with Us!
On Saturday, March 24, NASW-MA participated in the March for Our Lives in Boston to bring an end to gun violence. There was a great turnout at the March, especially of social workers! Thanks to those who marched with us in person and in spirit.
In Your Mailbox: Social Work Voice
The May/June issue is all about Criminal Justice and will include:

  • Ethical and Legal Issue in Criminal Justice
  • Updates on the Criminal Justice Omnibus Bill
  • Community Policing Initiatives
  • Solitary Confinement as Told by a Previously Incarcerated Person
  • Social Workers Join Campaign to Educate Voters on the Importance of District Attorneys
  • Managed Care News
  • Regional Calendar, Continuing Education, and Events
  • ...and more!
Do you love Social Work Voice or have ideas for us to make it even better? Let us know. Email your feedback to Communications Director Jamie Klufts: jklufts.naswma@socialworkers.org.

Have an upcoming event, job opening, or other opportunity to share with the social work community? Advertise with us! All ads appear on our website and are published in Social Work Voice. The ad deadline for the upcoming May/June issue is April 27. Contact Jamie Klufts for more information: jklufts.naswma@socialworkers.org.
SYMPOSIUM 2018: ON THE FRONT LINES
Symposium 2018: Everything you Need to Know Right Here!
April 12-13, 2018 - Framingham
Registration Closes April 8! If you haven't registered yet, make sure you do it today.
Earn up to 15.5 CEUs at Symposium 2018: On the Front Lines, featuring Ke ynote Speaker Jackie Woodside, LICSW. The largest gathering of social workers in New England, and the only statewide gathering in Massachusetts, Symposium 2018 will run from April 12-13, 2018, in Framingham, MA. This event will feature:
  • 90+ workshops
  • 100+ speakers
  • 60+ exhibitors
  • Awards Luncheon honoring 5 social workers and allies
  • Free-to-attend Networking Night @ Symposium (new this year!)

See the Symposium 2018 Registration Booklet, with full list of all workshops, here .
Registration closes April 8!
Honoring the 2018 NASW MA Chapter Award Winners
The 2018 NASW MA Chapter Award winners are an impressive cohort of social workers and a public citizen, dedicated to the mission of social work. Meet our awardees here. These five individuals will be honored at the Symposium Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 13, 2018.

Your Friday Symposium ticket includes a seat at the Awards Luncheon. Want to only attend the Awards Luncheon? Register here.
Join us for Networking Night @ Symposium!
Networking Night @ Symposium is totally FREE TO ATTEND, taking place on the first night of Symposium 2018: On the Front Lines (April 12). You don't need to be attending Symposium 2018 to attend Networking Night - all are welcome!

Networking Night will draw hundreds of professionals and students in the social work field and features:

  • Student Poster Session
  • Schools of Social Work Reunions 
  • Career Fair
  • Resume Reviews
  • FREE Professional Headshots (*new!*)
  • Exhibitors
  • Free Hors D'Oeuvres & Cash Bar
  • Live Music
  • Networking
  • & More

Learn more about Networking Night and Symposium 2018, become an exhibitor, and more at www.naswma.org/symposium .
SOCIAL WORK ACTION CENTER
NASW-MA's Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) Endorsements
  • Sean Garballey - State Representative for 23rd Middlesex District
  • Sabrina Heisey - State Representative for 36th Middlesex District
  • Cindy King - State Representative for First Middlesex District - NASW Member!
  • Jim Hawkins - State Representative for 2nd Bristol District - Election Today!
  • Tami Gouveia - State Representative for 14th Middlesex District
Loan Repayment Programs for Social Workers - Applications Now Open!
We are excited to announce that applications for MassHealth Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP)'s Loan Repayment Program and Workforce Development Program are now open!

Both of these opportunities are specific to behavioral health providers who work in community settings. Unfortunately, hospital social workers are not eligible. Applications for both programs are due April 6, 2018.

More information available here on our website. If you have questions on the MassHealth transformation project, be in touch with Sophie Hansen or Rebekah Gewirtz.
Wear Denim, Support Survivors with Us!
NASW-MA staff will be participating in Denim Day, a national awareness day that invites people to wear denim on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Want to participate? Make a $5-15 donation to the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC).
MA Gun Laws and Advocacy Training
Massachusetts-based Stop Handgun Violence is co-sponsoring a gun violence prevention advocacy training event with Boston University on Saturday, April 28, from 8:30 am - 1:30 pm. The goal of this half-day training is to better understand Massachusetts and Federal gun laws and how to advocate for stronger laws. Learn more and register here.
Gubernatorial Candidates' Forum Sponsored by Progressive Mass
Each of the three candidates for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Massachusetts -- Jay Gonzalez, Bob Massie, and Setti Warren -- will be interviewed separately by a panel of experts on some of the key issues facing Massachusetts and the challenges of getting elected and governing on April 7 in Millbury, MA. 
PRIVATE PRACTICE
Therapy Matcher (formerly Social Work Therapy Referral Service) Now Open to ALL in Private Practice
The Social Work Therapy Referral Service (SWTRS) is now Therapy Matcher! With a new name and a new logo comes a new tier of membership. Now non-NASW members can join! Know a clinician in private practice who is not an NASW member and looking to expand their referral base? Connect them to Barbara Burka, Therapy Matcher Director.
Join us for the Therapy Matcher Open House!
Are you a clinician in private practice? Come network with other clinicians and learn more about Therapy Matcher, a referral service for social workers. The Open House will take place on Sunday, May 6, from 3:00 - 5:00 pm in Newton. Please RSVP to Barbara Burka for more information and location details.
Beacon Audit Activity Suspended, Effective Immediately
We are extremely pleased to remind you again that all of our collective advocacy has paid off. Working with our allies we tipped the scales enough that MassHealth took definitive action and have stopped Beacon's audit activities. MassHealth issued a memo to managed care organizations who use Beacon as their behavioral health subcontractor. You can read the letter from MassHealth. Thank you to MassHealth for taking decisive action. More here.

We expect documentation to come from Beacon today, Monday, April 2, giving clinicians information they need to reclaim funds that were clawed back erroneously. Please reach out to us if you need the documentation and didn't receive it.
NASW National: "An Hour with Private Practice" Schedule
An Hour With Private Practice: Questions & Answers is a free question and answer session for NASW members. The monthly call-in sessions focus on a specific private practice subject and are led by Mirean Coleman, LICSW, Clinical Manager at NASW national. There is no registration and members can join in the discussion, ask questions, and make comments.These sessions provide members with important clinical social work updates impacting the delivery of mental health services.

Details and spring 2018 schedule are available here: https://tinyurl.com/HOPPspring2018
Valuable Member Benefit: Join the NASW-MA Private Practice Google Group
The Private Practice Google Group is an exclusive member benefit powered by social work colleagues from across the state and NASW-MA. By signing up you'll receive daily updates from your colleagues about ethics, billing and insurance, and other critical private practice issues. You can also pose your own questions to the group to crowd source answers from colleagues. NASW-MA also uses this platform to send important and timely clinical alerts to members.

Sign up to join the group by sending an email to chapter.naswma@socialworkers.org with "Join Google Group" in the subject line.
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
MassHealth Hosts Behavioral Health Office Hour on April 12th
The Office of Behavioral Health at MassHealth hosts
Behavioral Health Office Hour
Thursday April 12, 2018
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

MassHealth is committed to help all relevant parties have the information they need to ensure a seamless transition for both members and providers following the launch March 1, 2018 of the new Accountable Care Organization (ACO) and Managed Care Organization (MCO) model.
 
Stephanie Brown, Director, Office of Behavioral Health at MassHealth, will host BH Office Hours to answer questions regarding the implementation.
 
  • All BH providers and stakeholders are invited to attend
  • This is a webinar only - no availability for on-site participation
  • Everyone must pre-register

Webinar: Registration Link.
NASW Highlights the Growing Need for School Social Workers to
Prevent School Violence
School social workers play a critical role in schools. They serve as the liaison between school, home, and the community. The underlying premise of school social work services is based in strengthening students’ academic progress by removing barriers to learning including meeting their basic physical and emotional needs. Any form of school violence, including the mass shootings at schools around the country such as the recent incidents Florida and Maryland prohibit students’ sense of safety and their learning. School social workers work to prevent mass killing in schools as well as guide schools in recovery after a crisis has occurred. Today more than ever, there is a growing need for school social workers to help prevent school violence and to support students in moments of crisis.

Social Work Student and Faculty Code of Ethics Q&A
NASW’s is excited to present  its latest offering in the roll-out of the Revised  NASW  Code of Ethics . Register for a social work faculty and student interactive  question and answer discussion and l earn all you need to know about the important changes to the NASW  Code of Ethics  that went into effective on January 1, 2018. Happening April 12, from 2:00 - 3:30 pm.

Space is limited. Register here .
Find Your Next Job at the April 11 Behavioral Health Virtual Job Fair 
L ooking for a new behavioral health car eer where you will care for the most vulnerable? Join the Health Resources and Services Administration's Behavioral Health Virtual Job Fair on April 11, from 6:45 to 10:15 pm! C ompetitive pay and benefits are offered at organizations nationwide offering interdisciplinary services.

To register click here: http://bit.ly/HRSAVJF
FREE, Online Continuing Education Courses on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Available
There are NEW - Free, online continuing education courses on FASD available on the CDC’s FASD Training and Resources website. Designed for busy practitioners, courses are easy to access, with brief modules. Because FASD affects children and adults across systems of care, course content is appropriate for clinicians in diverse practice settings. Participants will learn more about FASD and how they can help prevent, identify and manage FASD impairments. Visit: www.cdc.gov/FASD training. NASW is a national partner in CDC’s Collaborative for Alcohol-Free Pregnancy. 
What All LICSWs in MA Must Do to Comply with MassHealth
All Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSWs) in Massachusetts are required to register with MassHealth as either billing or non-billing providers. This requirement was put in place to ensure that MassHealth is complying with the Affordable Care Act. 

The MA Board of Registration of Social Work REQUIRES ALL LICSWs to meet this requirement by September 30, 2018! Failure to do so could result in the suspension or loss of your license.

If you are a QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary) provider, and can receive payment from MassHealth for the copay for your Medicare clients, you are already registered with MassHealth and do not need to do anything; however, if you are seeing MassHealth beneficiaries and billing their insurance (MBHP, Beacon, THPP, or Celticare), this does NOT make you a MassHealth billing provider. You must complete the form and register as a MassHealth Non-Billing Provider.

Read more and access step-by-step instructions here .
CONTINUING EDUCATION EVENTS
Criminal Justice Committee Film Screening: 13TH
FREE Event! 2.5 CEUs Available!
April 18, 2018

Criminal Justice Committee Film Screening: 13TH

DMF Auditorium
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA
5:30 - 8:00 pm

featuring a panel discussion of clinicians, researchers, and persons with lived experience in the criminal justice
NASW Reads Book Club: "The East Side of Addiction"
2 CEUs Available!
April 23, 2018

NASW Reads Book Club:
"The East Side of Addiction"
Jacques Conference Room
Anna Maria College
Paxton, MA
6:00 - 8:00 pm

with two of the authors: James DiReda, LICSW, Director, BSW Program, Anna Maria College, and Jack Maroney, MS, LADC-1, President and CEO of C. A. R. E., Inc.
The Role of Social Work with Substance Use Populations: Exploring the Latest Evidence Based Practice
1.5 CEUs Available!
April 25, 2018

The Role of Social Work with Substance Use Populations: Exploring the Latest Evidence Based Practices
MA Dept. of Mental Health
333 East St., 4th Floor
Pittsfield, MA
12:00 - 1:30 pm

with Maureen Clark, LICSW, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Westfield State University
Free for NASW Members; $10 for non-members. Advance Registration is not necessary.
Supporting Healthy Brain Development Now that Marijuana is Legal in Massachusetts
1.5 CEUs Available!
Free for NASW Members; $10 for non-members. Advance Registration is not necessary.
April 26, 2018

Supporting Healthy Brain Development Now that Marijuana is Legal in Massachusetts
Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Conference Room C
Greenfield, MA
7:30 - 9:00 pm

with Sharon Hall-Smith, MPH, Stop Access Coalition Coordinator, Gandara Center
MLK, Jr. Forum on Racial Justice
Racism in the Criminal Justice System: Confronting Oppression
FREE Event! 2.5 CEUs Available!
May 1, 2018

MLK, Jr. Forum on Racial Justice
Racism in the Criminal Justice System: Confronting Oppression
Wheelock College
Brookline, MA
5:30 - 8:00 pm

featuring a panel discussion of clinicians, researchers, and persons with lived experience in the criminal justice
Common Factors - What Causes Change in Psychotherapy?
1.5 CEUs Available!
May 3, 2018

Common Factors - What Causes Change in Psychotherapy?
Smith College
Dewey Common Room
Northampton, Ma
7:30 - 9:00 pm

with Jim Drisko, Ph.D., LICSW, Professor, Smith College School for Social Work
Free for NASW Members; $10 for non-members. Advance Registration is not necessary.
Central MA Film Program: The Glass Castle
3 CEUs Available!
May 6, 2018

Central MA Film Program: The Glass Castle
Elm Draughthouse Cinema
35 Elm Street
Millbury, MA
1:00 - 4:00 pm

with Lynn Perlman, PhD, Dean of Graduate Studies, Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis
Therapy Matcher (SWTRS) Open House
May 6, 2018

3:00 - 5:00 pm

All clinicians in private practice welcome! Will take place in Newton. Please RSVP to Therapy Matcher (SWTRS) Director Barbara Burka: info@therapymatcher.org

NASW-MA Open House at our New Office on Beacon Hill!
May 9, 2018

NASW-MA Open House
11 Beacon St., Suite 509
Boston, MA 02108
5:30 - 7:30 pm

All social workers welcome! Come network with NASW-MA chapter and regional staff and fellow colleagues. Refreshments will be served.
Health Care Transformation and the Future of Social Work
5 CEUs Available!
May 18, 2018

Health Care Transformation and the Future of Social Work
The Lantana
43 Scanlon Drive
Randolph, MA
9:00 am - 3:15 pm

featuring keynote speaker:
Stephanie Brown, MS
Director of the Office of Behavioral Health, MassHealth
Inmate Services at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction
1.5 CEUs Available!
Free for NASW Members; $10 for non-members. Advance Registration is not necessary.
May 23, 2018

Inmate Services at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction
MA Dept. of Mental Health
333 East St., 4th Floor
Pittsfield, MA
12:00 - 1:30 pm

with Mark Massaro, MA, LMHC, CCHP, Assistant Deputy Superintendent of Mental Health and Corrections, Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction.
Working Effectively with Sexuality, Intimacy, and Diverse Gender
3 CEUs Available!
June 1, 2018

Working Effectively with Sexuality, Intimacy, and Diverse Gender
Parish of St. Michael
90 Concord Rd.
Bedford, MA
9:30 am - 12:45 pm

with Charles Strauss, LICSW
Nursing Home Committee's 36th Annual Conference:
"Celebrating Nursing Home Social Workers"
6/7.5 CEUs Available!
June 7, 2018

Nursing Home Committee's 36th Annual Conference: "Celebrating Nursing Home Social Workers"

LaCava Center
Bentley University
North Waltham, MA
8:15 am - 4:30 pm / 6:00 pm

with Keynote Speaker Mercedes Bern-Klug, PhD, MSW, Director of Aging and Longevity Studies, University of Iowa School of Social Work and Plenary Session Speaker Ed Alessi, LICSW
LICENSING TEST PREP
Licensing Test Prep Happening in Your Neighborhood!
NASW-MA Licensing Test Prep courses include:
  • FREE Social Work ASWB Exam Guide
  • Access to online ASWB exam guide portal
  • Full-day Test Prep course (9 am - 4 pm)

Upcoming exam dates and locations:
  • April 12 | Framingham
  • April 14 | Worcester
  • May 12 Boston
  • June 16 | Northampton
  • July 20 | Bedford
Save your spot today!
NATIONAL NEWS
Bipartisan Social Worker Bill Introduced in the US Senate!
On March 22, 2018, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) a social worker and member of the Congressional Social Work Caucus, and Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), a physician and Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, introduced the bipartisan bill - Improving Access to Mental Health Act (S. 2613). Senator Stabenow explained the importance of S. 2613 by stating, "Mental illness is an issue that touches so many families in some way and seniors are no exception. Michigan seniors should be able to get quality care from the provider of their choice and this bill ensures that clinical social workers are among those essential providers."

Legal Defense Fund Grants: Application for Assistance
The NASW Legal Defense Fund (LDF) was established in 1972 by the NASW Board of Directors to advance the legal interests of the social work profession. One of the major ways in which this is done is through grants of financial assistance to defray the legal expenses of NASW members engaged in litigation related to the NASW Code of Ethics, social work principles, and/or standards of social work practice advocated by the association. 

LDF is administered by a Board of Trustees appointed by the President of NASW. The Trustees meet twice a year, in the spring and fall, to review all properly completed applications that meet LDF qualifications and to conduct other business required for the administration of the Fund.

Learn more about LDF here and download the application here .
NASW National Conference - June 20-23, 2018
The 2018 NASW National Conference will be held June 20-23, 2018, at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. Join more than 2000 social workers and like-minded professionals for the meeting of the profession.