The electronic newsletter for the NASW Washington State Chapter

February 2007

 

Message from the ChapterPresident…

So much is happening at NASW lately it’s hard to know where to begin!  We are in the midst of the 2007 legislative session, and the emails are flying….it seems appropriate that NASW is at the forefront of a number of social justice and advocacy issues, and as the various bills move through their various stages, many changes occur along the way.  Be sure to check out the NASW priority areas for this session that are posted on this site, along with our policy statements.  These can be very helpful in educating others about a particular issue (or educating one’s self), and they tend to be written in a clear, concise manner that gets to the heart of the issue. 

Read the complete Message from the President

Supporting Our Troops

As Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) continues into 2007, the psychosocial and physical injuries from the war continue to affect the lives of returning service members and their families. In two previous articles (Currents June ’05 and Oct. ’06), clinical information about mental health and family issues was presented.  This final article of the series will focus on the impact of physical injuries upon our communities now and in the future. With more than 20,000 service members injured since 2003, physical and emotional recovery will continue for many years to come.

Read complete article: Supporting Our Troops

2007 NASW Annual Conference

NASW will be holding their Annual Conference on May 11 - 12, 2007.  The title of this year’s conference is “Changing World - Critical Conversations”.  The conference will develop the skills for social workers to effectively communicate in a challenging world and will expand on last year’s successful conference with “conversations that matter”.  There are 14 CEU credits and 6 Law & Ethics available at the conference.  So come join us at the spacious and relaxing Doubletree Hotel Seattle Airport for wonderful and enjoyable conversation. 

To register online and learn more about the conference please visit: 2007 NASW Annual Conference

Are you an Involved Social Worker?

To become involved in the Washington State Chapter, participate on a committee today! 

To read about NASW Committee Charges and Responsibilities visit: “NASW Committees”.

To sign up for a committee: “2007 Committee Request Form”

NASW Upcoming Workshops

Professional Conduct Rules Relating to Sexual Misconduct

The Department of Health developed these new standards of professional conduct rules related to sexual misconduct.  The rules were adopted on August 30, 2006.  There were no changes made between the rules as submitted for the public hearing and the rules as adopted.

These rules went into effect September 30, 2006.  They define sexual misconduct for the twenty-seven (27) health care professions regulated by the Secretary of Health.  The thirty-four (34) professions regulated by the various boards and commissions are not covered by these rules.  Those boards and commissions are in the process of reviewing rules they already have or they are considering adopting rules. 

More information about the amended rules:

• Professional Conduct Rules #1
• Professional Conduct Rules #2
• Professional Conduct Rules #3

Medicare Part D Annual Adjustments 2007

Resource Limits for the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy: Annual Adjustment for 2007. 

For additional information: 2007 Resource Limits for the Medicare Part D

2007 Medicare Payment for Clinical Social Workers

At the beginning of each calendar year, Medicare establishes new payment rates for clinical social workers and other health care providers.  For 2007 the Medicare payment rate for Medicare Part B providers is layered with several changes. 

For more information: 2007 Medicare Payment for Clinical Social Workers

Social Workers and Psychotherapy Notes

To the extent that previously there was uncertainty within the mental health professions as to the acceptability of creating a set of private notes separate from the primary clinical record, this has largely been dispelled by the “psychotherapy notes” provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act of 1996 Medical Privacy Regulations (known as the HIPAA Privacy Rule) (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), 2002).  For more information please follow this link, Social Workers and Psychotherapy Notes

New Currents schedule

We will be publishing our electronic Currents newsletter six times a year.  The months that Currents will be published are as follows;  April 15th, June 15th, August 15th, October 15th, and December 15th.  If you wish to have an article printed in the Currents newsletter, please have that article in its completed form for publication by the 20th of the month before publication.  The articles presented have to be of service to all members.

Social Work T-Shirts Sale

NASW Washington State Chapter is selling Social Work T-Shirts

Shirt Description:

Purple with yellow accents; SOCIAL WORK, Justice and Compassion in Action, NASW Washington State Chapter

Assorted Sizes:

Small - limited quantity, Medium - limited quantity, Large, and X-Large - limited quantity.

Price:

$7.50 per T-shirt includes shipping and handling

Buy 5 and get 1 FREE

Order Now (PDF)

If we are unable to fill your order with the requested size, we will fill order with the next largest size.  If X-Large is ordered we will fill order with order.

The Social Work Story Video Sale

NASW Washington State Chapter is selling The Social Work Story: It’s Time to Tell the World VHS videos.

In this video, you’ll discover the plans for a National Social Work Public Education Campaign.

• What NASW research showed about public perceptions
• Who needs to hear most about our message
• The creative approach we’ll use to attract their attention
• How you can help make this campaign a reality

This video launches our national fund-raising effort.  Join us to unite all social workers in this important campaign for the future of our profession. 

Price:

$5.00 per video (limited quantity) includes shipping and handling

Order Now (PDF).