This message was sent to ##Email## February 6, 2020     Home  |   About  |   Membership  |   Advocacy  |   Practice    Archive  |   Advertise    TOP STORIES Clinical Social Workers: Avoid Medicare Claim Rejections As of January 1, 2020, clinical social workers (CSWs) who are in independent practice and provide psychotherapy services to Medicare beneficiaries must submit Medicare claims using the new randomly generated Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs) to avoid claim rejections. Otherwise, Medicare will automatically reject any claims submitted with Social Security Numbers. Familiarize Yourself With These National Updates to Maintain an Effective Private Practice In 2020, there are several important national updates affecting the areas of coding, claims, quality payment, and reimbursement. Learn more about the Medicare reimbursement increase of four percent in 2020, as well as other changes, affecting clinical social workers. U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Punishes Poor and Working-Class Immigrants Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted an injunction placed on the Trump administration’s revised public charge rule, therefore making it harder for poor immigrants to get green cards. With this ruling, the Supreme Court is directly supporting President Trump’s anti-immigration agenda – which unfairly targets mostly poor immigrants and people of color. Related Resources Child Migrant Protection Toolkit Advocacy Tips for Social Workers    SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by The University of Utah A Decade in Retrospect at the University of Utah College of Social Work Kids of the Cocaine Epidemic: Coming to a More Complete and Complex Understanding Disproportionate Minority Contact: It's Tricky Life Stigmatized: Does Internalized Stigma Affect Minority Groups Over Time? Dr. Robin Arnold-Williams: Fulfilling a Dream      AROUND THE PROFESSION Special Issue of Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance Journal Explores Questions at Intersection of Public and Private Human Service Organizations Ten contributors to this special issue, “The Future of Human Service Organizational & Management Research,” provide panoramic overviews of critical social work practice challenges in this increasingly challenging environment affecting social work organizations as well as new and needed practice frontiers. .  PRODUCT SHOWCASE The Institute for Clinical Social Work Master's and PhD Programs with a Clinical Focus Accepting Applications for Fall 2019! MORE Gift Set - SW57 $15.99 “Social Workers: Generations Strong” Social Work Month 2020 Merchandise Surprise a colleague, mentor, or professor with this ready-made gift set for Social Work Month, March. Each item in this kit – 12 oz. Ceramic Mug, Slim Frost Pen, and Recycled Sticky Notebook – proudly displays the 2020 Social Work Month theme: “Social Workers: Generations Strong.” BROWSE Social Work Month merchandise now. jimcolemanstore.com/sw .  SPONSORED VIDEO MSW Online Program at WKU Promoted by Western Kentucky University The Western Kentucky University MSW program offers a unique concentration: advanced direct practice in rural settings and can be completed in person in Bowling Green, Kentucky as well as an online format. Both Advanced Standing and Traditional options are available in a full time or part time format. Apply Today!    NASW NATIONAL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN 2020 NASW National Conference June 14-17, 2020, Washington, DC Join more than 2,000 social workers, like-minded professionals, and social work thought leaders for four days of professional development, continuing education, networking, and thought-provoking conversations. Discuss the most pressing issues facing the social work profession in all fields of practice. Learn more at socialworkers.org/2020conference. .  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Earn your MSW from UNE Online Check out our new interactive course delivery elements designed to allow our MSW students to develop comprehensive clinical skills in an online learning environment. Interactive Branching Scenarios Live Video Roleplaying These new course formats embrace interactivity through innovative online tools for maximum impact. Call for Student Volunteers NASW is seeking student members to volunteer at the 2020 NASW National Conference in Washington, DC, June 14-17, 2020. All student volunteers will receive complimentary registration to the conference. To apply to volunteer, please e-mail Dave Miller at dmiller.nasw@socialworkers.org by March 31, 2020, and include the following: Full name Cell phone number Student “.edu” e-mail address Name of college or university Volunteers will be selected by random drawing on April 6, 2020.    NASW PRESS BLACK HISTORY MONTH SALE Save 20% on Select NASW Press Print Titles Sale Ends March 2 Celebrate Black History Month with special savings on the print titles below. Your 20% discount will be applied automatically to your print book order prior to the final credit card charge. For more information about all NASW Press titles, including books, eBooks, reference works, journals, brochures, and standards, visit the NASW Press website. If you have questions, please send an email to press@socialworkers.org or call 800.227.3590. Sale ends March 2, 2020. African American Leadership: An Empowerment Tradition in Social Welfare History Multiracial Cultural Attunement Understanding Power: An Imperative for Human Services Multicultural Perspectives on Race, Ethnicity, and Identity Spirituality and the Black Helping Tradition in Social Work EMAIL TIP Make Sure MemberLink Doesn't Get Junked Sometimes, an email message that you wish to receive is incorrectly judged as spam by your ISP or email program and sent to your junk folder. To ensure that MemberLink arrives safely in your inbox, add nasw@multibriefs.com (the sending email address) to your email program's safe sender list. If MemberLink is being sent to your work email address, ask your organization's Information Technology department to whitelist nasw@multibriefs.com. Learn how to add nasw@multibriefs.com to your safe sender list so MemberLink emails get to your inbox.    MYNASW MEMBER COMMUNITY — HOT TOPICS Medicare Billing Releases Records Retention The MyNASW online community is open to NASW members only and is free to join. Ask your colleagues questions, find mentors, exchange useful resources, and rally around your passion — social work.    NASW RESEARCH LIBRARY Quickly search by key words to find evidence-based research and client education, assessment tools, practice guidelines, and more at the NASW Research Library. Filter your results by type of source (academic journals, books, conference materials, reports, etc.), name of publication, publisher, university, language, and more. Use your NASW username and password to log in to the library. Keyword Search: "immigrants" "public assistance" Document: Restrictive state laws aimed at immigrants: Effects on enrollment in the food stamp program by U.S. citizen children in immigrant families Author: Twersky, Sylvia E. Source: PLoS ONE. May 2019, Vol. 14 Issue 5, e0215327. Document: Included, but deportable: A new public health approach to policies that criminalize and integrate immigrants Authors: De Trinidad Young, Maria-Elena; Wallace, Steven P. Source: American Journal of Public Health. September 2019, Vol. 109 Issue 9, p1171-1176. Document: Quarantine in the 21st century: To be effective, public health policies must be inclusive Author: Sundwall, David N. Source: American Journal of Public Health. September 2019, Vol. 109 Issue 9, p1184-1185. Document: More inclusive states, less poverty among immigrants? An examination of poverty, citizenship stratification, and state immigrant policies Authors: De Trinidad Young, Maria-Elena; León-Pérez, Gabriela; Wells, Christine R.; Wallace, Steven P. Source: Population Research & Policy Review. April 2018, Vol. 37 Issue 2, p205-228. Access Documents: Log in to the NASW Research Library and enter the title of the article or key words in the NASW Research Library search box. .  SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT    ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS March Social Work Month March is Social Work Month. This year’s theme, "Social Workers: Generations Strong," honors the many generations of social workers championing social justice, social welfare, and individual well-being. Access the 2020 Social Work Month toolkit for ideas on ways to honor and educate about our profession. Celebrate the month with specialty merchandise proudly displaying the 2020 theme. March 2 NASW Press Black History Month Sale Ends Celebrate Black History Month with 20% off select NASW Press print titles. Sale ends March 2, 2020. March 18 Private Practice Q&A Call-in Session – Are You Ready for An Audit? Tips to Prepare Call-in session is free, available to NASW members only, and starts at 12 p.m. ET. No registration is required.    MEMBER RESOURCES An Hour With Private Practice NASW Members Only…FREE Sessions Held Every Other Third Wednesday of the Month 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. ET SCHEDULE Simply dial in to join discussions, ask questions, and comment on private practice topics. An Hour with Private Practice: Questions & Answers is a free members-only question-and-answer session held every other month that provides members with important clinical social work updates affecting the delivery of mental health services in a private solo or group practice. Can’t Make the Live Call-In Session? Access audio recordings of past sessions and handouts. Are You HIPAA Compliant? Access HIPAA forms, office policies, and sample documents that can be adapted to your clinical practice setting; training; federal government agency resources; updates; and legal articles to help you meet HIPAA regulatory requirements. Apply for Financial Assistance With Legal Expenses If you’re engaged in litigation related to the NASW Code of Ethics, social work principles, and/or standards of social work practice advocated by NASW, you may be eligible for financial assistance through the NASW Legal Defense Fund. .  PRODUCT SHOWCASE UTArlington School of Social Work The School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Arlington is nationally ranked in the top 14% of social work programs. With internationally renowned faculty members conducting research and clinical practice, we prepare our students to be leaders addressing the challenges of a 21st century world. Celebrating 50 years and with a strong reputation, our more than 10,000 alumni are leaders in government, military, community and private organizations around the world helping to create a just society. Read more University of North Carolina Wilmington Students in undergraduate, graduate, advanced standing, certificate and credentialing programs practice skills that advance the empowerment and well-being of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities as they explore policies and programs to ensure social welfare and quality practice. Read more    SOCIAL WORK ISSUES IN THE NEWS US Supreme Court Allows Controversial Immigration Rule, for Now Voice of America With a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to deny legal residency to low-income immigrants who use or are deemed likely to rely on public assistance programs. The decision overruled multiple lower courts that had blocked implementation of the “public charge" rule, which some call a wealth test, while litigation winds its way through America's court system.  READ MORE Medicaid Change Prompts Worries About Disability Services Disability Scoop Disability advocates are decrying a Trump administration plan to alter Medicaid that they say could ultimately compromise services that people with disabilities rely on. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a proposal giving states the option to accept fixed payments from the federal government to cover some Medicaid expenses.  READ MORE More and More Students Are Experiencing Homelessness, According to New Federal Data WPMT-TV As homelessness continues to rise in states like California, new federal data shows that the number of students experiencing homelessness is increasing dramatically. A report by the National Center for Homeless Education was released recently, summarizing data taken from state submissions to the U.S. Education Department.  READ MORE NASW MemberLink Connect with NASW Recent Issues | Unsubscribe | Advertise | Web Version  To subscribe, contact NASW Member Services at 800.742.4089 Monday-Friday, 9 am - 9 pm ET or email membership@socialworkers.org. Colby Horton, MultiView, Vice President of Publishing | Download media kit Katina Hernandez, MultiView, Executive Editor | Contribute news Jennifer Watt, Director of Membership National Association of Social Workers 800.742.4089 Barb Zorechak, Sr. Marketing Associate National Association of Social Workers 800.742.4089 National Association of Social Workers 750 First Street, NE, Suite 800 | Washington, DC 20002 | 800.742.4089 | Contact Us  Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063