This message was sent to ##Email## March 19, 2020     Home  |   About  |   Membership  |   Advocacy  |   Practice    Archive  |   Advertise    COVID-19 & SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE Medicare Teletherapy Options Significantly Increased for Clinical Social Work Services The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has broadened the use of telehealth in providing services to beneficiaries during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Clinical social workers (CSWs) now can provide teletherapy to Medicare beneficiaries if the client is in their home. CSWs also can see new or existing patients. The use of phones with video chat apps such as Facetime and Skype is also permissible. Access CMS’s Medicare Telemedicine Health Care Provider Fact Sheet for more details. NASW continues to advocate to ensure access to CSW services during the pandemic. Obtain NASW guidance on supporting clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. FREE NASW Webinar March 23 on CMS Guidance on Enhanced Telehealth (Including Teletherapy) Options for Medicare Beneficiaries – REGISTER NOW Key Developments in Medicare Telehealth Options During COVID-19 Monday, March 23, 2020 | 1:00 p.m. ET | FREE for Everyone Presenter: Anna Mangum, MSW, MPH, Deputy Director of Programs, NASW Join us to hear an update on guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on enhanced telehealth (including teletherapy) options for Medicare beneficiaries during the current COVID-19 public health emergency. The webinar will provide a detailed overview of CMS guidance, implications for licensed clinical social work practice, implications for commercial insurer telehealth reimbursement, and suggested resources on telehealth and teletherapy. There also will be time for Q and A. Register now! NASW Advocates for In-Home Teletherapy Reimbursement and Offers Programming to Address COVID-19 Ethics and Legal Issues Our training in promoting mental health, providing social care, mitigating conflict, and identifying resources will be tested in the coming weeks. As some supplies become scarce, and vulnerable people grow increasingly worried about their risk, we have a new opportunity to help individuals and families understand their options and get what they need to cope. Supporting your work is NASW’s highest priority, and NASW is responding to the coronavirus crisis in many ways, including Identifying implications for social workers in aging, schools, mental health, and health care settings, and providing guidance via web, email, webinars, and digital publications. Developing special programming to help you address specific ethics and legal, practice management, and other issues related to COVID-19. Taking action at the federal, state, and local levels to promote sound COVID-19 policy responses. Check NASW’s coronavirus page regularly for updates.    SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by American Psychological Association New - Brief Strategic Family Therapy (Sample Chapter, PDF) New - Criminality in Context: The Psychological Foundations of Criminal Justice Reform (Sample Chapter, PDF) Just Published! - The Portable PhD: Taking Your Psychology Career Beyond Academia Cognitive Behavior Therapy for OCD in Youth (Sample Chapter, PDF) Emotion-Focused Family Therapy: A Transdiagnostic Model for Caregiver-Focused Interventions (Sample Chapter, PDF)      COVID-19 & STUDENT LOAN MANAGEMENT Free Student Loan Aid Tool Offered to Borrowers to Reduce or Eliminate Payments During COVID-19 Pandemic NASW’s student loan technology partner, Savi, has teamed up with Student Debt Crisis, the nation’s leading nonprofit student loan advocacy organization, to offer free assistance to student loan borrowers to apply for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans if they or their spouses get laid off or their income is reduced as a result of COVID-19. The COVID-19 Student Loan Aid Tool automates applying for IDR plans, potentially reducing or eliminating student loan payments for up to 12 months at a time for those whose income has gone down. As a result of the pandemic, the Trump administration has begun waiving interest on federal student loans—but not reducing monthly payments. Reducing or eliminating payments will not rack up extra interest during the crisis. “IDR is an existing option for borrowers, and loan servicers can usually implement the new payment level in about two weeks—but the application process can be confusing, time-consuming, and prone to delays due to data entry and filing errors,” said Aaron Smith, co-founder of Savi. “Our tool leads borrowers through a simple process and files the application for them." FREE SAVI Student Debt Management Webinars March 24 & 26 Student Loan Forgiveness Webinar Webinar Co-Hosted by NASW and SAVI Select a webinar time below to register. Tuesday, March 24, 2020, 6:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m. ET Thursday, March 26, 2020, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET Savi, NASW’s student loan technology partner, is hosting free webinars on student debt management options this March 24 and March 26. Explore student debt repayment, including income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Understand why a majority of applicants have been unsuccessful in qualifying for relief through PSLF. Savi experts will walk you through the COVID-19 Student Loan Aid Tool, which automates applying for IDR plans, and Savi’s Student Loan Tool, which helps you analyze repayment and forgiveness programs to determine the best solution for you and helps you enroll in appropriate programs that could lower your monthly payments. Savi experts will show you how to create your free online account. FREE SBPC and AFT Student Loan Repayment Webinar March 20 AFT and SBPC Student Loan Repayment Webinar Webinar Co-Hosted by Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Friday, March 20, 2020, 3:00 p.m. ET Join SBPC and AFT for a free webinar on student loan repayment options during the coronavirus pandemic. This webinar is for borrowers who have an interest in learning more about student loan repayment options as well as those working with student loan borrowers. The webinar will focus on a range of pertinent issues facing borrowers, including guidance for enrolling in income-driven repayment plans, getting out of default, and filing tax extensions. Learn other critical steps student loan borrowers can take right now." .  PRODUCT SHOWCASE The Institute for Clinical Social Work Master's and PhD Programs with a Clinical Focus Accepting Applications for Fall 2019! MORE    GOVERNANCE Proposed Bylaw Amendment Posted for Member Comment The NASW Board of Directors approved a 90-day member comment period for proposed bylaw amendment to Article XII.D.4 Chapters/Organization: Nominations and Elections, submitted by the Connecticut Chapter. Go to the member comment forum to review the proposed amendment and post your comment. The 90-day comment period closes May 8, 2020. “Social Workers: Generations Strong” Social Work Month 2020 March is Social Work Month. This year’s theme, “Social Workers: Generations Strong,” honors the heroic contributions of social workers across generations. Celebrate with festive merchandise, office products, and gift items proudly displaying the 2020 theme. BROWSE merchandise now. jimcolemanstore.com/sw    NASW NATIONAL CONFERENCE Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) NASW is closely monitoring developments related to the respiratory illness commonly referred to as the Coronavirus (COVID 19). Based on the information we have at this time, the 2020 NASW National Conference, scheduled for the dates of June 14-17, is proceeding as planned. We will continue monitoring updates provided by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as well as local public health authorities and will be providing updates should our plans change. .  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! REGISTER TODAY 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 This Day Belongs to You Elevate your Social Work career today. Learn more about the University of New England's 100% online, CSWE-accredited Master of Social Work program with traditional or advanced standing options. 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 SOCIAL WORK MONTH SALE Save 20% on NASW Press Books and eBooks Sale Ends March 31 Celebrate Social Work Month with 20% off NASW Press print books and eBooks, March 1-31, 2020. Your 20% discount will be applied automatically to your 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. NOTE: Discount does not include brochures, standards, journals, DVDs, or the Encyclopedia of 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 School Resources During the Coronavirus Retired Social Workers as a Vital Community Resource Remote Sessions During COVID-19 Emergency 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: “infectious disease” “public health response” Document: Public health response to large influx of asylum seekers: Implementation and timing of infectious disease screening Authors: Tiittala, Paula; Tuomisto, Karolina; Puumalainen, Taneli; Lyytikäinen, Outi; Ollgren, Jukka; Snellman, Olli; Helve, Otto Source: BMC Public Health. September 2018, Vol. 18 Issue 1, p1-10. Document: Unraveling R0: Considerations for public health applications Authors: Ridenhour, Benjamin; Kowalik, Jessica M.; Shay, David K. Source: American Journal of Public Health. December 2018, Vol. 108 Supplement 6, pS445-S454. Document: Best practice assessment of disease modelling for infectious disease outbreaks Authors: Dembek, Z. F.; Chekol, T.; Wu, A. Source: Epidemiology & Infection. July 2018, Vol. 146 Issue 10, p1207-1215. Document: Public preferences for interventions to prevent emerging infectious disease threats: A discrete choice experiment Authors: Cook, Alex R.; Xiahong Zhao; Chen, Mark I. C.; Finkelstein, Eric A. Source: BMJ Open. February 2018, Vol. 8 Issue 2, p1-12. 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 AND 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 23 Key Developments in Medicare Telehealth Options During COVID-19 Monday, March 23, 2020 | 1:00 p.m. ET | FREE for Everyone Presenter: Anna Mangum, MSW, MPH, Deputy Director of Programs, NASW Get updates on guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on enhanced telehealth (including teletherapy) options for Medicare beneficiaries during the current COVID-19 public health emergency. Learn about implications for licensed clinical social work practice, implications for commercial insurer telehealth reimbursement, and suggested resources on telehealth and teletherapy. March 24, 26 FREE Student Debt Management Webinars Register for one of the free webinars below, hosted by Savi, NASW’s student loan technology partner. Explore student debt repayment, including income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Savi experts will walk you through the COVID-19 Student Loan Aid Tool, which automates applying for IDR plans, and Savi’s Student Loan Tool, which helps you analyze repayment and forgiveness programs to determine the best solution for you and helps you enroll in appropriate programs that could lower your monthly payments. Free Savi Student Debt Management Webinars Tuesday, March 24, 6:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m. ET Thursday, March 26, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET March 31 NASW Press Social Work Month Sale Ends Last day to save 20% on NASW Press books and eBooks for Social Work Month. Learn more. April 6 Voting Opens in 2020 NASW Nation Election Learn about the candidates and their platforms before you cast your vote. You must be a current NASW member with no pending sanctions and must have joined NASW by March 15, 2020, to be eligible to vote. Voting runs April 6-May 29, 2020.    ADVOCACY TOOLS & RESOURCES FOR SOCIAL WORKERS Social workers are uniquely educated, trained, and skilled to help solve many of today’s social challenges, to uphold fairness and well-being and enhance the lives of the individuals, groups, and communities we serve. Understand the issues, learn how you can help, and see the difference our voices are making. Social Justice Priorities Learn about NASW’s five social justice priorities and ways you can make a meaningful difference: Voters’ Rights Immigration Criminal Justice – Juvenile Justice Environmental Justice Economic Justice Policy Issues — Advancing the American Agenda: How the Social Work Profession Will Help Social workers have a significant role in addressing social challenges and advancing the broader American agenda. Advancing the American Agenda is about choosing investments that not only make us stronger today but also reflect the kind of country we aspire to be and the kind of country we want to build for future generations. Legislative Alerts — Help Social Work Legislation Move Through Congress Join NASW’s Advocacy listserv to keep up-to-date on legislative activities in Washington, DC, and your state capitol and be among the first to take action on legislation championing social work. You can help advance legislation supportive of the profession, our clients, and our communities, or stop or change harmful legislation. Joining this listserv matters: Members of the listserv have helped the issue of mental health by increasing support for the Improving Access to Mental Health Act (S. 782/H.R. 1533). Members of the listserv have helped increase cosponsors for the Protecting Social Workers and Health Professionals From Workplace Violence Act (S. 2880/H.R. 5138). Members of the listserv have helped increase support for the Employer Participation in Repayment Act (S. 460/H.R. 1043). From January 2019 through February 2020, 11,640 advocates delivered 43,703 emails and phone calls to members of Congress. Your voice matters! Comments, Statements, and Sign-on Letters NASW signs on to letters to the U.S. Congress and the Administration to promote our public policy goals. NASW also writes statements and letters to the Administration on a wide range of policy issues. NASW signs on to letters with coalition partners to demonstrate unity on an issue and to push for change. Refer to this collection for practical applications of NASW public policy for a just and equitable society. Washington Update NASW’s advocacy bulletin, the Washington Update, makes it easy to stay current on NASW legislative activity, electoral work, and social justice activities in Washington, DC. Social Work Talks Podcast — Episode 9: Social Workers and Advocacy Published June 19, 2018 Tap into the skill set that social workers bring to the table to push bills through, such as listening, negotiation and mediation, and finding common ground; recognize that social workers are critical to advocacy, from content expertise to understanding the client and the client’s environment; and explore the challenges of advocating for the disadvantaged in the current political environment. .  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 You became a social worker for personal reasons. You’re more experienced now. You’re ready for a new challenge. Diamond Healthcare looks for social workers who are qualified, licensed, and passionate to run programs. We have openings for leadership positions across the country! Check out our current openings at Diamond Healthcare. See something of interest? Email your resume directly to rmullins@diamondhealth.com.    GROUP DISCOUNTS Your NASW membership helps us negotiate better pricing with our partners on products and services that help you save time and money and increase your satisfaction in your professional and personal lives. Visit the Member Discounts page to learn about the NASW Visa® Rewards credit card, Taxbot Business Expense Tracker, Savi Student Loan Tool/Student Debt Management, Office Depot/OfficeMax discounts, Lenovo technology and computer savings, Ticket Monster entertainment discounts, and other ways to save.    SOCIAL WORK ISSUES IN THE NEWS Coronavirus: What Child Welfare Systems Need to Think About The Chronicle of Social Change The coronavirus has dominated headlines across the country as the federal government and state leaders scramble to pull together broad plans of attack for testing, quarantining and treating those with severe symptoms. The World Health Organization named the virus a pandemic, and leading U.S. virologist Anthony Fauci said of the spread in America, “it’s going to get worse.”  READ MORE Coronavirus Testing Won't Count Against Immigrants Trying to Get Green Cards, Feds Say Miami Herald When immigration officials rolled out their “public charge” rule, people who were sick were deemed a “burden” to the U.S. and their health conditions were counted against them when applying for a green card. Late Friday, however, part of that changed — at least when it comes to coronavirus, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced. Any immigrant who gets tested or treated for the virus will not be negatively impacted.  READ MORE Social Distancing Could Have Devastating Effect on People With Depression NBC News As the coronavirus advances across the country, more Americans are staying in their homes. That sort of "social distancing" is considered essential to slowing the spread of the virus and easing the burden on the beleaguered health infrastructure.  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 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