Wishing you all the best for a happy Fourth of July!

Message from NASW-DE Executive Director John Shuford

Dear Colleagues:

I am very excited about the direction NASW Delaware is going and its potential. Ed Huffman, in his seven years as Executive Director, laid the foundation upon which we will build. Ed’s 48 years as a social worker were invaluable to the chapter. I know he will find valuable and meaningful activities in his retirement – maybe even a long awaited rest.

I am looking forward to working with the Board and membership. If we are going to grow and develop our chapter, it will take the involvement of many members, not just the Board. 

We have already begun a partnership with the New Jersey chapter so we don’t have to develop everything from scratch. We are going to totally redesign our website so that it is interactive, current and full of valuable information and resources. We will begin a continuing education program offering test prep, ethics and many more courses. We also plan to partner with existing non-NASW conferences to provide CEUs for social workers.  Our vision is to provide social workers in Delaware all their continuing education needs instate. Our partnership with the New Jersey chapter will give us the resources of a much larger chapter.

As the new Executive Director, I bring a fairly diversified background.  I’ve been a mental health therapist, established a successful non-profit home health social work program, managed long-term care nursing and rehabilitation facilities, run my own staff development training consulting firm, and more recently worked and volunteered in prison reentry programs.  What I most enjoy is collaborating to create and develop programs/services that meet unmet needs in the community. 

I have spoken with a number of social workers in Delaware who are also excited about the development of our chapter and what it will mean to the social work profession in our state. There are many opportunities, one of which is described in an article in this newsletter by Gail Levinson about the Board of Social Work Examiners working on developing a multi-level licensure law.

Gail states that the Board of Examiners wants the input of both NASW and CSWSDE as they move forward. This is an important issue to us, i.e., Title Protection. If you want to be a part of this resurgence, please step forward and contact me. We are developing a number of committees for which we need members, e.g., Title Protection, Membership Development, Newsletter and Website Support, PACE, etc. 

The more members we have active on our committees, the stronger our chapter. If the above committees are not what you are interested in, let me know and we can work on it. I look forward to meeting more of you and working alongside of you.

                                                                                                John

A Farewell Message from Ed Huffman

Thank you to all the members, present and past, of the Delaware Chapter of NASW. I just want to tell you that it has been my very special pleasure to serve as your staff person during the past seven and one half years. I hope that I have been successful in providing some of the services that members needed during my term of office.

As social workers we provide so many important and critical services to our community and I am proud to have, over the years, had a small part in this endeavor. I look forward to continuing my membership in the chapter in my retirement years.

All the best to John, our new Executive Director, and I am hopeful that we can continue to progress as a recognized and appreciated profession in Delaware and the nation.

Practice Act Becomes Law!
by Gail Levinson LCSW, President
Clinical Social Work Society of Delaware - www.cswsdelaware.org

After what feels like and may have been more than a decade in the making we finally have, in Delaware , a Practice Act, that regulates the actual activities of LCSWs…not just the title.  HB 184, which was championed for us by Rep. Quinn Johnson and Sen. Bethany Hall-Long of Middletown and some other legislators, was finally passed early in this legislative session by the Senate and signed into law by Governor Markell.  It will become effective on February 1, 2011…giving people who are and have been practicing independently as clinical social workers approximately 9 more months to become licensed.  If you have not obtained a license by the deadline, you may be issued a cease and desist order then summoned before the Delaware Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work where you could be fined for practicing without a license. 

Up until this time any MSW could practice clinical social work without being licensed so long as he or she did not “call” themselves an LCSW.  We were one of only five states left that had such a weak protection of the public through our licensing law.  

Going forward all who practice independent clinical social work (as defined in the law) and who collect monies for these services will need to be licensed.  They will be held to the ethical and continuing education standards that all LCSWs have been operating by for over thirty years.  There will be no grandfathering in with respect to the expectation that all those desiring to practice independently and hold a license in this state will have to pass the ASWB clinical licensure exam.  The only exception made in HB 184 in the standard application process for licensure is for those people who can demonstrate that they have been in practice for 20 years and cannot provide documentation from their supervisors due to the lengthy time that has elapsed since an applicant’s supervisory experience.

The steps for making an application for licensure are fully described on the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation’s website.  Please be aware that this is often a multistep process, so don’t delay! http://dpr.delaware.gov/boards/socialworkers/index.shtml

The following website outlines our law as it is now and how it will read on February 1, 2011.  It is in the Delaware Code, Title 24, Chapter 39, with the text being at:             
http://delcode.delaware.gov/title24/c039/index.shtml

While you are at it, please also review the Rules and Regulations section, which includes the changes in what qualifies as appropriate supervision.  Last year a major change was enacted that forbids MSWs from supervising other MSWs towards the goal of obtaining licensure in a simultaneous or peer supervision and instead seeks to ensure that one learns the practice of clinical social work from a more senior clinician.  The changes in our law and our rules mean that people who are in agencies, EAPs, or hospitals in “supervisory” roles ideally should be licensed clinical social workers in Delaware .  It isn’t sufficient to be licensed in neighboring states.  As of today there is no national reciprocity recognition in our field.  It is important for newly minted MSWs who aspire to become LCSWs to be sure that they confirm that their source of supervision meets the appropriate criterion. In part the new rules state:

When professional supervision by a licensed clinical social worker is not available, the applicant may be supervised by a master’s level degree social worker, a licensed psychologist, or a licensed psychiatrist. Effective June 1, 2009, to establish that a licensed clinical social worker is or was not available to provide supervision, the applicant shall submit a notarized statement, on a form provided by the Board, explaining the efforts made to obtain such supervision. The Board has the discretion to accept or reject the applicant's statement that supervision by a licensed clinical social worker is or was not available. Del. Code 4.1.1

 It is recommended that agency directors, as well, check out the Delaware Code and the associated Rules and Regulations           

If you know people who have their MSWs and are practicing independently, it is vital that you inform them of these changes.  While they may be calling themselves by titles other than LCSW (such as therapist, psychotherapist, counselor or other) they would be practicing clinical social work illegally after February 1, 2011.  You owe it to them to inform them of this important change and encourage them to apply!  After all, this effort was initiated to protect the public.  And, now the Division of Professional Regulation will have the statute to help them do the job.

Going forward the Board of Social Work Examiners is working on developing a multi-level licensure law.  The Board of Examiners wants the input of both NASW and CSWSDE as they move forward.  The Board meets monthly where the public can attend and comment.  Meeting agendas and minutes can be found at www.dpr.delware.gov.

New Social Work Licensure Exams Slated for January 2011

The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) has completed its most recent analysis of social work practice in North America, and will be using new social work licensure examinations based on this study in early 2011. In addition to reorganized content for all five licensure examinations used across the United States and in two Canadian provinces, the association has published – for the first time – the knowledge statements that describe specific competencies that will be addressed in the examinations.

Beginning in January 2011, social work licensing examination candidates will be taking tests that have fewer major content areas, and will be able to prepare for those tests by accessing the full range of literally hundreds of the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) statements that can be the focus of individual test questions on the examinations. The availability of the entire set of KSAs will assist boards, educational programs and others in “demystifying” the entire examination process.  Content outlines and KSA lists are contained in the practice analysis final report, which can be downloaded in its entirety at www.aswb.org.

Practice analyses are a crucial component in the development of valid licensure examinations. The ASWB practice analysis encompassed all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all ten Canadian provinces, and sought to identify knowledge necessary to safe social work entry-level practice. The results of the analysis serve as the basis for the development of licensure examinations that reflect current social work practice.

The Association of Social Work Boards is the association of state and provincial social regulatory bodies. Its mission is to assist its members through the development of uniform assessments and other services that strengthen protection of the public. Membership includes 49 states, the US Virgin Islands, the District of Columbia and ten Canadian Provinces.

Managed Care Update

Congress Restores Medicare Rates, CMS Resumes Processing Claims

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has resumed processing Medicare Part B claims for services delivered beginning June 1, 2010 and afterward, including those of physicians and clinical social workers.

For the third time this year, congressional efforts to pass legislation preventing a scheduled Medicare Part B fee reduction of 21 percent were stymied by partisan disagreements over spending. Medicare payments to clinical social workers and physicians this past week reflected a 21 percent cut below rates paid in May. On Thursday, June 24, 2010 Congress finally ended debate and passed the bill allowing CMS to reprocess claims at their full 2010 rate.

Congress is well aware of the confusion and frustration of Medicare providers over fees, but due to largely partisan budget disagreements, legislators have adopted only short-term agreements to delay scheduled Medicare SGR formula reductions. Last week the Senate passed a six-month agreement to reverse the 21 percent cut in outpatient provider fees, but the House initially balked at the Senate proposal and delayed passage until Thursday, June 24. The new Medicare measure was removed from a much broader bill on extenders (H.R. 4213) that stalled on the Senate floor. See our recent alert on the Senate extender legislation here.

The Medicare law was signed on Friday, June 25, and provides $6.4 billion to undo the 21 percent cut in Part B payments that went into effect on June 1, but the fee restoration will last only six months when providers again face huge scheduled fee reductions for claims on services delivered after November 30, 2010. The latest formula law includes an automatic reversal of the lower fees providers received this past week, but CMS must reprocess the reduced claims to give providers their fully restored payments.

The new Medicare spending is fully offset by savings in Medicare billing regulations, anti-fraud provisions and the tightening of some pension rules, thus overcoming Republican objections that it would put the federal government deeper into debt. Readers may wish to view recent editions of News from the Hill found here to learn more background on the Medicare SGR formula dilemma and its impact on clinical social work fees. Because the new Medicare fees are time limited, Congress must pass legislation after the November election delaying more scheduled SGR formula reductions.

From the NASW National Office: Ask Congress to Stop Child Abuse Deaths

NASW is working with Every Child Matters Education Fund to submit a petition to Congress asking them to address child abuse deaths. The petition asks Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid to hold hearings on this issue and call upon the federal government to create a National Commission that will make child abuse prevention a higher priority in the federal budget and strengthen the federal government's response to this problem.

If you would like to sign on to this petition, go to: http://tinyurl.com/everychildmatters2

Worried About a Moody Teen?

Mental Illness Often Starts in Adolescence. Telling Typical Angst From Serious Problems

Studies show that about 20% of teenagers have a psychiatric illness with depression, anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder being among the most prevalent.

Yet parents of teens are often blind-sided by a child's mental illness. Some are unaware that mental illnesses typically appear for the first time during adolescence. Or they may confuse the symptoms of an actual disorder with more normal teen moodiness or anxiety. Click here to read more.

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Where you can call with any financial question after losing your loved one without obligations or expectations. For more information, click here for pdf.

SW/Counselor II - Provide intensive, evidence-based model of counseling for families with adolescents. Counseling services are provided in the family’s home, community, and/or office. Experience conducting family therapy, with an appreciation of adolescents, required. Comfort providing community and home-based counseling, required. Training in Evidence-Based Treatment Model will be provided; a commitment to learning the model is required.  Experience applying Evidenced-Based Treatment, a plus. Strong interpersonal, verbal/written communication skills, required.  Ability to work flexible hours, including some evenings, required. Positions based in New Castle and Kent County. Local and some statewide travel. Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation required.  Full Time w/benefits.  Masters Degree in Social Work or related field, required; LCSW preferred.  

Send resumes to HR, Children & Families First, 2005 Baynard Blvd/ fax 302-658-5170/email jobs@cffde.org.   EOE.

Program Supervisor - Provide direct service and clinical oversight to community-based family therapy, monitor referrals, intake assessments and coordinate statewide direct services. Supervise staff. Experience conducting family therapy, with an appreciation of adolescents, required. Comfort providing community and home-based counseling, required. Training in Evidence-Based Treatment Model will be provided; a commitment to learning the model is required.  Experience applying Evidenced-Based Treatment, a plus.   Strong interpersonal, verbal/written communication skills, required. Local and statewide travel, required. Position based in either New Castle or Kent County.  Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation required.  Ability to work flexible hours, including some evenings, required. Full Time w/benefits.  Minimum of 3-5 years of experience supervising and evaluating staff. Masters degree in Social Work or related field and LCSW or equivalent counseling license, required.

Send resumes to HR, Children & Families First, 2005 Baynard Blvd/ fax 302-658-5170/email jobs@cffde.org.   EOE.