NASW-IL Web Blog

2009 comes to a close…

Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were all worried about Y2K issues? 2009 is coming to a close, a tumultuous year for many Americans and as a result, putting more pressure on the services that social workers provide. Add to the mix the budgetary pressures the state of Illinois is currently experiencing….well let’s just say we hope that 2010 will be an improvement.

 

This is also a good time to reflect on what’s transpired in the chapter as well. A significant amount of our activities revolved around advocacy for a fair and humane budget for the human services. The following are just some of the 2009 accomplishments of the Illinois Chapter, much of which has been chronicled during the past year on the NASW IL blog.

 

Budget Advocacy

In late June, the chapter began utilizing the CapWiz legislative alert system. This coincided with the most recent state budget crisis. Over 4,000 social workers sent a total of over 27,600 e-mails to their elected officials and media outlets since that time. The budget issue galvanized the chapter membership like no other issue I have witnessed in the over ten years that I have served as NASW IL Chapter Executive Director. Much of our advocacy activity was chronicled on the NASW IL web blog, with frequent media updates and blog postings. We have been an active member of the Responsible Budget Coalition, a statewide group of over 150 organizations committed to building the support needed to solve Illinois’ budget crisis, prevent harmful cuts to essential public services, save jobs, eliminate the state’s long-term structural deficit, and provide Illinoisans with relief from regressive taxation. We will begin to ramp up our efforts once again when the 96th Illinois General Assembly reconvenes in January 2010.

 

2009 NASW IL Statewide Conference

The 2009 NASW IL Conference, “A Meeting of the Profession,” offered over seventy regular workshops, eight intensive workshops totaling twenty CEUs, two-thirds of the licensure requirements.

 

Passage of Confidentiality Legislation

Despite the grim budget news out of Springfield, we were successful in passing two pieces of important legislation related to social work confidentiality and school records. They included:

SB1507 – Social Work Confidentiality bill, chief sponsor Senator David Koehler (D-Peoria) and approved by Governor Quinn on July 23, 2009, as Public Act 096-0071. The Public Act makes a change to the confidentiality section of the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act in a provision that allows a social worker to voluntarily disclose privileged information to an administrative superior, colleague, or consultant, who share professional responsibility by clarifying that “share professional responsibility” includes a professional responsibility to maintain confidentiality.

SB1508 – Student Records Act, chief sponsor Senator David Koehler (D-Peoria) and signed by Governor Quinn on August 24, 2009, as Public Act 96-0628. It amends the Illinois School Student Records Act and provides that nothing contained in the Act shall be construed to impair or limit the confidentiality of information communicated in confidence to a school social worker.

 

Social Work Advocacy Day took place on February 25, 2009, in Springfield. A record number of attendees, 722, participated.

 

Social Work Academy

Our new professional development product completed its first full year at the end of the current licensure renewal cycle. Social workers around the state now have an additional resource for education and enrichment as well as affordable and accessible courses to fulfill CEU licensure requirements. There are currently eighteen courses online and more to follow in 2010.

 

Restructuring the State Chapter

The NASW IL Chapter Board recommended that a Restructuring Task Force be established to develop a plan for board review at its August 21, 2009, board meeting. The task force’s charge was to develop a district map that better represented members throughout the state and was more responsive to their needs. Additionally, the task force considered issues regarding leadership development as well as cost containment.

 

The chapter is ready to meet the challenges ahead for the social work profession in 2010. All of the accomplishments mentioned above were not done in a vacuum. It is the membership and volunteer leadership that shapes the activities of the association. We can’t do it alone and look forward to member involvement in advocacy as well as leadership. I encourage you to be a part of your association during 2010. Additional leadership opportunities can be found on the chapter Web site at http://www.naswil.org/.

 

Best wishes for the holiday and the New Year!

Ten years for the CHA’s Plan for Transformation; speeding up payments to private human service providers

On Thursday and Friday of last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Plan for Transformation at 10 Symposium at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  In 1999, the City of Chicago and the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) embarked on an historic journey and launched the Plan for Transformation, “ the largest and most ambitious redevelopment effort of public housing in the history of the United States. As part of the Plan, CHA would redevelop or rehabilitate its entire stock of public housing.”  The symposium reflected on the lessons learned over the past ten years and to gauge the progress of this bold social experiment.  The symposium coincides with a feature article on the Plan for Transformation in the December/January Networker by Andy Teitelman, Vice President for Resident Services at the CHA and former Chapter President and Cindy Blumenthal, Assistant Director of the FamilyWorks program for Resident Services at the CHA.  In this current issue as well, I reviewed the recent book by R. Bradford Hunt, “A Blueprint for Disaster: The Unraveling of Chicago Public Housing.”  The December/January issue will be available online this week. Besides being the “place to be,” for housing advocates and policy geeks, the symposium provided an opportunity to reflect on the successes, difficulties and lessons learned in order to guide the process as the Plan moves ahead.   Included among the prominent speakers included Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, as well as current HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and CHA President & CEO Lewis Jordan and former CHA President & CEO Terry Peterson.

Since the beginning of the Plan for Transformation, the CHA has operated with the following broad principles:

1.   Expand Housing Choices and Improve Housing Quality

2.   Provide CHA Residents with Opportunity

3.   Revitalize Communities Surrounding CHA Developments

 

Since the Plan began:

·     17,755 public hosing units have been rehabilitated or replaced

·     391 buildings have been demolished

·     46% of family households have been relocated into permanent housing.

·     A total of $3.2 billion has been invested in the plan to date

·     Yearly incomes of working CHA residents have risen from about $10,000 to $19,000

 

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley opened the symposium with a very candid discussion and history of public housing from his perspective.  The Daleys (Richard M. and his father Richard J.) have been involved with a significant part of pubic housing history in Chicago. 

The plan for transformation ignited a new set of partnerships that radically changed relations among public agencies at all levels; among real estate developers, public housing tenants and area residents, as well as among private foundations, businesses and civic institutions.  As part of the plan, the CHA adopted a mixed income affordable development model of approximately 1/3 public housing, 1/3 affordable housing and 1/3 market rate housing. Moreover, the Plan goes beyond bricks and mortars – building social and economic self sufficiency among historically isolated residents and deconcentrating poverty.

Many of the workshops involved residents that been involved in the entire process of the transformation.  It was fascinating to hear their perspective and to hear about their experiences with CHA’s approach to supporting resident success.

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Speeding up payments to private human service providers– There will be a press conference on Thursday, December 17^th in Springfield organized by members of the Human Services Coalition (of which NASW IL is a part of) to urge the Governor and other constitutional officers to finalize a plan to borrow $500 million to speed up payments to private human service providers and to capture increased amounts of Federal Medicaid dollars for the state. 

Seventh Annual Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation Conference; Derek Jeter

This past Thursday, I attended, along with NASW IL's lobbyist Phil Milsk,  the 7^th Annual Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation Conference.  I try and put this event on my calendar early on in the year. It is a major event that brings together the wide range of voices for the state’s Latino community. In fact over 1,200 people attended last week's event.  Many of the issues that are discussed at these annual events mirror many of the important challenges facing the social work community in the state.

I attended a morning panel on Health Care Reform which was moderated by Rep. Susana Mendoza (D - ) Panelist included David Carvalho, Deputy Director, Illinois Department of Public Health, Raul Garza, CEO, Auunt Marthan’s Youth Service Center, Inc., Barry Maram, Director , Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Daniel Martinez, Medical Director, Pilsen Wellness Center, Inc., Luis Munoz, Director, Illinois Hispanic Physician Association and Carmen Velasquez, Executive Director,  Alivio Medical Center.   

Aunt Martha’s CEO Raul Garza discussed the role of Community Health Centers will play in the Healthcare reform debate currently taking place in Washington.  Aunt Martha’s operates 17 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) which include eight sites in Cook County, four sites in Kane county, and one site each in the Kankakee, DuPage, Iroquois, Stark and Vermilion counties.  These FQHC’s offer medical, dental, behavioral health,obstetrics/gynecology and ancillary services.  Increased funding for Community Health Centers translates to increase access. 

All of the panelists discussed access to behaviorial health care for the Latino community during their presentations.  During the Q & A period, I issued a challenge to the panelists to help us finally establish rules for Public Act 95-0518, the Medicaid reimbursement for LCSWs  in all settings.  By doing so, mental health services to be more available on a community level.

The Blueprint for Latino Investment: A Latino Legislative Agenda, which was commissioned by the Public Policy Institute of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation and prepared by the Latino Policy Forum was released to coincide with this conference.  http://www.latinopolicyforum.org/programs/other-policy-issues/the-economy/blueprint-for-latino-investment.aspx.  The report’s findings served as the platform for an afternoon Town Hall Meeting that included Governor Pat Quinn, Speaker of the Illinois House Michael Madigan, Minority Leader of the lllinois Senate, Christine Radogno, Representative Tim Schmitz, David Vaught, Director of the Illinois Office of Management & Budget and Sylvia Puente, Executive Director of the Latino Policy.  The panel also discussed the state of the Illinois budget.   I highly recommend reviewing the report as it points out the enormous impact that the Latino population plays in the state and the challenges that the Latino community faces.  A couple of factoids to illustrate this…

· Latinos accounted for nearly 92% of the total population growth in Illinois between 2000 and 2007.

· 15% of the state’s population is Latino.

· Mental health services are severely underrepresented in the Latino community.

· Latinos accounted for 21.9% of those in Illinois who lived below the poverty threshold in 2008.

· Latinos have the lowest levels of educational attainment, approximately 40% have not finished high school , only 11% have finished college.

A follow-up note from my October 27^th posting…Derek Jeter won Sports Ilustrated Sportsman of the Year Award.  The SI article written by Tom Verducci discussed the Turn 2 Foundation, which Derek’s father, a clinical social worker, runs.  Verducci identified Charles Jeter as a “substance abuse counselor.”  I emailed SI over the weekend to point out that Charles Jeter is a social worker.  For more on the Turn 2 Foundation, go to:

http://helpstartshere.org/YouthDevelopmentRealWorldStory/tabid/249/language/en-US/Default.aspx

 

World AIDS Day 2009

Participate in a World AIDS Day Event co-sponsored by NASW:

The focus of World AIDS Day 2009 is 'Universal Access and Human Rights'. World AIDS Day is about increasing awareness, fighting stigma and discrimination, and improving education. For social workers worldwide, World AIDS Day provides the opportunity to remind others that HIV/AIDS remains a global health issue.

World AIDS Day also provides an opportunity to take action and ensure that human rights are protected for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment. Promoting individual human rights challenges the barriers created by stigma and discrimination, and works to ensure the right to access to comprehensive health and behavioral health services. For information on World AIDS Day and HIV/AIDS in the United States: http://www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/world/index.html

Globally, the social work professional must continue our efforts for inclusion of HIV/AIDS issues into development efforts, emphasizing awareness, prevention, and care and treatment as priority areas to be actively included in organizational systems and policies. For information on World AIDS Day from a global perspective: http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/  or http://www.avert.org/world-aids-day.htm

Take Action!

Get tested for HIV; practice safer methods to prevent HIV and  decide not to engage in high risk behaviors

• for more information, go to: http://hivtest.org/

Talk about HIV prevention with family, friends, and colleagues and  provide support to people living with HIV/AIDS: 

•  for more information, go to: http://www.socialworkers.org/diversity/lgb/hiv_discrimination.asp

Get Informed!

For additional social work practice resources:  http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/hiv_aids/siteInfo/resources.asp

 For the International Federation of Social Workers Statement on HIV/AIDS: http://www.ifsw.org/en/p38001031.html

BCBSIL rescinds pre-certification decision

In October we reported to the NASW IL membership http://naswil.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/10/bluecross-blueshield-of-illinois-changes---implications-for-social-work-clinicians.html that  many clinical social workers, both in private and agency practice, received notification from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) that the company had expanded its contract with Magellan Behavioral Health Services to include the coordination and management of outpatient mental health and chemical dependency services and had proposed that clinicians would be required to  pre-certify all current and new clients after January 1, 2010. Yesterday, BCBSIL  informed its providers that  it has decided to rescind the certification requirement for 2010. 

 

During the past month, the NASW IL Chapter and social workers mobilized by contacting BCBSIL around the original proposed changes.  The Chapter also worked in conjunction with the Illinois Psychiatric Society and Illinois Psychological Association to this end as well.   We thank all of you for your diligence in keeping the pressure on BCBSIL to rescind these procedures that would have required onerous pre-authorization process and interfere with patient care. 

 

We are still planning on meeting with officials of BCBSIL about further clarification of their procedures.

 

Get Involved! 2010 Chapter Leadership Opportunities

If you've been on the chapter Web site this week, you probably have watched the short YouTube video featuring several current chapter board members discussing the virtues of being part of the statewide leadership team of the profession. We've also posted a Leadership Recruitment Packet outlining in great detail the importance of leadership and the requirements of elected leadership. I encourage the entire membership to think about getting more involved or nominating a colleague for a leadership position.

Action on Chapter restructuring, 2010 Legislative priorities and presentation on combating school violence

 
The chapter’s board of directors held its quarterly meeting this past Friday in Chicago. The leadership approved chapter restructuring bylaws that will be reshape the chapter map. This process was driven by the chapter’s 2009-2012 Strategic Plan approved in June which required the association to review and recommend changes to the district structure.  A Restructuring Task Force was established and met three times during this past summer, presenting its initial findings to the board of directors in August,  which would require a bylaws amendment. These proposed bylaw amendments were made available to the membership for comment following the August meeting for a 30 day comment period on the chapter's Web site.  Beginning in July 1, 2010, the chapter will consist of eight districts, with its board composition totaling 16 members (17 during a president-elect year). A complete new district map and revised board positions will appear in a leadership packet PDF that will be sent to the entire NASW IL membership later this week.

The chapter also approved its 2010 Legislative Agenda, as recommended by the chapter’s Legislative/Social Policy Committee. The following agenda provides a guide and road map for our legislative activity during the upcoming Illinois General Assembly.

   NASW Illinois Chapter  

2010 Legislative/Social Policy Agenda

• NASW IL will actively support the identification of new revenues that address the State’s structural budget deficit, solvency and capacity to support a thriving human services infrastructure to meet the needs of the State’s most vulnerable residents in the short-term and long-term. NASW IL will work as part of the Responsible Budget Coalition to achieve these goals.
• NASW IL will work to establish the rules process for PA 95-510, the social work Medicaid reimbursement law, which will enable mental health services to be more readily available on a community level.  
• NASW IL will monitor compliance, in conjunction with other allied organizations, of SB1508 (Public Act 96-0628) which amended the school records act.
• NASW IL will closely monitor and review, and support when deemed appropriate, initiatives to expand health care access and availability in Illinois, including behavioral health services and services to persons residing in nursing homes and IMDs.   The Chapter’s efforts will reflect the national NASW policy on universal healthcare.
• NASW IL will closely monitor and review, and support when deemed appropriate, initiatives to eliminate or reduce poverty in Illinois, as well as support efforts of the newly established Commission on Poverty.
• NASW IL will support legislation and policies that enhance the safety of social workers in the performance of their work.
• NASW IL will support initiatives that provide for and protect the human rights of all Illinoisans.
• NASW IL will support initiatives that ensure that women will have reproductive choice and reproductive health services in Illinois regardless of their financial circumstances.

· NASW IL will work to promote the three areas of its Social Work Reinvestment Initiative State Plan:

    >Maintain and enhance jobs for the social work profession

    >Maintain and expand reimbursement for social work services

    >Strengthen and expand loan forgiveness in the state of Illinois

 

 As always, the NASW IL is guided by the policy statements that appear in Social Work Speaks 2009-2012 in its advocacy efforts.  NASW’s Delegate Assembly, a national body of 300 professional social workers, meets every three years to develop Social Work Speaks policy statements.  

 

Two Chicago Public School (CPS) social workers, Melvin Caldwell and Theresa Toro presented to the Board on some of the challenges and successes they encounter in their work.  The backdrop to their presentation has been the recent increase in school related violence.  Just a day before this presentation to the Board, a New York Times editorial http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/opinion/05thu2.html discussed a plan to address the issue of youth violence that will be funded initially with $60 million in Federal stimulus dollars.  

Do you have your 30 CEUs? Survey on stressful jobs....

It’s with great pride to recollect that social work has been a licensed profession in the state of Illinois since 1989.  And along with licensure comes the requirement for professional development in order to enhance our professional standing, as well as sharpen our practice skills and knowledge base.  With a month left until the end of the 2007-2009 licensure cycle, the NASW IL Chapter‘s Social Work Academy is at your disposal for all of your last minute CEU needs.   You can earn up to 27 CEs with our online recordings, as well as fulfill your three hour ethics requirement by taking a virtual course.  Check out the Social Work Academy at www.swacademy.org.

On a regular basis, I come across media items that knock at our image as a profession.  The latest of these was a list of the fifteen most stressful, lowest paying jobs in the United States (not in any particular order) according to a payscale.com survey published on CNNMoney.com.  http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/pf/0910/gallery.stressful_jobs/index.html. These include:

1.    Social Worker

2.    Special Events Coordinator

3.    Probation/parole officer

4.    News reporter

5.    Music ministry director

6.    Membership director

7.    Fundraiser

8.    Commercial photographer

9.    Assisted living director

10.   Minister

11.   Marriage/family therapist

12.   Curator

13.   Substance abuse counselor

14.   Film/television producer

15.   High school teacher

Stressful?  Yes.  But also fulfilling.  If you want to read or share your stories of inspiration and fulfillment, please log on to NASW’s  helpstartshere.org  website,  http://helpstartshere.org/PortalHome/tabid/128/language/en-US/Default.aspx.

 

NASW IL Hosts National Meetings; World Series social work story

 

This past week, NASW IL had the opportunity to host two National NASW meetings. On Thursday, October 26, NASW Chapter Executive Directors met for a full day of meetings, followed on Friday by a NASW Chapter President and Executive Director training in which forty chapter presidents and directors participated. The trainings, which NASW IL has been hosting for the past four years, work on the important relationship between volunteer social work leadership and the Chapter Executive Director. The partnership between the two is vital for chapters to advance and advocate for the important issues impacting the profession in states across the country. NASW IL Chapter President Dennis Crowell and I participated in Friday’s training. 

For those of you who are still lamenting the fact that there are no Chicago teams in this year’s World Series which begins tomorrow night in New York between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies, there is an interesting social work story behind this year’s fall classic. Derek Jeter, the Yankees All Star shortstop and most likely first ballot Hall of Famer, grew up in a social work family. Jeter’s father, Charles Jeter, is a clinical social worker with a doctorate from Western Michigan State University and years of experience in drug and alcohol abuse training. He is also the Vice President of his son’s Turn 2 Foundation. The following is from NASW’s Help Start Here Web site which discusses the work of the Turn 2 Foundation in youth development.

Youth Development Real World Story - It's a Whole New Ball Game: Turning Young Lives Around

New York City Elementary School P.S. 128M
12-year-old Hansel Rodriguez sits in a chair in the teacher’s lounge and seems perfectly at ease talking to adults. It’s an amazing change for a young man who, only a few short years ago, refused to speak — even to his mother — hated school and fought every day with his classmates.

Hansel   and His Mom

Hansel’s mother, Myra, still becomes emotional when she speaks of the transformation. A son she had almost lost to anger has now come to a point where he can tell his mother he loves her before he heads off to summer leadership camp. If you asked Hansel what turned his life around, his answer would be simple: “Baseball.” Through a revolutionary program at his school, Hansel was able to join an after-school baseball team, and even hang out with his hero, legendary NY Yankee Derek Jeter. But the true answer is even more exciting than a day with a baseball great. What turned Hansel’s life around was the vision of a social worker.


Dr. Evelyn Montanez

Dr. Evelyn Montanez,    Social Worker

Evelyn Montanez, PhD, is a psychiatric social worker in the Washington Heights area of New York. Through her years of experience working with children in a clinical setting, she realized that the answer for children at risk was not one simple change, but a holistic one. “Everything goes into creating a healthy child with a healthy mind,” she explains. “It’s nutrition, it’s family, it’s mental health, it’s teacher awareness, it’s discipline…everything.” The program, called “Turn 2 Us Healthy Lifestyles,” addresses every aspect of a child’s well being, both physical and emotional — and it doesn’t stop at individual children. It touches all 1100 children in the school, their families and reaches into the community. Young people learn everything from how to choose a healthy snack to practicing t’ai chi in class. Their parents and teachers can enjoy weekly yoga sessions together and nutritional workshops. The object: to encourage healthier lifestyles for families through a variety of “psycho-educational awareness activities.” The Turn 2 Us team uses these activities to prevent at-risk behaviors in children that can lead to obesity, early onset of diabetes, use of drugs, alcohol and truancy.
And it truly is a team effort — with impressive members. Dr. Montanez, the school’s principal Rosa Arredondo, teachers and parents are joined by professionals from the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, as well as Derek Jeter, his family, and their Turn 2 Foundation. The Jeter Family and the Turn 2 Foundation

The Jeter Family

Derek’s father, Dr. Charles Jeter, is the Vice President of the Jeter family’s Turn 2 Foundation, and is himself a social worker. “We knew we wanted to reach into the community to help,” says Dr. Jeter. “And to do that, we had to create a complete program. When I met Dr. Montanez, I was immediately impressed with her vision. She already had plans.” All these professionals teamed up and implemented a remarkable program that now has other schools and communities interested in its success. Of course, the greatest result is in the face of children touched by the program, like Hansel. “This was a child with little academic motivation who became a elementary-schooler with confidence,” says Dr. Montanez. “I watched Hansel go from absenteeism to regular attendance, from impulsive action to thoughtful action. He is one of the strongest players in the Turn 2 Us/P.S. 128M Baseball Practice team because he has learned to channel his energy on the baseball field.” But the true change for Hansel, as well as the other thousands of students and families who will benefit from Turn 2 Us Healthy Lifestyles Program, goes beyond connecting with a baseball. Today, through the efforts of a real team of professionals, and the vision of social workers, he has learned to connect with his school, friends, family — and most importantly, himself.

To read more about the Derek Jeter and the Turn 2 Foundation, click here to read the article "The Good Guys: Athletes Who Care," reprinted with the permission of The Sporting News.

BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois changes - Implications for social work clinicians

On October 1^st, many clinical social workers, both in private and agency practice, received notification from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) that the company has expanded its contract with Magellan Behavioral Health Services to include the coordination and management of outpatient mental health and chemical dependency services. This will affect all PPO members whose behavioral health benefits are currently administered by BCBSIL.  The expansion is effective January 1, 2010.

The Chapter has been in contact with BCBSIL and wanted to provide the following update:

1. To reiterate, this affects all PPO products with employers based in Illinois;
2. Clinical Social Workers DO NOT have to be paneled with Magellan to be eligible to participate;
3. BCBSIL will continue to adjudicate and pay claims with no change in rates;
4. Clinicians are required to pre-certify all current and new clients after January 1, 2010.
5. It has not yet been determined whether Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in other states will institute similar policies;

The NASW IL Chapter and allied organizations are investigating the legality of this policy in light of the new federal mental health parity law.

A full summary of this change will be highlighted in the November issue of BCBSIL’s newsletter,  Blue Review.