Be Picked

Pick Me! Pick Me! 

This is a big week throughout the country. With elections in every state, candidates galore, and folks exercising their right to vote. I am always fascinated with the number and range of people who throw their hat in the ring to run for public office.  Regardless of the problems that face them, or their motivation, these candidates are unwavering in their commitment to serve. It is truly  impressive.  I get caught up in the excitement surrounding the elections.  Who will win?  Will they live up to their pre-election promises? 

On the local level-the very local level, the Massachusetts Chapter of NASW will shortly be joining the swirl of election activity.  I get just as excited for the MA Chapter candidates as I do about the Massachusetts State elections. I can’t help it. I love contests and I love to share in the excitement.

So, dear NASW members, I am bringing you into the action.  The Chapter’s Nominations and Leadership Identification Committee, which you elected over the last two years, is in the process of identifying potential candidates for the Chapter’s slate. Chapter election will be this spring and the Committee is in the midst of its ‘Talent Search’.  I am opening the search to you, our members.  We are looking for a few good men and women to throw your hats into the election ring. Running for and being elected to  a leadership position in your profession is an awesome event.  You are declaring, publically, your interest in being part of the process that influences the direction of the social work profession.   This is your change to get in the game, rather than observe from the bleachers.

I am, here by calling on that part of you that urged you to be a social worker. That part of you that said “I want to make a difference.”  Here is your chance.  You have until November 15 to let us know that you are interested in being considered.  The open positions are posted on the Chapter website.  http://www.naswma.org/displayemailforms.cfm?emailformnbr=145243

Get out of the bleachers and into the action.  Have your chance to “Be Picked.”

Carol J. Trust

NASW Embodies the Democratic Process

As November 2^nd approaches I am reflecting not only on our Nation’s Democratic process but also the process our own Chapter uses to determine our legislative priorities.   Over the course of my tenure at NASW many people have asked how we determine the Chapter’s “Priority” Legislative and Budget Initiatives.  I thought I would share with you the very important process of making these decisions.

NASW’s Process for Selecting Priority Legislation and Budget Initiatives

1. In September of the year preceding the start of the new legislative session, the Chapter’s Government Relations and Political Action staff polls the Chapter’s committees and the Board of Directors regarding their priority issues for the upcoming legislative session.   

2. The Chapter’s Legislative Advocacy Committee (LAC) then reviews all suggestions and presents its recommendation for legislation and/or legislative topic areas to the Executive Director and then to the Board of Directors.

3. The Board reviews the list and approves either all or part of the recommendation from the Legislative Advocacy Committee.

4. Staff then compiles the final list of approved legislative priorities, identifies legislative sponsors of selected bills, and tracks these bills to determine docket/bill numbers and other coalition support.

Supporting Activities:

• Staff or NASW member attends the bill’s hearing, testifies, and submits written testimony.  Additionally, staff works to identify members to testify and/or submit testimony at the hearing.

• Chapter sends an email Action Alert to membership when bill’s hearing is approaching and identifies other ways to communicate with NASW members about the legislation, encouraging them to support the legislation in a variety of ways;

o       Contacting Legislators in person, by phone or email

o       Attending events that gather support for the bill

• NASW’s support for the bill will be posted on the NASW website with a link to the Capwiz program so members can contact their rep or senator directly about the bill through the NASW MA website.
• Staff and members participate in rallies and other public events supporting the bill.
• Staff participates in coalitions to support the bill or budget initiative.

The Chapter’s process for identifying its legislative agenda is intentional, comprehensive and highly democratic.  We are proud of the system in place and we applaud our members for their participation!

Carol Trust

CONSENSUS AMONGST THE GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES ON TAX QUESTIONS. NASW IS ALIGNED WITH THIS POSITION.

On September 28^th 2010 gubernatorial candidates assembled at Faneuil Hall for the first ever debate devoted solely to human services issues. Gov. Deval Patrick, Republican Charles Baker, independent Tim Cahill and Green-Rainbow candidate Jill Stein addressed vital issues concerning 185,000 employees in the human services field and the clients they serve. Health care reform, managed care and salaries were top on the list.

One question that struck at the heart of the debate was the following:

“Human services employees are paid $12 an hour on average. Most have to work two jobs just to make ends meet. What would you do to change this?”

As expected, each candidate had varying plans to improve the current system.  However, they all agreed that human service workers are underpaid and struggling to provide invaluable services to vulnerable populations.  With that in mind, I was encouraged to learn that there was consensus against the passage of ballot Question 3, on the November ballot. This question would reduce the state sales tax from the current 6.25%  level to 3%.   

NASW is part of a state wide coalition that opposes Question #3 as well as Question #1 which will remove the current sales tax on alcoholic beverages.

Governor Deval Patrick, who NASW/MA Chapter PACE has endorsed, simply stated “There will be a time to cut back on taxes, but the time is not now.”

Please remember to VOTE on Nov. 2^nd 2010.  For a full report on the MA Chapter NASW endorsed candidates, go to www.naswma.org.

Carol Trust

Section 12 UPDATE

Hello Again,

This past legislative  session, one of NASW’s priority pieces of legislation House Bill 4681, an Act to Improve Emergency Access to Mental Health Services was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Patrick.  Beginning November 3, 2010, LICSWs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will be authorized to sign a Section 12 A or temporary care paper, colloquially known as a “pink paper”. This will enable LICSW level social workers to hold or send a patient for emergency evaluation for the following reasons:

§       Suicidality - Substantial risk of physical harm to the person himself/herself as manifested by evidence of threats of, or attempts at suicide or serious bodily harm.                       

     

§      Homicidality - Substantial risk of physical harm to other persons as manifested by evidence of homicidal or other violent behavior or evidence that others are placed in reasonable fear of violent behavior and serious physical harm to themselves.

§       Markedly impaired judgment due to mental illness - Very substantial risk of physical impairment or injury to the person himself/herself as manifested by evidence that such person’s judgment is so affected that he/she is unable to protect himself/herself in the community and the reasonable provision of his/her protection is not available in the community.

LICSW level social workers have for years been evaluating clients for dangerousness.   They just did not have the authority to sign the paper work that would authorize the patient being transerred to a hospital emergency room for an evaluation. These same LICSWs had to run around looking for a psychiatrist or psychologist or police officer (who had never seen the client) to sign the paper to transport the individual.  House Bill 4681 aligns the law with their practice and authority.

The Chapter is in the process of developing training to help Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers make the transition to authorization.  It is important that NASW has your email address so that you will be notified of the dates of the trainings which will begin in November.  Please call  1-800-742-4089 or email chapter@naswma.org .

Carol Trust

Vote NO on Question 3!!

Hello Everyone,


There has been much discussion lately about the upcoming ballot questions.  NASW-MA has taken a position AGAINST ALL proposed questions.  However, this week I want to highlight Question 3 which would cut state sales tax from 6.25% to 3% creating a $2.5 billion revenue hole on top of a projected $2 billion dollar budget deficit for next year.  As a social worker, this drastic proposal is particularly distressing to me.  If Question 3 passes, local aid and human services programs would need to be slashed and in some cases eliminated altogether.


We simply can't let that happen to our communities.


Toby McGrath, Chair of the VoteNoQuestion3 Campaign said this in response to one of the Boston Globe articles published this week:  (See link http://bit.ly/b22OmJ )

 “In a matter of hours there were over 500 comments on an on-line story about Question 3 in the Boston Globe. Maybe four comments tops were folks saying vote no.  The on-line poll on the article had us losing 62-38 with all most 2,800 votes...”

NASW-MA Chapter has joined the Massachusetts Coalition for Our Communities to oppose Question 3.  It is imperative we build a strong campaign AGAINST the passage of Question 3. 

Please join us in defeating Question 3!! 


http://facebook.com/VoteNoQuestion3

Carol Trust

Proceeding with Caution

There has been a lot written in the news lately about the potential sale of the Boston based Caritas Christi Health Care System to a New York for profit firm called Cerberus Capital Management.  One major concern voiced by health care advocates centers on the impact of this sale on the provision of services to the clients that Caritas has traditionally served.  These services, provided at affordable rates included free health screenings, and substance abuse workshops to dozens of communities.  There are numerous proponents supporting the sale and others oppose the sale for a variety of reasons.

NASW as a member of a coalition of health care advocates will be asking the Attorney General and the Department of Public Health, to scrutinize all aspects of the proposed sale with an eye for protecting services that have been traditionally provided to some of the poorest people in the area. In particular, the advocates are urging a thoughtful and comprehensive examination of the merits and problems associated with a sale of this nature. As professional social workers who always have an eye out for fairness in the arena of providing access to services for all, we are glad to join our colleagues in requesting Attorney General Martha Coakley and Commissioner of Public Health John Auerbach to 'proceed with caution and deliberation.

Carol  Trust

A SU SERVICIO

I recently came back from a vacation in Mexico, where I was paying close attention to the way other peoples relate to each other.  This is a fascination of mine: watching other people: how they talk to each other; their eye contact; the use of their hand gestures and their body language; observing their eye contact; viewing their physical connections or lack of connectedness..

I want to share three short observances with you and relate them to the world of social work. I was wandering around in Merida, the Capital of the state of Yucatan, studying the architecture of the residential and commercial buildings and working up an appetite. I saw a sign that indicated I was heading in the direction of what looked like a great supermarket.

The first thing I noticed as I walked through the parking lot to reaching the front door of the market was the signs indicating reserved parking spots.  There was the usual sign of a wheel chair which was similar to the sign we have in the states that indicates these spaces are reserved for handicapped folks.  Then right next to the wheel chair sign was a sign indicating “Reservado  Futuros Mamas” featuring a lady with a very big belly. I thought that was really neat.  How thoughtful!  Then just inside the front door was a nice lady wearing an apron and hair net who walked right up to me to inquire,”Puedo ayudarle?”—even before I asked for help.  Lastly, there were all the ‘empleados” in the bakery section who were  wearing hair nets and what looked like surgical masks over their mouths and noses who also stopped what they were doing  to, again ask, “Puedo ayudale?”

Now, you may say, ‘What is so special about all this?  There are folks at Walmart who welcome customers and Home Depot.’

Well, perhaps it is not so distinctive, but rather a reminder to me and the entire NASW staff at the chapter office of our priorities.  First, as a membership organization we are here to serve you, our members. No other organization has the interests of social workers as its primary focus.  At the same time, we are here to advocate for just social and economic programs and policies for all. The Social Work profession has this dual focus. As the Executive Director of  the 4^th largest NASW Chapter in the country, I am reaffirming our Chapter’s commitment to serve you, our members. Please be assured that when you call the Chapter office, you will receive our undivided attention to your issue.  And please call.  Call often. Tell us what you need, what you like, what we could do better, what you would like us to do that we are not now doing.  We take every call seriously.

A SU SERVICIO.