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Life as a Lobbyist. The Quickest Day of My Life.

2/26/2015

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Angel Foster, BSW, MSW Candidate

Have you ever felt like your day flew by in the blink of an eye? Multiply that feeling by ten and you have the life of a lobbyist. Through my internship at NASW-Michigan, I was granted the experience of job shadowing the chapter lobbyist for a day. I can’t even count how many hands I shook and people I met: lobbyists, analysts, state senators, state representatives, reporters, and some leaders in huge organizations. I was in the House of Representatives Building, the offices of three Representatives, the lobbyist’s office for conference calls, the capitol building, the office of the minority leader, the House of Representatives Chamber, the senate office building, the office of a senator, and the office of our governor’s staff, all in a 7 hour day. Even lunch was a meeting with the director of a large organization.  After constantly running from here to there, I was exhausted by the end of the day and our lobbyist started 2 hours before I joined him!

I witnessed the Criminal Justice Committee, the Health Policy Committee, the House of Representatives session, a few roundtable discussions, and various meetings with legislators, clients of the lobbyist firm, and stakeholders in active legislation. I was really impressed with our lobbyist. He stopped and spoke briefly on a personal and professional level with nearly every person we passed by, and we passed by A LOT of people. I saw firsthand the importance of making and maintaining relationships with legislators, legislative staff, organization representatives, and the list goes on.

The lobbyist I shadowed is a partner in a lobbyist firm. He has 12 clients, one of which is the NASW-Michigan Chapter. It was fascinating to see how well he juggled representing all of these clients and it was especially fascinating to see him representing NASW-Michigan throughout the day by supporting legislation, setting up meetings, and keeping us in the conversation.  He explained to me how every time he participates in conversation around legislative efforts or actions he has to be thinking of all clients and any conflicts of interest that could occur between clients, which he jokingly said resulted in him “arguing with himself”.

The life of a lobbyist is fast paced. It involves going (very quickly) from meeting, to hearing, to session, to offices, to phone conferences, etc. It involves knowing what legislation is introduced, knowing what people are talking about introducing, knowing who supports what, etc. It involved knowing hundreds of people and making sure they know you. This was an incredible experience of an inside look into the legislature and the world of a lobbyist. I am grateful to NASW-Michigan and our lobbyist for the experience.


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Top Reasons WHY you need Individual professional liability coverage after graduation

2/24/2015

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By: Jodi McDaniel, CISR, Senior Licensed Insurance Specialist, NASW ASI

As a graduating student you are embarking on a new and exciting start to your social work career.  You are applying for positions and may even have a position to start right after graduation.

Did you know…?
  • A lawsuit or complaint can be filed against you even if you work for an agency or employer and you aren’t yet licensed?
  • Social work services such as volunteering or giving advice to a friend, neighbor, or family member are not covered by your employer?
  • An agency or employers insurance policy does not always provide adequate coverage for you as an individual social worker?
  • The number of individuals who pursue legal action against social workers, new graduates and first time practitioners are increasing?
  • You could receive a social work malpractice lawsuit in 10 years for services you are providing currently, which could affect you personally and financially in the future?
  • A lawsuit can still be filed against you even if you have moved on to another position, company, or the employer is no longer in business?

Having your own Individual Professional Liability Insurance policy will provide you with coverage for these and other liabilities related to your Social Work Professional services.

*If you have questions or would like more information on Professional Liability coverage please call the NASW Assurance Services Member Care Unit at 1.855.385.2160 or email us at asi@naswasi.org.


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So You Want an MSW: What You Need to Know. Monday, February 23, 2015 9-11pm

2/18/2015

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ATTENTION ALL SOCIAL WORK FACULTY TEACHING BSW OR MSW COURSES AND BSW STUDENTS, especially juniors, who are thinking about getting your MSW degree. To help with that process, we have a very special BlogTalkRadio show coming up for you.

Monday, 23 February, at 9:00-11:00 PM EST (6:00 pm PST) , ‘CSWE Listens and Speaks’ offers a show on selecting a graduate MSW program from among the 200+ CSWE nationally accredited programs in the United States. CSWE President Dr. Darla Coffey leads a very experienced panel of graduate educators and professionals to discuss many issues and answer your questions. To listen in or ask questions please call 347-327-9168. Listeners can also listen in online. For full podcast information go to http://www.the-american-family.com/listening-instructions.html.

Immediately following that discussion, from 10:00 -11:00 PM EST, Terry Keller and Duane Breijak will lead a panel of present and recent MSW students in discussing how they made their choice and will also be available at 347-327-9168 to answer your questions.

The panel members joining President Coffey include:
  • Linda Grobman, MSW,  Editor of ‘The New Social Worker’
  • Dr. Bruce Friedman, Graduate Faculty,  California State University-Bakersfield.
  • Terry Keller, MSW, Ab.D., Graduate Faculty at Michigan State University.
  • Duane Breijak, LMSW, Director of Member Services & Development, National Association of Social Workers –Michigan Chapter
  • Dr. Dennis Cogswell, Graduate Faculty Emeritus, Radford University.

Topics the panel may cover include:
  • Importance of CSWE accreditation when choosing a school
  • Given that all social work programs have the same accreditation standards, what factors should I be addressing when selecting a social work program?
  • What if the value of an MSW education above an MFT education?
  • What are the different specialties available nation-wide?
  • Given the cost of graduate education and the salary range for MSW, is it really worthwhile to accumulate that much debt to earn an MSW?
  • What should you look for in faculty numbers and credentials? What factors besides faculty make a good graduate social work program?
  • Online vs. face-to-face programs
  • What if I am interested in both clinical and macro practice?
  • Importance of location of school

Please spread the word to students and colleagues about this special show and opportunity.


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Social Welfare in Cuba: A Holistic View of Human and Environmental Sustainability. October 31 - November 8, 2015

2/18/2015

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PictureMichigan social workers in Cuba, October 2013.

You are invited to participate in our educational tour, "Social Welfare in Cuba: a Holistic View of Human and Environmental Sustainability," October 31 - November 8, 2015.  http://www.ecocubanetwork.net/socialwelfare2015.

The program is being developed by Eastern Michigan University Professor of Social Work Marjorie Ziefert, LMSW, ACSW in the US and the Antonio Núñez Jimenez Foundation for Nature and Humanity in Cuba, with Eco Cuba Network as program consultant. The Cuba Travel Service Provider will be Marazul Charters, a decades-old agency that has arranged Cuba travel for over 100,000 US citizens over the last forty years.

The program will be an exploration of Cuba's integration of social welfare principles and professionals into the implementation of policies of environmental protection and sustainable development.  We are attaching an initial proposed program here.  We will endeavor to integrate into the program, the meetings and site visits that reflect the professional needs and interests of our participants.

CECs: This trip is offered for 40 Continuing Education Credits (CECs) for Social Workers in the State of Michigan through the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Members of Michigan Chapter of NASW will receive their CECs without any additional cost. Non-members and out of state participants will pay a fee of $250 to Michigan NASW to receive these CECs. Social Workers from other states will need to check with their state licensing authority to be sure these CECs are transferable (for most states they are). For further information about CECs contact Marjorie Ziefert, LMSW at mziefert@emich.edu 

If you would like more information on this travel program and/or to receive a registration form, please do not hesitate to email or call Eco Cuba Network program consultant Pam Montanaro at pam@ecocubanetwork.net or 510-318-4910.




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Affordable Care Act Threatened: Here’s How You Can Help Save It

2/12/2015

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Many social workers may be unaware that on November 14 the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would take up the case King v. Burwell, which challenges the legitimacy of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

In previous challenges to ACA, the opposition questioned the constitutionality of the individual mandate required in the law. However, this more recent case does not make such claims about liberty or the reach of federal power.

King v. Burwell centers on a section of the ACA that deal with subsidies, tax credts that help low- and moderate-income residents afford monthly health insurance premiums. If the plaintiffs win this case win, the federal government will end ACA tax credits for residents in all of the states with federally facilitated marketplaces. As a result, millions of residents would not be able to pay for their health insurance.

Working Poor Would Be Most Hurt by Negative Court Ruling

Not only is it disappointing that the Supreme Court decided to take the case, but the consequences of an adverse ruling could be devastating to America’s working poor. The Urban Institute completed an analysis of how an adverse ruling in the King v. Burwell case will impact specific segments of those covered by ACA. According to the Uran Institute:

  • Three million people may lose ACA tax credits if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiffs;
  • Between 6.2 and 8 million adults and children would become uninsured;
  • Most of those who will lose heath insurance are adults with incomes between 138 percent ($16,104 per year) and 400 percent ($46,650) of the federal poverty level;
  • More than 60 percent of those who would become uninsured are white, non-Hispanic and over 60 percent would reside in the South;
  • More than half of adults have a high school education or less; and
  • 80 percent will be employed.
King v. Burwell deserves the attention and advocacy of the social work community. For example, we should not assume that the Supreme Court is impervious to public pressure, especially when deciding on cases that can have a life altering effect on millions of vulnerable people.

We should also be wary of those who suggest that even if the Court rules in favor of the plaintiffs, Congress will simply amend the subsidy language in ACA to reflect their original intent. Given the make-up of 114th Congress, it is more likely that they will use an adverse decision as a way to gut the law..

It is good news that it is now expected that as many as 30 states will agree to participate in ACA by expanding Medicaid eligibility to low income single adults. It would be appalling to lose such a safety net resource just when it is proving to be increasingly effective.

What Can Social Workers Do?

Many Americans think the Supreme Court is not susceptible to public pressure in their deliberations. This is not necessarily true. There have been a number of occasions in modern history where the Court clearly incorporated public sentiment in their decision.

There are several ways you can voice our concerns to the Supreme Court. One way is to submit editorials and post on the social media to express deep concerns about the millions of individuals and children who will become uninsured after having been covered by an otherwise very successful safety-net program.

We can also join national coalitions that are planning a number of advocacy actions, including rallies in front of the Supreme Court on the day of King v. Burwell oral arguments. These arguments are scheduled for March 4.

The National Association of Social Workers is already part of a coalition that is led by the Center for American Progress and Doctors for America  in attempt to influence the outcome of this case.

Many Americans think the Supreme Court is not susceptible to public pressure in their deliberations. This is not necessarily true.

NASW and the coalition will hold a rally in front of the Supreme Court on the day of the case’s oral argument . NASW is hoping a significant number of social workers will attend this important event.

Courts Do Matter

Aside from its threat to ACA, this case should reinforce the fact that social workers need to recognize that courts matter. Those of us who will join rallies and write to our Congressperson person should keep in mind that there will be many other court challenges to significant safety-net laws and policies.

These cases are first heard in the lower federal courts before they get to the Supreme Court. Therefore, it is important that we pay attention to and lend our voices to the judicial philosophies of each person who is nominated to fill vacancies in the 11 Federal Courts of Appeals as well as the lower federal courts.

For more information about March 4, ACA rally at the Supreme Court, contact Mel Wilson, NASW Social Justice and Human Rights manager, at mwilson@naswdc.org.

http://www.socialworkblog.org/health-care/2015/02/affordable-care-act-threatened-heres-how-you-can-help/

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    Social workers across Michigan are encouraged to post stories, op-ed and other articles. Please email nasw-michigan@nasw-michigan.org with your submissions.. Posts do not constitute an endorsement by NASW.

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