Membership Dues Tax Deductible Amount: For the 2019 tax year, the percentage that is not deductible for tax purposes will be 24%, based on our projected lobbying expenses.  76% of your membership dues is deductible as a valid expense.

Legislation & Advocacy | District of Columbia

Adele Natter

Many people have expressed interest in how the DC Board of Social Work would change license requirements during the current pandemic. The Board met remotely on Monday, April 27, and discussed changes to its policies. The temporarily-revised policies are now posted on the website of the DC Board, in the Policy Guides and Statements section. Licensees are encouraged to check the website now for important details which may affect your practice. Keep an eye out for additional updates, particularly as DC’s State of Emergency regulations change.

Telehealth policy:

Social workers can practice using audio, visual, and telephone, as long as they practice within ethical and HIPAA standards of care. This policy will be in place until 12/31/2020, at which time it will be reconsidered.

Licensure Waivers during Covid-19:

Practitioners who are licensed in good standing in other jurisdictions may continue to serve clients who are in the District during Emergency conditions.

LGSWs in Private Practice:

LGSWs working toward advanced licensure may not practice independently, but can practice in another’s agency or private practice. An LGSW must be supervised by an LICSW.

CE Requirements for current License Renewal period:

For the current licensure period (ending July 31, 2021), the Board will accept online training, including pre-recorded offerings. Specific requirements for CE hours of ethics, LGBTQ, and public health issue trainings remain, but none need to be face-to-face.

The next meeting of the DC Board will be June 22nd.

Adele Natter, LICSW, Co-Chairs  the GWSCSW Legislation & Advocacy Committee for DC with Margot Aronson, LICSW. Adele has been an active participant on the Committee for the past four years; she represented GWSCSW on a Board of Social Work sub-committee, which included NASW and CSWA representatives.  Adele maintains a private practice focused on helping individuals with anger and emotional regulation issues. She is also a Clinical Instructor in the Psychiatry Residency Program of the George Washington University Medical School. She holds a BA in Psychology from UCLA and received her MSW from the University of Maryland.

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Legislation & Advocacy | Maryland

Judy Gallant

This report is based, in part, on the multi-page summary of this year’s legislative session from our lobbyist, Pam Metz Kasemeyer, JD. Additional information about the 2020 session will appear in the September newsletter.

To state the obvious, the impact of the global pandemic has been profound, for each of us individually, for our clients, for our country, and for the State of Maryland. The changes that Executive Orders, given by the President and by our Governor, that have had a tremendous impact on our practices are covered in the Toolkit for Virtual Practice, above in this newsletter.

Changes to fight the pandemic

The shape of lawmaking during the yearly session of the Maryland General Assembly changed dramatically this year, as the session ended 3 weeks earlier than scheduled. The Covid-19 pandemic necessitated quick changes to the Maryland budget for Fiscal Year 2021. The State has spent nearly $2 billion responding to the Corona virus so far.

Some other actions taken during the shortened session:

Senate Bill 245/House Bill 527:  Health Occupations – Social Workers – Scope of Practice, Supervision, and Application Decision Appeal Process (passed) was introduced to clarify language in a bill passed in a previous year that governs our practice. It was enacted with amendments requested by MdCSWC.  The bill clarifies that “practice social work” includes counseling for alcohol and drug use and addictive behavior. For an individual licensed as an LGSW or LCSW, the bill further clarifies that “practice social work” includes treatment of biopsychosocial conditions under the supervision of an LCSW-C, an amendment offered by MdCSWC.

ACA and Parity issues

Concern over the fate of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) prompted legislators to pass House Bill 959/Senate Bill 872:  Health Insurance – Consumer Protections (passed).  The bill is an emergency bill which codifies the patient protections contained in the ACA rather than simply referencing them in a cross-reference to the federal statute.  During the 2019 Session, the Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission was required to establish a workgroup to (1) monitor the appeal of the decision regarding the ACA and the implications of the decision for the State; (2) monitor federal enforcement of the ACA; and (3) determine the most effective manner of ensuring that Maryland consumers can obtain and retain quality health insurance.  This bill generally implements the recommendations of the workgroup. 

Continued concern over network adequacy issues in behavioral health prompted House Bill 455/Senate Bill 334:  Health Insurance – Mental Health Benefits and Substance Use Disorder Benefits – Reports on Nonquantitive Treatment Limitations and Data (passed).  This bill requires carriers to submit two reports (in 2022 and 2024) to the Insurance Commissioner to demonstrate compliance with the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and provide information on benefits.  With regard to the latter, this report is limited to the frequency, reported by number and rate, with which the health benefit plan received, approved, and denied prior authorization requests and the number of claims submitted for mental health benefits, substance use disorder benefits, and medical and surgical benefits in each Parity Act classification during the immediately preceding calendar year. 

Education issues

You may remember that last year I wrote about efforts to pass legislation to create guidelines on a trauma informed approach in Maryland schools. Although the efforts failed last year, this year those efforts to develop guidelines for schools on a trauma-informed approach succeeded with the passage of House Bill 277/Senate Bill 367:  State Department of Education – Guidelines on Trauma-Informed Approach. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) must create guidelines in consultation with MDH and the Department of Human Services, and MSDE must distribute the guidelines to local school systems and publish the guidelines on its website.  A “trauma-informed approach” is defined as a method for understanding and responding to an individual with symptoms of chronic interpersonal trauma or traumatic stress. A “trauma-informed school” is a school that: acknowledges the widespread impact of trauma and understands the potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in students, teachers, and staff; integrates information about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices; and actively resists re-traumatizing a student, teacher, or staff member who has experienced trauma.

As you may remember from the article by Katie Smeltz in our last issue of News and Views, the Kirwan Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education was charged with setting new education funding formulas and developing recommendations to transform the state’s public education system.  After more than two years of deliberation, the Commission’s recommendations were reflected in House Bill 1300:  Blueprint for Maryland’s Future – Implementation (passed), which was enacted by the General Assembly and awaits signature by the Governor.  The legislation includes a comprehensive set of strategies for enhancing school-based behavioral health services, which have been shown to improve student health and education outcomes.

The bill dedicates staff at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to coordinate with school behavioral health services coordinators, requires training of school personnel in protocols to support students in need of behavioral health services, and requires each local school system to develop and implement systematic screening to identify students with behavioral health needs.

The $4 billion bill plans many additional changes, including establishing a Consortium to develop and fund community-partnered school behavioral health programs across the state, provide free pre-kindergarten statewide, boost teacher pay and standards, and give extra money to schools with large populations of economically disadvantaged students. However, the State’s response to the Coronavirus and the anticipated decrease in revenue is putting the funding for the plan in jeopardy. Although the bill passed both the Senate and the House with a veto-proof majority, it is unfortunately not clear that the funding will be available to move forward with the plan in the coming year.

Ruling: Physical incapacity includes cognitive deficits

Early in May, the MD Court of Appeals (our highest court) unanimously held that the phrase "physical incapacity" includes cognitive deficits. The ruling was narrow but the precedent is broad. Interpreted maximally, the Court said that mental illness, PTSD, & brain injury are "now known to be manifestations of a physical incapacity."

Released quietly during a pandemic, this ruling is a major win for those who fight for mental health parity, for service-disabled veterans, and victims of brain injury.  (This information is courtesy of MD State Senator Jeff Waldstreicher.)

Judy Gallant, LCSW-C, is the director of the Society’s Legislation & Advocacy program, as well as chair of the Maryland Clinical Social Work Coalition, our GWSCSW legislative committee in Maryland. She maintains a private practice in Silver Spring.

Pamela Metz Kasemeyer, JD, and her firm of Schwartz, Metz & Wise, PA, represent us in Annapolis and guide our advocacy strategy. Ms. Kasemeyer is an acknowledged authority on Maryland’s health care and environmental laws and has represented a variety of interests before the Maryland General Assembly and regulatory agencies for more than 25 years.

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Legislation & Advocacy | Virginia

Judy Ratliff

Board of Social Work Changes to the Regulations Governing the Practice of Social Work

1.  There will be a reduction in fees for the initial licensure for Licensed Baccalaureate Social Workers( LBSW) from $115.00 to $100.00 and the annual renewal fee is reduced from $65 to $55.  
2. The most significant reduction in regulatory burden is the elimination of the current requirement for an applicant with a baccalaureate degree to have 3000 hours of supervised experience in order to qualify for licensure as an LBSW.  THIS REPRESENTS A HUGE CHANGE.  BSWs, PLEASE NOTE.
3. The number of hours of continuing education pertaining to ethics or standards of practice effective as of 11/13/2019 is an increase from 2 to 6 hours for LCSWs and from 2 to 3 hours for LBSWs and LMSWs.
4. Licenses will be renewed as usual in 2020, but the completion of 30 CEUs for 2020 and 2021 combined will be delayed until 2021.  Thus, two years of CEUs will be due when licenses are renewed in 2021.
5. The Board will cease to mail hard copies of licenses, certifications and registrations.  The Board will issue a final hard copy that has no expiration date.  The renewal period will begin in May and the Board will send out email notices at that time. You will have to maintain the final copy.  Insurance providers, employers, boards and citizens may obtain this information on "License Lookup".  Replacement or duplicate of a hard copy license, certification or registration may be requested through an individual online account  NOTE:  The content on License Lookup meets the accreditation standards for primary source verification from the top seven accreditation organizations for healthcare professionals.  This could be a source for those of you looking into getting accredited in other jurisdictions.
6. Two separate licenses, LBSW and LMSW (masters) are now in effect.

Laws Passed by the Virginia Legislature and Signed into Law in 2020

1. The Governor approved SB 1046, Clinical social workers; patient records, involuntary detention orders, effective 7/1/2020.  The bill adds clinical social workers to the list of eligible providers that includes treating physicians and clinical psychologists, who can disclose or recommend the withholding of patient records, face a malpractice review panel and provide recommendations on involuntary temporary detention orders.
2. Proposed Study:  There was a recommendation that the Department of Health Professions convene a work group to identify the number of social workers needed in the Commonwealth to adequately serve the population; identify opportunities for the Commonwealth's social work workforce to successfully serve and respond to the increasing needs of individuals, groups and communities in a variety of areas such as child welfare, aging, mental health and other areas of social need; gather information about current social workers in the Commonwealth related to level of education, gender, employer and compensation; analyze the impact of compensation levels on social workers' job satisfaction and performance and other aspects; and make recommendations for additional sources of funding to adequately compensate social workers and increase the number of social workers in the Commonwealth.
3. HB 42:  Prenatal and postnatal depression, etc.; importance of screening patients:  Under this bill, doctors who provide primary, maternity, obstetrical or gynecological health care services pertaining to prenatal or postnatal depression or other depressions are to provide screening for these diagnoses for every patient who's is currently pregnant or who has been pregnant within the previous five years.
4. The numerous laws previously put in place limiting a woman's access to abortion were repealed, including the mandatory 24 hour waiting period and ultrasound testing.
5. Dozens of Jim Crow era laws that limited the rights of black Virginians were removed from the code as these laws had been declared unconstitutional by federal courts years ago.
6. The Virginia Values Act prohibiting discrimination in housing and employment for all persons passed, making Virginia the first state in the South to do so.
7. A bill was passed that added protections of the hate crime law to all persons regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, as were other bills to prohibit LGBTQ discrimination.  Conversion therapy for minors is banned under a new law.
8. Major bills passed to make voting easier.  No-excuse absentee voting was enacted, and election day will now be a holiday.  A repeal of the photo ID requirement for voting passed.  

(Please note that summaries of the bills in items 4-8 are courtesy of Delegate Ken Plum, Reston)

Judy Ratliff, LCSW, (recently retired from work but not from GWSCSW or from life) Co-Chair, VA Legislation and Advocacy Committee.

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Announcing a New Co-Chair for the Northern Virginia branch of the Legislative and Advocacy Committee

I am thrilled (and I'm not kidding) to announce that I now have a super-qualified co-chair in the person of Wayne Martin.  Wayne was the first president of the VSCSW when it was formed in 1991.  He served as president from 1991-1995.  He was appointed to the Virginia Board of Social Work by Governor Mark Warner in July, 2004 and was reappointed by Governor Tim Kaine in 2008.  He became Chair of the Board in July, 2010 and served out his term until June, 2012. Wayne was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award by the Virginia Society for Clinical Social Work in 2019.

Wayne was in private practice for over 30 years and worked for the Navy as a civilian until his retirement in December, 2019.  He moved from Norfolk, VA to Bethesda, MD in early January of this year and joined the Greater Washington Society of Clinical Social Work.  I am looking forward to having his expertise and sharing this position with him.  Welcome, Wayne.

AThe Stages of Grief in Quarantine

By Gina Sangster, MFA, MSW, LICSW | Psychotherapist & Supervisor, Capitol Hill Consortium for Counseling & Consultation

I definitely hit the Anger stage of grief in the middle of week-4 of our stay-at-home order. As anyone knows who has experienced grief and loss, the stages are not sequential. We used to like to think you could progress in a neat pattern from one to the other, finally culminating in a sigh of “Acceptance.” Actually, I’ve heard it suggested that Acceptance may be too tall of an order and that the best we can hope for is Understanding. We may never get to full Acceptance in many grief and loss scenarios. Will we ever fully accept the way the Corona virus has upended our world? But let’s get back to the Anger stage, as I’m nowhere near Acceptance OR Understanding.

Today, I hate my toaster oven. Let’s be clear: I love my toaster oven. I’m not sure how I could survive without a toaster oven. Anyone who knows me knows I love things crispy and toasted. Don’t give me a pale, lukewarm English muffin; it has to be golden – darker around the edges. Even a little burnt is okay. And I’ve got a stockpile of bread supplies to choose from in my refrigerator: Trader Joe’s cinnamon roll bread, the above-mentioned English muffins, seedless rye and pita. I’m well-stocked for this quarantine. Yes, there’s spinach and broccoli too, but this is not the time I’m going to curtail my carb addiction. Actually, no time is that time for me; but especially not now. The thing is my toaster oven is very loud when it announces your toast is done. And today, this causes me to feel furious as I lift out the lovely slices onto a waiting plate. This is not a normal reaction, but it’s normal under these circumstances.

I’m having fantasies of escape, which fits right in with the Bargaining and Denial stages. This morning I was plotting how I’d put on a mask and gloves and go to the post office and CVS. I wouldn’t confess this to my adult daughters or son. Earlier this week, in a half-awake, half-dream state, I imagined pancakes and scrapple from Eastern Market Lunch (I know, I know, one of the worst foods in the entire world; but my mother used to fry scrapple, so you can understand my longing). I could just sneak over there and no one would know, right? Once fully awake, I recognized my fantasies as hallmarks of Bargaining and Denial; the hopeless wish to dupe reality, to find a way out of a reality that seems unbearable.

I believe in every family, every friend group, work group and neighborhood, there are the Corona virus gatekeepers. These are the people who were early adopters of quarantine. In my family, it’s my eldest daughter. She hasn’t left her house since early March and no one is allowed in or out except her immediate family – my son-in-law and two grandsons. She recently allowed her sister, who lives twenty minutes away, to visit on the deck, touching no one and not being allowed into the house for any reason. She has a history of asthma and one of my grandsons has asthma, so this all makes sense; except there are moments when it feels dictatorial and irrational. If I even allude to doing something, or refer to something someone else has done that skirts the edges of safety, her reaction is swift and unyielding. She’s that parental figure, telling you your strict curfew is for your own good, and there’s no room for negotiation.

Some of my Anger and Bargaining, springs from how highly I value self-sufficiency. There have been moments when I feel like (and in my own head, sound like) my early twenties client who has a tendency to whine. Trust me: she won’t mind if she reads this: we have an open dialogue about where the whining comes from and why it’s so difficult to openly express feelings, needs and opinions. I think she’ll actually appreciate knowing that I whine too. I hear myself whining about not being able to do all the things I normally do, go the places I want to go (granted, most of them are closed now). Yes, people are helpful and more than willing to bring me groceries, but I want to go get them myself, as I’ve always done! During the first week of the shut-down, this young woman was the voice of the resistor, the person who didn’t want to believe any of it and didn’t want to adjust her behavior. Of course, she has since come around to living life sequestered at home, like the rest of us. But sometimes, we still want to protest, to deny the unbelievable, surreal world we now inhabit.

I’m sure we’re all familiar by now with the Depression that comes with isolation. The lack of motivation; worries about the future, poor self- image because we’re not exercising, being productive, or receiving stimulation from any of the external resources we’ve come to rely on. The work we do as therapists is in one way easier than other kinds of work that can be done virtually because we receive the engagement of our clients; we don’t have to be entirely self-motivated. But it’s still hard, for all of us, especially those who have lost jobs, whose incomes are now slashed, those who toil on the front lines in hospitals, those who still stock our supermarkets and pharmacies.

Recognizing the stages of grief can help: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance – or Understanding, and recognizing that the stages don’t progress in any neat order. We will all cycle through repeatedly, finding ourselves suddenly angry at an inanimate object – or worse, a loved one; suddenly gripped with sadness because we haven’t seen our friends, the inside of a gym or yoga studio or anyone else for that matter, except on Zoom. It has recently been suggested that we add a sixth stage of grief: Meaning-making. I’m sure the process of trying to make meaning of this pandemic will consume many hours and in many great minds. Meanwhile, let’s be kind to one another and to ourselves, and to all the people (and even objects!) that are helping us get through this.

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Give Yourself Grace

By Gina Sangster, MFA, MSW, LICSW | Psychotherapist & Supervisor, Capitol Hill Consortium for Counseling & Consultation

At the closing of a virtual gathering, a member of a grief and loss group that I facilitate said that she wanted to “give herself grace” at this time of isolation. Her words stayed with me.

During my first week of self-quarantine, I purchased an on-line yoga practice and logged onto one of the first Zoom classes my local yoga studio offered. I’m also supposed to be continuing with daily rehab exercises for the knee replacement surgery I had in December. Though going to physical therapy was hard and time-consuming, DIY is much harder. I’ve partnered with a neighbor who had the same surgery in January so we can at least support one another by phone. I get daily reminders from the on-line yoga practice and I know the local studio is continuing to offer virtual classes, but I haven’t participated since that first week. I’m probably doing about a quarter of the exercises my physical therapist sent me by email; the stiffness in my knee in the middle of the night and when I wake up every morning tells the tale. She also advised me to take daily 20-30 minute walks; that was before the pandemic death toll reached record numbers, before our Mayor directed us to “Stay At Home.” Now we’re advised to wear masks. Should I venture out? At what risk? I’m trying to give myself grace.

Like many people who didn’t come of age with cell phones, smart phones, tablets and laptops, I often try to limit reliance on my I-phone. Plug it in to recharge some distance away. Turn off the ringer. Don’t check email; don’t reply right away to texts. All of this has gone out the window in isolation. I carry my phone around my apartment like a baby bird held delicately in my hand, fearing for its life. But it’s really the phone that is my lifeline, kept close by at all times, not always on but always accessible. And even when I’m brave enough to silence it, I frequently glance at its blackened screen to see if any messages have appeared. Sitting down to write or read, I may silence it and turn it over so I can’t immediately see the screen; but any minute now I’ll feel compelled to check. Are we all developing aspects of obsessive compulsive disorder? I’m trying to give myself grace about that too.

A few years ago, I finally gave up my land-line. Confession: I hadn’t actually had a telephone attached to the line for a few years prior, but I had a hard time giving up the number, a vintage 1970’s era impossible-to-forget set of digits. I kept paying the basic fee, planning to get a new phone or cut off the service altogether. Now I wish I had that old-school backup. Like many of the clients I see for psychotherapy, I’m struggling with anticipatory anxiety: what if something happens to my cell phone? You can’t just go down the street as usual to the AT&T store. Sure, you can order from Amazon, the demigod of life in the twenty-first century, but would I get what I want? How much would it cost? How long would it take to arrive? What would I do in the meantime? Not being able to reach my adult children in New York or Portland, Oregon? Lose contact with clients, colleagues, friends? This is the kind of negative ruminating I’ve never fallen prey to before in my life and that I hear all the time from people who come to me for therapy. Up until now, it’s been easy for me to spot this predilection, to hear the repetitive trains of thought that drive an ever-increasing track of fear and negativity and to offer observations and insight that can help derail such ruminations. A client recently told me she hadn’t realized she was allowing herself to imagine worst case scenarios so far into an unknown future until I pointed it out. That wasn’t long ago, before any of us imagined where we’d all be today. I felt gratified that I was able, with a few simple word, to help her realize something essential about her tendency to catastrophize, and to help her gain some control that can come with self-awareness. Right now, I’m trying to give us all grace.

My 24 year-old son, living with his girlfriend in Portland, Oregon, told me he plans to learn German and improve his Spanish while practicing social distancing. An inveterate introvert, the transition to working virtually and spending quiet hours in isolation hasn’t been such a stretch for him. Plus, he’s got the attention and support of a loving partner. I won’t be surprised if he comes out of this speaking a new language and perfecting the Spanish he started learning in middle school. But for the rest of us mere mortals, let’s give ourselves grace.

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POETRY

Poem in the Time of Covid

By Judy Ratliff

I walked down a corridor I didn't know.
It was the corridor of fear...
the fear of a freefall into the unknown.
And unknown and unknowing, I walked the corridor of fear.
And then i was joined by grief,
a cloak that covered me and
almost smothered me with sadness so severe that I almost forgot that this was the corridor of fear.
Fear, grief, change.
The swirling mists of change engulfed me
as I walked very near to the end of the corridor of fear,
very close to being fully gripped in grief.
Then the mists around the unknown change began to clear
and I could see that something new was near.
And the unknown expanse of change appeared,
beckoning to be explored.

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• continuing education training,
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Communications Branch 

Kate Rossier, Director of Communications | Email: kazrossier@hotmail.com

As this is my last Communications Branch report, I would like to thank you all for the pleasure of serving in this capacity. My efforts have been to work with Donna Dietz, our administrator, to improve and strengthen our website and oversee the newsletter, listserv, and social media communications. I also give great thanks to Nancy Pines, who has done a splendid job with our newsletter these last two years and will be continuing on; Joel Kanter, who continues to be our listserv moderator and sends articles of interest out for all of us to read; and to Chana Lockerman, who is our ongoing social media chairperson and writer of the interesting articles on technology for the newsletter. You’ve all been terrific! - As I leave this position, I will be turning over these efforts to Steve Szopa, former president of the society. He will bring his own great energy to our communications and I’m sure will make improvements on all fronts!

Please send any questions, suggestions, feedback or comments to admin@gwscsw.org.  

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Education Branch 

Susan Post, Director of Education | susan.post@gmail.com

What an unusual year. Coronavirus obviously had a negative impact on our ability to present continuing education programs for GWSCSW members. Even before the general shut down, the continuing care communities we use as venues for our workshops discontinued their availability to outside organizations and visitors. Numerous scheduled programs had to be either postponed to next fall/winter or conducted online. Yet this will mean a busy and rich schedule for the coming year when, with any luck, we will be able to reconvene.

We will have a new Director of Education, Leila Jelvani, who has worked with me on programing this past year and is eager to launch an exciting schedule. She will be assisted by Robin Seiler and Jackie Fonseca; many thanks to each of them for stepping up.

Sadly, the annual Alica Kassabian Memorial Conference, which typically takes place in November, has been cancelled. This lecture brings an outside expert to DC and involves travel, housing, venue and food reservations. It was felt by the conference committee that, given current uncertainties, it would be best to postpone. 2020 would be an “off” year for our semi-annual ethics conference with Frederic Reamer, so we will look forward to his return in 2021.

Despite the effect of Covid 19 on continuing education during the latter part of the year, we had lots of rich programming during fall and winter of 2019-2020. Many thanks to the presenters of these workshops. If you are interested in offering a workshop for our membership for the coming year, please feel free to contact Leila Jelvani at leila.jelvani@gmail.com.

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy, if unusual summer, and l look forward to reconnecting in the fall.

Leila Jelvani: leila.jelvani@gmail.com
Shauna Alonge: salongelaw@gmail.com
Robin Seiler: rsseilerjr55@gmail.com

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Legislation Branch 

Judy Gallant, Director of Legislation| Email: judy.gallant@verizon.net 

This is a time unlike anything we have ever experienced. As I write this, most of us have been sitting in front of our computers to see clients, practicing completely virtually, for over 6 weeks. Our lives are spent primarily in our homes, save for the walks or runs we can grab outside, the stealthy trips to the grocery store, masks and gloves in place (that is, if we can’t manage to snag an Instacart slot), and yardwork. Who ever thought mowing the lawn and picking up windblown branches would be a respite? Yes, I know some people love gardening. I have not typically been one of them.

We struggle to get used to the situation, but how long will it last? When will we feel comfortable returning to our offices and seeing people in person? When will our clients be willing to come to our office, after they’ve been able to see us from the comfort of their homes? WHEN WILL OUR CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL? When will we get to hug our friends – or our adult children and our grandchildren - again? And how do we cope with our own fears of getting ill and dying alone?

And the billing of those damnable insurance companies – will it ever make any sense? Why can’t they just standardize their coding and let us get our payments promptly? Do I use 95, GT, 02, GQ or maybe BS?? Perhaps answers lie amongst the thousands of emails from the past 2 months? Let’s see:…oh, here’s an answer! Yes?…No…here’s a different answer!

• Is this a new reality?
• Was this our old reality?
• Or is this a coronavirus nightmare?

I close my eyes, and as if dreaming, my mind’s eye brings into focus the image of a toolbox! There’s writing on it! It’s a hyperlink! It’s from our Society’s website, posting all of the information one will ever need in this time of telehell: https://www.gwscsw.org/covid-toolkit. Yes, it’s there!! Yay! Wow, look at all that information. OMG-it’s even been updated!! Thank goodness I’m not alone with this. This community is great!

Oh, and what’s this? There’s even a link to the CSWA website for a sample consent form for telemental health treatment. Do I have everything I’m supposed to have on my consent form, I wonder,…and did I join CSWA this year? I really meant to. OK, I’d better do it right NOW, since I just know I’ll forget. OK, that feels a bit better. And, it’s amazing, I actually got my billing done, the way I think I’m supposed to.

What’s this, a new piece of information? It looks like those stupid insurance companies changed the process from what the toolkit said! OK, good. I’ve finally gotten it right and now I’m getting paid.

Probably not too many people have seen what I just noticed. Hmmm, I should let Judy G know about that change so the website can be updated. It feels good to contribute that information to my colleagues and my friends. I want to do this more often, spend some time helping with advocacy. The Legislation and Advocacy group probably could use my help now more than ever.

Be sure to contact one of us with any questions, suggestions, or information you might have, or to join one of the committees: in DC, Margot Aronson at malevin@erols.com or Adele Natter at anatter@verizon.net; in Maryland, Judy Gallant, judy.gallant@verizon.net; and in Virginia, Judy Ratliff, jratliff48@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Tech Tips

By Chana Lockerman

With gratitude to Tech Tips for many years of service, the Social Media Committee celebrates this column’s retirement. We’re excited to announce a new column that reaches beyond the “how-to” perspective of Tech Tips and explores the dynamic relationship between technology and social work, and how social workers interact with technology in our ever-changing world.

Years ago when Tech Tips was born, many GWSCSW members were first working out how to integrate technology into their social work practice. We’ve come a long way since this column first helped to manage email, electronic medical records, and what we now consider the basic technologies of the mental health field.

Our new column is here to serve you, so it’s only right that you name it! Please submit your suggestions to name our new column to chana@rockcreekcounseling.com.

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Out and About

Cecilia McKay, MSW, is graduating from the two-year Psychoanalytic Studies Program at the Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis and has been accepted as a third-year analytic candidate in the Institute. She has a private practice in Rockville, Maryland.

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Committee Reports

Continuing Education Committee
Shauna Alonge| Leila Jelvani
cecommittee@gwscsw.org

Click here to submit a proposal. Once submitted, the proposal will be reviewed by the Education Chair and the Continuing Education Committee. 

Legislation & Advocacy Committee
Judy Gallant
dirlegislation@gwscsw.org

Membership Committee
Cindy Crane, Nancy Harris, Catherine Lowry
membership@gwscsw.org

Mentoring Committee
Nancy Harris
mentoring@gwscsw.org

The GWSCSW Mentor Program continues to be available during this time of social distancing. Mentors are available to meet online. If you’re interested in having a mentor to help you transition from school to workforce, to get started in your career, to answer questions about licensing and  online continuing education please fill out the Mentee questionnaire located on the GWSCSW website. If you have questions about the GWSCSW Mentor Program, please contact the coordinator, Nancy Harris, LCSW-C, at (301) 385-3375 or nlharris1214@gmail.com.

Newsletter Committee
Nancy Pines
npines12@aol.com 

Your newsletter welcomes ideas and articles about clinical social work and practice. We are also very interested in hearing from members who have specialized knowledge or adjunct therapy practices they want to share. 

Please consider your own life experiences and how they may have affected how you practice. One of the things I love about our profession is how we are always learning. Why not share your expertise and life lessons with fellow members? Send an email with your story/essays to npines12@aol.com. I'd like to give a shout-out to Gina Sangster, who contributed timely and relevant essays to this issue.

We now have three "proofers" (which AOL is always telling me is not a word, but whatever): Adele Natter, Shoba Nayar (both of whom have been doing this for several years),  and Steve Szopa, our former president. Thank you for your willingness to check out my work!

Social Media Committee
Chana Lockerman
socialmedia@gwscsw.org

The Committee is excited to announce a new column that explores the dynamic relationships between social workers and technology. Please help us name the new column! Email Chana Lockerman: chana@rockcreekcounseling.com with suggestions about what to call the new column and what you’d like it to cover.

Volunteer Committee
Beth Pascoe
volunteer@gwscsw.org

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Classified Advertising

Advertisements, accompanied by full payment, must be received by  GWSCSW by the first of the month preceding publication. Material should be sent to admin@gwscsw.org. For questions about advertising, call 202-537-0007.

Adolescent/Young Adult Therapy: CBT, DBT, Medical Illness Counseling, Unified Protocol, Group Therapy. Powerful interventions for depression, anxiety, anger, perfectionism, fear, shame, rumination, social anxiety, ASD and more. Rathbone & Associates. Rely on Experts. 301-229-9490 www.rathbone.info.

Professional CEUs: Rathbone & Associates Professional Training Program. See our current schedule at www.rathbone.info, click on “Professional Trainings”. Current topics, quality speakers, practical skills.

Psychiatrist centrally located in Howard County seeking collaboration with licensed therapist in private practice setting. I am accessible, friendly and creative. I return phone calls, work with adult individuals and incorporate family/other support network into treatment and engage in diagnostic/treatment formulations with therapists. I provide in-office or telehealth appointments for MD, DC and VA. Based on the size of your practice, potential to provide on-site services. Fee for service only. Please see www.beginnersmindpsychiatry.com or contact me directly pjnegro@me.com 410 262-5621

Newly renovated, beautifully designed therapeutic space is available in Downtown DC, centered on Farragut Square, a 1-minute walk from both the Farragut North Red Line and the Farragut West Blue/Orange/Silver Lines. The secure building (with lobby attendant) is a rare find in DC, one of the few renovated downtown historic structures that also maintains original charm as a quiet, solid and beautiful space between modern high-rises. With natural light, wood floors, and intentional designs that facilitate and support a healing, prosperous, and professional space, the private suite consists of a waiting room, with the option to rent one or both of two additional private offices, available full or part time. Suite is fully furnished with flexibility for modifications and personal touches to suit individual taste and modality. To discuss further please contact: Emily Cooper, MPH, MOM, LAc @ 202.320.4213 or emilycooper@healingwisdommedicine.com

Located in Downtown Bethesda 2 blocks to metro and on the J2 bus line. Large, furnished, friendly office with ample natural light in very quiet therapists' suite, (two offices in suite). Large office consists of a desk area behind the sofa that faces two comfortable chairs area, storage space, locked closet with file cabinets and fax machine/copier.  Large parking lot on site provides free parking for yourself and your clients. Suite also contains sitting area, water cooler, private bathroom, kitchenette and wifi. Building is open 24/7 with utilities on. Building is accessible currently during the Covid Crisis. You can use the office to see clients/patients remotely if you need a quiet space. Almost full time (minus 6 hours) for $995, or two days plus flexibility for $550 or make an offer. Contact Mona Mendelson | mona.mendelson@verizon.net | 240-354-6704  or Jolie Golomb | jbg5129@gmail.com | 202-390-4471

Ellicott City/Columbia, MD Office Space | Beautiful reasonably priced office space for rent part time with potential for full time, in Ellicott City/Columbia, MD. Fully and very nicely furnished, in suite with other cordial and collaborative therapists, lots of referral potential. Three-windowed corner office, with commonly shared kitchen, waiting room, free parking, swanky elevator building. Email njkillen@aol.com

Classified Ads: 75¢ per word | Minimum price $15 (20 words)
Display Ads: Full page 7 x 9¼ $325 | Half page $250| Quarter page $125 | Eighth page $75  

Electronic submission (JPG) preferred. Publication does not in any way constitute endorsement or approval by GWSCSW, which reserves the right to reject advertisements for any reason at any time.

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