In This Issue | march 2023 |
February, 2023
There are many people our Society is indebted to for our success in achieving legislative goals, but, sadly, we have lost one of our most committed, beloved and active members, Margot Aronson, who passed away on January 30, 2023, at the age of 81, after a year of coping with various illnesses.
As several of our members have commented, she was “a force to be reckoned with.” From her ability to encourage, cajole and support members to become more active in the Society’s work, to her enthusiasm for progressive and social justice causes, and to the detailed work she would do to make sure Clinical Social Workers were included in Federal legislation, she was always able to move things along in the right direction.
Margot’s experience growing up in New Jersey was the basis of her lifelong interest in and support of a group dedicated to Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture. Her parents were teachers whose goal for their family was to live in a house built by Wright. Now called “The Richardson House,” it is a “Usonian” house. These homes were built for the working class, with the goal of building affordable, functional homes for those with more limited budgets. Margot’s mother and father wrote to Frank Lloyd Wright with their wishes, and they collaborated with him to get the home built.
After attending college in NY, Margot worked for a number of years with the Peace Corps and treasured those experiences, including editing their magazine at the time. This helped her feel comfortable with taking on her first major role in our Society, editor of our newsletter.
After marrying and starting a family, she eventually found her way to Social Work, graduating with a Master’s degree from the University of Maryland’s School of Social Work. She worked for many years with children, adolescents and their families at the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents (RICA) in Montgomery County, MD. She also joined GWSCSW, where in addition to being our newsletter editor, she became President (2002-2005), and Vice President for Legislation and Advocacy (currently named Director of L&A).
It was in this last role that Margot tapped on my shoulder and drew me in to working on our MD Legislation and Advocacy Committee. We drove to Annapolis together countless times, thought through strategies to accomplish our goals, and discussed how best to write testimony together with our lobbyist at the time, Alice Neily Mutch. I learned that I could actually talk to legislators (they are people!), as well as provide testimony in committee hearings. I was nervous, but Margot was a calming, informative, and for me a necessary presence.
When Margot became more involved with CSWA, becoming the Deputy Director for Policy and Practice, she and then-President Nancy Harrington asked that I step into the role of Director of L&A. I did so and continued to consult with Margot for her sage advice and experience, which was vast.
Margot would do things like sit with a Congressional bill for several days, painstakingly marking up the bill in every place where a Clinical Social Worker should have been included. (It passed in that form.) In 2014, along with Janice Berry Edwards and Eileen Dumbo, Margot organized a “Training for Cultural Competency: A Colloquium for Social Work Educators.” Along with her other accomplishments, Margot pulled people in to collaborate and form coalitions to get things done.
She also shared other parts of her life, including her and her husband at that time, Ed Levin’s, involvement in the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. Ed, along with Ralph Nader, was a founding member of the national Appleseed network. Margot and Ed were strong supporters of the DC Center and their efforts to make DC a better place to live, including supporting DC statehood, and providing pro bono legal assistance to achieve many of their goals.
Margot’s support of the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, as well her family raising her in a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian house, were of importance to her. They show an overarching theme in her growth and thinking about social justice from exposure to those ideas even at an early age. Margot was a many-faceted, strong, and principled woman, a staunch friend, a “woman of valor.” She was formally recognized as such in different ways, for example, as the NASW Social Work Advocate of the Year and as the first recipient of the GWSCSW Frances Thomas Award for Legislative Excellence. See article by Golnar Simpson elsewhere in this issue for more detailed information about Margot and this award. I will always carry Margot with me, treasuring her principles, joie de vivre and her love.
Laura Groshong, LICSW, CSWA Director, Policy and Practice
I first met Margot at the Clinical Social Work Federation meetings in 2004. She was President of the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work and I was working on the CSWF Government Relations Committee. We were just getting to know each other when CSWF morphed into the Clinical Social Work Association in 2006; I was asked to lead the CSWA Government Relations Committee. Living in the “other” Washington, I quickly realized I would need someone in Washington DC to attend MHLG meetings, briefings, and other DC based events. Knowing that Margot had spent about 5 years doing advocacy for GWSCSW, I asked her if she would like to serve as my Deputy in DC. She quickly agreed and our partnership blossomed. We wrote papers together (she was a master editor), developed policy positions, lobbied together during my quarterly trips to DC, often talking daily about the many issues we covered. We worked with about eight CSWA Presidents and created the Policy and Practice Committee where she also served as my Deputy.
I loved Margot for many reasons, including the times my husband and I spent with her and her late beloved husband, Ed Levin. Losing Ed five years ago left a hole in Margot’s life that led to a deepening of our personal relationship. I encouraged her to get involved with PsiAN, a new organization in Chicago, where she joined the Board and became as indispensable to them as she was to me.
I never gave up hope that Margot would recover when she started having health problems a year ago, but it was not to be. Her daughter Stephanie (a social worker) did a wonderful job taking care of her the past year. Her son, Jeff, and other daughter, Ali, were also devoted to her.
A light has gone out in the world, but I hope we all can recognize the incredible gifts that Margot brought to our field and the ways she made clinical social work stronger. I will miss her more than I can say.
SAD NEWS OF MARGOT ARONSON’S DEATH
Golnar Simpson
Our GWSCSW has had a distinguished history of excellence in achieving important legislative work and Margot Aronson was among its brightest shining stars over several decades! The sad news of Margot’s death is a great loss to our professional community! In her quiet yet solid sense of commitment to social work values and social justice, her dedication and fierce determination in getting the job done, along with her friendliness and a dry sense of humor, she was quite a force to reckon with! She will be missed at many different levels. Below, please find an account of one tangible way that the Society was able to honor Margot and show its gratitude for her valuable service. We had the privilege of celebrating her in life and now, honor her memory once more:
Margot
Aronson Receives the Frances Thomas Award for Legislative Excellence
Newsletter
Article (From News and Views, September, 2019) By Marilyn Stickle
The first Frances Thomas Award for Legislative Excellence was presented to Margot Aronson at the Society’s Annual Dinner in recognition of her years of legislative leadership. Margot has dedicated herself to D.C., Maryland and Federal legislative efforts, working tirelessly on behalf of clinical social work. She has been in the right place at the right time advocating for mental health legislation for years, participating in coalition building, developing relationship with key council members and staffers, and is the CSWA Deputy Director for Policy and Practice. She is a highly valued and respected advocate in the clinical social work and mental health communities.
The Board created the award in 2018 to be given to a member who demonstrates outstanding leadership in achieving the Society’s legislative goals. It honors Frances who as fifth President of the Society participated in the successful passage of social work licensure in Maryland in 1977, in Virginia in 1978 and in D.C. where she played a pivotal ole in passage of licensure in 1987.
Members of the 2019 Frances Thomas Award for legislative Excellence Committee
Judy Gallant, Golnar Simpson, Audrey Walker, Dolores Paulson, Susan Horne Quatannens, Nancy Nollen, Marilyn Stickle.
Legislation & Advocacy | National
Laura Groshong, LICSW, CSWA Director of Policy and Practice
Here is the long awaited Social Work Compact Bill which will allow:
- LCSWs to join the Compact, after their home state has joined the Compact;
- LCSWs to practice in all Compact states without becoming licensed there separately;
- LCSWs that join the Compact to essentially have a multistate license.
The Compact will not be operational until at least seven states’ legislative bodies have passed the Compact into law in their states. Once this happens, the Social Work Commission will be created to oversee the Compact and individual LCSWs can join.
This is the basic information that explains the Compact: https://swcompact.org/
The actual language of the Social Work Compact Bill is here: https://swcompact.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/02/Social-Work-Licensure-Compact-Final.pdf
I will be sending lobbying suggestions shortly.
In states which have a session that is ending soon, the bill will probably have to wait till next year. Some states are ready to drop the bill today. We hope to reach the seven state threshold by next year.
Legislation & Advocacy | DC
Adele Natter, Chair, DC Legislation and Advocacy Committee
DC L&A Committee has expanded and now includes Gina Sangster, Deborah Newmark, Anthony Hain and Carolina Duarte.
At recent Board of Social Work meetings, we proposed that group supervision hours be counted for in the number of hours of supervision required for licensure. The Board was concerned about the size of such supervision groups and how these hours would be tracked and accounted for. The BOSW deferred consideration of the request because the Board Chair was not present. A final vote by the Board is due this month (February). DC Board meetings are held the last Monday of the month. The next DC Board meeting is Monday, is March 27 on Zoom at 10:00. Attendance by our members makes a definite impression on the Board.
Interstate Social Work Compact: Stakeholders have been meeting to write the language and standards for a Social Work Compact that would allow practice across State lines for social workers licensed in participating States. The Compact must be approved by the legislatures in at least seven States.
The DC L&A Committee is getting geared up to show our support and lobby DC City Council members to allow DC to participate in the Interstate Compact. We welcome the input and participation of people who are interested in making the Social Work Compact a reality.
Adele Natter, LICSW, Co-Chairs the GWSCSW Legislation & Advocacy Committee for DC.. 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.
Legislation & Advocacy | Maryland
Judy Gallant, Chair, MD Legislation and Advocacy Committee
I write this update the day after attending the MD Mental Health Association’s Legislative Briefing and Reception. Our new Governor, Wes Moore, spoke of prioritizing the accessibility of mental health care to Marylanders, and has acknowledged that in his proposed budget by earmarking $1.4 billion to mental health efforts. He was an inspiring and dynamic speaker, discussing the need to “relegate to the past this idea that the largest mental health provider in our country and in our state is our prison system,” and declaring that we can no longer deal with our mental health crisis by criminalizing it.
During another part of the evening, Kathleen Birrane, the Commissioner of the Maryland Insurance Administration (appointed in 2020), spoke honestly about the difficulty past Administrations have had of holding insurance companies accountable for breaking parity laws and enforcing penalties for not observing network adequacy requirements. She has slowly but surely begun to put insurance companies on notice when their published health plans have not complied with parity laws and given them a chance to correct the issues. When she has not seen significant changes in their resubmissions to meet the requirements of the parity law, the MIA has begun holding them accountable with stiff financial penalties.
Although Governor Moore did not speak about abortion at this event, he has also laid out his goal of strengthening abortion access, protecting abortion providers and those who seek abortions in Maryland. One of his proposed measures would create a shield law to protect abortion providers and patients from out-of-state legal, criminal or administrative action. Another proposed bill would give Maryland voters a choice in 2024 to place the right to an abortion in the Maryland Constitution.
Telehealth
One of our Society’s highest priorities this legislative session is to advocate to allow telehealth, including audio-only telephone conversations, to continue to be reimbursed at the same rates as in-person sessions. The “Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2023,” Senate Bill 534, would extend coverage and reimbursement for these services through June 30, 2025. Although not the permanent fix that we would hope for, if passed, this does give us two more years to provide these services to our patients. During this time, the Department of Health will also be receiving more information about the efficacy of these services.
Why Reforming Utilization Review and Step Therapy is Needed
Health insurance carriers engage in “utilization review” where the carrier reviews a practitioner’s request that a patient receive a certain health care service to determine if the service is medically necessary. The two most common types are “prior authorization” (needing to request approval in advance from the carrier) and “step therapy” [the patient must try and fail on (often less expensive) medications before being allowed to “step up” to another, potentially more effective medication].
- The 2021 Report on the Health Care Appeals and Grievances Law (released December 1, 2022) reports that carriers rendered 81,143 adverse decisions (e.g., denials of health care services based on the carrier’s decision that the health care service was not medically necessary rather than the judgment of the treating practitioner).
- In 2022, the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) modified or reversed the carrier’s decision (or the carrier reversed it during the course of investigation), 72.4% of the time on filed complaints, up from 70.5% in 2021. This means that in more than 7 out of 10 cases, the MIA ruled that the carrier was wrong, and that the patient should have received the health care service.
- In 2021, the American Medical Association conducted a survey on the impact that prior authorizations have on physicians and patients and found that: 93% of physicians reported delays in access to necessary care; 82% of physicians reported that patients abandoned their recommended course of treatment because of prior authorization denials; 73% of physicians reported that criteria used by carriers for determining medical necessity was questionable; 30% of physicians reported that it is rarely or never evidence-based and 43% only sometimes evidence-based.
We came together with a group of almost 50 organizations to strongly support two bills, one of which (House Bill 305/Senate Bill 308) will limit insurance carriers ability to remove authorization from a previously approved medication that continues to treat the patient successfully. The other bill (Senate Bill 515) exempts prescription drugs treating a mental disorder from step therapy protocols (meaning that someone has to fail to improve on one drug before another drug can be tried). This can potentially have a big impact on the patients we work with, as they may be able to recover their ability to function more quickly when they are able to receive the correct medicine without unnecessary delays.
A late-breaking concern: Senate Bill 871
We just learned about this bill entitled Social Workers – Licensure Examinations – Moratorium and Workgroup, which was “dropped” (introduced to the legislature) on February 6th.
This bill would remove licensure examination requirements for all Social Workers in Maryland, Including LCSW-Cs. It would also require the MD Department of Health to establish a workgroup, after eliminating examination requirements, to identify alternatives to exams for MSW, LCSW, and LCSW-C licenses and develop recommendations for an assessment method to replace the exam requirement.
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Position of the GWSCSW Executive Committee: We oppose Senate Bill 871 as it is currently written, which would remove licensure examination requirements for all Social Workers in Maryland, including LCSW-Cs. Eliminating licensure exams without an alternative method of testing is of great concern to us because of the potential impact the passage of the bill could have. To our knowledge, no other medical professional in Maryland can receive a license without passing an exam. We would not want a doctor or physical therapist to treat us without being tested on their knowledge. The elimination of licensing exams could lead to insurance providers based in Maryland discontinuing reimbursement for our services. We have made strides in being respected for our knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions. Passage of this bill would be a step backward in the evolution of our profession. In addition, it would put at risk Maryland’s ability to participate in the Social Work Interstate Compact, expected to be released on February 27. (See CSWA article elsewhere in this newsletter.) In support of our opposition to this Bill, we reprise a public statement that the MD Board of SW Examiners has posted on their website regarding the ASWB Licensing Exams. It says, in part: “Requests that we, as a regulatory board, choose not to rely on the ASWB licensing examinations do not address the larger societal issues that can impact candidates long before they take a social work licensing exam. Prerequisites to licensure are set in law, serve as an essential component of public protection, and cannot simply be ignored nor waived. The ASWB examination program, due to its rigorous standards, is a defensible measure of competency and can be relied upon by government as one requirement for licensure as a social worker.” There is no doubt that there are significant problems with the ASWB exams. ASWB is partnering with a number of Social Work organizations (including CSWA) to examine and eliminate racial bias issues within the exams. This will take some time and there is not a quick fix. And although some legislators believe that passage of this bill would be a quick fix, there would likely be unintended consequences that could be extremely damaging to our profession, our clients and to our ability to make a living. |
Please stay tuned and watch for updates on our listserve. I will put out a call to action for Maryland members to contact your State Legislators if this bill appears it is moving forward for a vote.
Judy Gallant, LCSW-C, is chair of the Maryland Clinical Social Work Coalition, our GWSCSW legislative committee in Maryland. She is also Director of the GWSCSW Legislation & Advocacy Branch and the Deputy Director of Policy and Practice for CSWA. She maintains a private practice in Silver Spring.
Pam Metz Kasemeyer and Christine Krone from our Maryland lobbying firm Schwartz, Metz and Wise, PA, wrote the section Why Reforming Utilization Review and Step Therapy is Needed as part of our testimony to the MD legislature.
Legislation & Advocacy | Virginia
Wayne Martin, Co-Chair, VA Legislation and Advocacy Committee Co-Chair
The Virginia General Assembly is still in session as this report is being written. The Legislative Committees of the VSCSW and the GWSCSW meet via zoom weekly during the legislative session, with our shared lobbyist, Mrs. Sue Rowland. The purpose of these meetings is to monitor bills relevant to Clinical Social Work and, if needed, to discuss securing patrons for bills of our own interest. As we approach the mid-point of the session, Sue believes we are in “good shape.”
Bills of interest have to do with the “Counseling Compact; Licensure of professional counselors” (HB 1433/SB802). This allows LPC's to practice in Compact member states. Social Work has NOT yet proposed similar legislation this session. Hopefully, we will be ready with a bill in 2024. If this bill passes, that will serve as a good precedent for LCSW's.
There are a number of bills having to do with Health Insurance companies' ethics and fairness in dealing with providers (SB927; SB1154; HB1503; HB1505). There is HB2146, which directs the Virginia Board of Social Work to adopt reciprocity standards for LCSW candidates who meet criteria and are licensed in another state and to adopt procedures for LCSW licensure by endorsement. Finally, we support a bill proposed by VSCSW Legislative Chair, Joe Lynch, which would require the Virginia Board of Social Work to “maintain a list of names and contact information of persons approved by the the Board to supervise candidates for licensure” (HB2231). If you need additional information, please contact a member of the legislative committee.
Our current lobbyist, Sue Rowland, who had graciously agreed to extend her contract one additional year, will finally retire as of May 31, 2023. The committee is currently seeking a replacement for our lobbyist who will serve our two Societies jointly as Sue has for a number of years. Sue is working with us in this process.
Members of both Societies may have already received an email request to complete a survey on “Barriers to Insurance Claims Paid,” which we urge you to complete and return as soon as possible. This survey, based on concerns raised by members of both Societies, was composed by Joe Lynch and asks specific questions on third party responses to claims submitted from LCSWs. It is extremely IMPORTANT to respond to this survey because the data collected could be the basis of future legislation.
If there is a GWS member who resides in Virginia, is licensed by the Board of Social Work and would like to be a part of our important committee, please contact me (Wayne Martin, wamnoles@aol.com) or Legislative Branch Director, Judy Gallant (judy.gallant@verizon.net).
Communications Branch reportSteve Szopa, Communications Branch Director The Communications Branch continues to keep you connected to Society events and your fellow Members through the listserv, the website, social media and the newsletter. We post regularly on social media and encourage you to follow us on: Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greater-washington-society-for-clinical-social-work458bba204/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GWSCSW/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/gwscsw Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gwscsw/ We are still looking for a volunteer to assist Steve Szopa with some social media tasks. Feel free to volunteer or give us feedback about any of our services by emailing steveszopa@gmail.com
PLEASE LIKE US AND FOLLOW GWSCSW ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS! |
COMMUNITY BRANCH
Erika Bugaj, LICSW, Community Branch Director
com·mu·ni·ty
/kəˈmyo͞onədē/
1. a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
2. a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.
Greetings, I would like to re-introduce myself as the Community Branch Director. In taking on this new volunteer role, I’ve come to realize that we are still in a state of transition and rebuilding our community back to in-person events after going virtual for quite awhile. I’m excited because there is creative space here to build and make change in our community now as we look towards the future. I recently looked up the definition of community (above) , and it reminded me how much I enjoy a “feeling of fellowship” with other social workers. I’ve experienced this in my career, and I want to help offer this opportunity to other social workers.
We have several opportunities to build and grow the GWSCSW through the Community Branch! We have openings for a Membership Committee Chair, University Liaison Chairs, and a Volunteer Chair. The general responsibilities of each chair, are explained below:
v Membership Committee Chair: Recruit new members, particularly students and grads, welcome new members, graduate outreach at the local MSW programs
v University Liaison Chair: Coordinates and supports the university liaisons in the development of their relationships with the deans and student organizations of their respective schools, and in identifying opportunities to promote student membership and participation in GWSCSW
v Volunteer Chair: Recruits new volunteers and help new volunteers find their respective committee of interest at events such as annual dinner, Wine and Cheese and other member gatherings
If you are interested in learning more about these roles, or you’d like to get involved, reach out to me at erika@dandelioncounselingcare.com
EDUCATION BRANCH
Lynn Grodzki, LCSW-C, Education Branch Director
We had a vacancy and I agreed to be the Society Educational Branch Director for this term. I am excited about our upcoming CEU zoom programs for 2023.
As you may know, each year, the Society offers a variety of CEU workshops for our members that are highly regarded, well attended, low cost and a great benefit of membership. We host dozens of workshops each year, both half and full day.
Workshop topics that we are in the process of planning and finalizing for this year’s GWSCSW calendar include:
- The Therapist’s Journey
- Making Peace with Making Money: Reconciling Service and Profit in Private Practice
- The Ethics of Intimacy in Psychotherapy
- Treating the Challenges of Complex Trauma
- The Enneagram in Your Practice: A 3-part series.
- How Therapists Can Understand and Treat Racial Trauma
And there is much more to come!
I also want to invite members to be presenters. Please consider being a speaker for us: This is a chance to share your expertise and allow our members to learn from your clinical experience. All relevant clinical topics are options for us. GWSCSW is looking for members who would like to present a continuing education workshop for Winter/Spring 2023.
Enrich our members by sharing your professional social work and therapeutic practice experience. We are interested in what you are writing, researching or learning about through your own clinical applications.
It’s easy to get started.
- CLICK HERE to submit a proposal.
- After your proposal is submitted it will be reviewed by the Education Chair.
- Once accepted, you will be promptly contacted to confirm all the specifics of your upcoming workshop.
- We handle everything else: marketing, technical set-up, registration and we pay you an honorarium for your time and effort.
We are happy to advise or mentor you through this process. Our members love attending our CEU offerings and presenters find the experience of working with our team satisfying and valuable. Please join our roster of 2023 speakers!
Note: To submit a proposal, you must be a licensed clinical social worker and a full member of the GWSCSW. (Non-members or non-social workers may present in conjunction with you.)
If you have any questions, please contact Donna Dietz, GWSCSW Administrator: admin@gwscsw.org
Upcoming events
| We’re always looking for workshop presenters. Are you a clinical social worker? Do you have expertise in a subject area you would like to share with fellow members? Please consider submitting a proposal via our online form, which can be found here. Prior to submitting a proposal, please review our proposal guidelines. Finally, if you’re interested in supporting the efforts of the GWSCSW Education Branch, please consider joining the Education Branch committee. It’s a great way to network, identify and outreach compelling presenters, and shape the educational offerings of the Society. We are dedicated to supporting efforts to further anti-racism in clinical social work and invite those who are committed to that work to join us. Please click HERE above for more information about how to volunteer. |
legislation & advocacy branch report
Judith Gallant, L&A Branch Director
I’d like to recognize and thank some of the members (including new or new-ish ones*) who have stepped up to join one of our committees to work on legislation and advocacy issues. In DC, these folks include: Carolina Duarte*, Gina Sangster, Tony Hain*, and Deborah Newmark. In Maryland, our committee includes: Alex Wood, Arthur Flax*, Becky Deku, Betsy Amy, Dan Buccino, Eileen Ivey, Erica Werfel, Jasmine Genus, and Rob Zelikoff. If you, too, would like to think together about the next steps we will need to take to convince lawmakers to support the Interstate Compact, or help us determine the position the Society takes on issues such as whether or not to support efforts to do away with all licensing testing by our Social Work Boards (see the MD report in this newsletter), please let one of us know. All voices are welcome and important and help us determine what to include in our testimony about bills or in what issues may be brought to one of the Boards of Social Work.
As always, please contact us with any questions, comments or to join one of the committees. Chair of DC L&A Committee: Adele Natter, telladelelicsw@gmail.com. Chair of VA L&A Committee: Wayne Martin, wamnoles@aol.com. Chair of MD L&A Committee and Branch Director, Judy Gallant, judy.gallant@verizon.net. We look forward to hearing from you!
Membership committee REPORT
Senior Seminars are a very popular GWSCSW program originally started by Grace Lebow in 2006. Some of them have been meeting ever since! Currently there are six groups meeting in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. This group is appropriate for you whether you are at a later career stage, contemplating retirement, or already retired. We have had a request to form a new group in the Bethesda/Potomac area for those who want to meet in person or virtually, to be decided by the group. If you are interested, please email Grace Lebow at gracelebow@icloud.com.
GWSCSW Annual Cocktail Party Save the Date Announcement
The next GWSCSW Annual Cocktail Party is scheduled for Sunday, September 10, 2023, from 5- 8 PM at Pinstripes in North Bethesda, MD. The party is for GWSCSW members only and registration will be required.
FREE admission will include Pinstripes catered appetizers. This is a fun opportunity to socialize and network with other members in an upbeat and welcoming private setting. Look for details and invitations soon via GWSCSW email distribution. Please contact Co Chairs Beverly Magida at bev.magida@verizon.net or Nancy Harris at nlharris1214@gmail.com with any questions.
MENTOR PROGRAM report
Nancy Harris, Mentor Liaison
The Mentor Program is available for GWSCSW members who are still in school, newly-graduated, approaching their clinical licensure, and those wondering about the next steps. Mentors can assist with questions about career direction, licensing, continuing education, relationships with supervisors, and decisions about what to do after clinical licensure. Mentorship is a powerful tool to enhance new social workers’ development.
If you are a member of GWSCSW and interested in signing up, please fill out the Mentor Program form or contact Nancy Harris, LCSW-C, coordinator of the Mentor Program, for questions. Her phone is (301) 385-3375, email is nlharris1214@gmail.
You can also reach her at www.gwscsw.com/mentoring
Experienced social workers are always welcome to be mentors themselves. The application form to be a mentor is found at the same place on the GWSCSW website.
GWSCSW Job BoardGWSCSW is proud to feature a job resource to connect career opportunities with our members. Visit the GWSCSW job board to look for jobs or to post a job today. Manage Your Career:
Recruit for Open Positions:
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Lovely Office Space available for rent! In a four office suite with a shared waiting area, small kitchen and restroom. One office is free and available to rent full time. It is unfurnished and can be decorated as you please. The office suite is on the ground level and handicap accessible. The space is quiet and has a very nice atmosphere. WIFI is available and included in the very reasonable rent price.
The office suite is located at Shady Grove Court close to I 270 and 355, has a bus stop very close and plenty of free parking.
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News & Views
Nancy Pines, Editor
News & Views is published four times a year: March, June, September and December.
Articles expressing the personal views of members on issues affecting the social work profession are welcome and will be reviewed and published at the discretion of the editor. Signed articles reflect the views of the authors; society endorsement is not intended. Articles are subject to editing for space and clarity.
News & Views Submission Guidelines
If you have a submission, please send it to me: npines12@aol.com. I edit the articles and reports and send them on to Donna Dietz, who does the layout.
Articles: Focus on your area of expertise and practice, ethical dilemmas, responses to events in the media or other topics relevant to clinical social work. Articles should be 500–700 words.
Reports: For each newsletter, I hope to hear from all branch and committee people to inform us of their activities.
Out & About: Share news about you: an article you’ve written, if you’ve been in the news, taught a class, earned a new certification or are a singer, artist or writer. Submissions should be 50 words or less. Send all submissions to npines12@aol.com.
Advertising: admin@gwscsw.org
Next submission deadline: May 15, 2023
Need to reach a Board member? Click here for the listing of the GWSCSW Board of Directors