In the past few months, DC Legislation & Advocacy Committee has been busy advocating for the Social Work Interstate Compact.

Some GWSCSW members have done the following:

• Written talking points for use in writing emails and talking to City Council Members (CMs)
• Made contact with the offices of CMs Frumin, Allen, Parker, and Gray
• Educated them about GWSCSW and social workers, who we are and what we do Actively listened to hear and understand their concerns and hesitations,
• Then writing additional talking points to address legislators’ concerns
• Talked with the president of the DC Mental Health Counselors Association -- they got a Counseling Compact sponsored and introduced in DC
• Raised the profile of GWSCSW
• Introduced the idea to our Board of hiring a DC lobbyist for the Compact issue
• Began working with NASW Metro DC Executive Director, Debra Riggs, on combining our advocacy efforts and finding a lobbyist

A separate effort has been looking at clinical social workers vis a vis insurance companies. Why have our reimbursement rates not been raised for so many years? With whom could we work to effect change in how insurance companies treat us?

If YOU are interested in having a Social Work Compact, or working on insurance issues, YOU need to step up! Everybody can do something: whether it’s research; making or using your contacts with other agencies or helping professions; writing to local legislators or meeting with their staff (we have talking points for guidance); or writing or attending Board of Social Work meetings and letting the Board know how important the Compact is to us.