The Virginia General Assembly passed more than 1,000 bills during the recent legislative session, which adjourned on March 9. The Governor had until midnight on April 8 to act on the bills. He signed nearly 800 bills, offered amendments to more than 100 bills and vetoed 153 bills, which exceeds the number of bills vetoed by previous governors over their four-year terms. In addition, the Governor offered more than 200 amendments to the state budget bill. The General Assembly will convene on April 17 to consider the amendments and vetoes.
Of particular interest to the GWSCSW/VSCSW were the two social work compact bills, Senate Bill 239 (Senator Hashmi) and House Bill 326 (Delegate Glass). Throughout March, the legislative committee coordinated with the patrons and reached out to the Governor’s Office on several occasions to encourage him to sign the bills. The Governor signed SB239 and HB326 before the April 8 deadline making Virginia the sixth state to adopt the compact. Once the compact has been adopted by seven states, the Council of State Governments will begin the process to formalize the application process and administration of the licensing reciprocity with other member compact states.
Of note, the Virginia Board of Social Work cancelled their March 29 meeting due to a lack of a quorum. The next meeting is scheduled for July 12.
Social Work Compact (SB239) legislation now awaits the signature of Governor Youngkin. It is anticipated that the Governor will sign the bill on or before April 8th. The legislation did pass both houses of the Virginia General Assembly with only one minor amendment. Once Governor Younkin signs the bill this will make Virginia one of the first states to pass this significant legislation. According to our lobbyist, Mark Smith, we had a very successful effort with legislation that would/could impact LCSW’s in Virginia. The Virginia Legislative Committee (of which I am a member) met weekly via zoom with Mark Smith, to review proposed bills/legislation that would or could impact clinical social workers. Some of these bills did not make it out of committee, others were referred to study committees to return to be considered in the 2025 session. Our top legislative priority was the “Compact”. Mark will provide the committee with a report on the disposition and status of legislation that was monitored by the committee. Once received, I will request that this report by placed on the GWSCSW website under the “L. and A.” section. The Virginia General Assembly is due to adjourn on March 9th. We were successful in getting SB239 through the “minefield” of the Virginia General Assembly due to the efforts of Mark and members of the legislative committee who went to the General Assembly and lobbied for the Compact. It was Mark’s connections and contacts with key members of the Senate and House that gave us both access (to meet with the members) and credibility. I say the latter after viewing the video of Mark receiving a proclamation by the Virginia Senate on his retirement after his 45 years of service to the Commonwealth in the form of “SJR 151”. Mark received on March 4th in the Senate chamber, recognition for his 45 years of dedication to Virginia in the form of a “joint resolution.” The many “whereas” and the final, “hereby” of the proclamation, reconfirmed to me how fortunate we are to have him as our lobbyist. Congratulations Mark!!! (that video of the ceremony is available on U-Tube. Email me if you are interested in a forward of the link to view it.) The VSCSW Legislative Committee will meet over the summer and early fall to set our goals and priorities for 2025 General Assembly. The G.A .will convene in Mid January.
Reported submitted by Wayne A. Martin, LCSW, BCD Emeritus, GWSCSW Representative to the VSCSW Legislative Committee
The lobbying expenses for FY23
MD- $23,633.36
VA - $12,500.00
Total Lobbying Expenses = $36,133.36
Membership dues = $95,319.61
The election results in Virginia appear very favorable to Clinical Social Workers and the mental health field. By slim margins in each Legislative house, the Democrats are now in control.
Our top priority remains getting passage of the Social Work Licensure Compact. During the annual Legislative Conference, September 9th, those present heard about the Compact from both our lobbyists and the Legislative Branch Director, Judy Gallant. Information was presented and handouts made available. Now with the Virginia General Assembly elections decided and Democrats in control, it is time to move forward. Out lobbyist, Mark Smith has secured a patron in the Senate to introduce Compact Legislation. The Joint VSCSW and GWSCSW Legislative Committee will begin to meet via zoom to discuss strategies to ensure passage.
This is where the membership will be call upon to get involved by contacting their respective House and Senate members. There are resources available that more fully explain the Compact and you can access the complete text of the compact from there. CSWA has developed some materials that will help with lobbying and can be accessed here. Members of the General Assembly can be most impacted by hearing from you the difference the Compact will make to the citizens of Virginia, your clients, and to our profession.
At this time we do not have a bill number; but once this legislation is introduced members will be asked to make the phone calls. So stand by for further information.
In order to gather information for future legislative action, an insurance survey was sent out to both the VSCSW and the GWSCSW on their respective experiences with insurance companies. The survey is needed to obtain data with how the third parties respond to claims: are they processed correctly? Are they then paid timely? Have providers been audited? Please look for this survey and complete it as directed. It is important. IF you did not receive it or if it is “lost” in your in box, please contact your respective Society’s Admins staff for a link to the survey. Thank you
Since securing the services of Mark Smith as the new lobbyist for the GWSCSW and the VSCSW, all has been quiet this summer. Of MOST importance is that all 140 seats of the Virginia General Assembly (GA) will be up for vote this November 7th - election day. Virginia is one of the few states to hold statewide elections in this “off year.”
The composition of the GA will determine the type of legislation to be proposed. It will decide how pro-active or re-active the GWSCSW and the VSCSW will need to be during the legislative session. Our number one priority is the Social Work Interstate Compact. The interstate compact must pass the Virginia General Assembly and be signed by the Governor to become law. It is a totally political process. This will mean that members of the GWSCW who live (and vote in) Virginia will need to become politically active. We will need to contact - or better yet - visit our representatives (delegates or senators) and urge their support for the Compact bill. There are resources available that more fully explain the Compact and you can access the complete text of the compact from there. CSWA has developed some materials that will help with lobbying and can be accessed here. Members of the General Assembly can be most impacted by hearing from you the difference the Compact will make to the citizens of Virginia, your clients, and to our profession.
What would be helpful - now- is to be active in the campaign of your chosen candidate for office in your House or Senate district. That is the best way to encourage their support later on. There is no substitute for political involvement DURING a campaign and before the election. Once the composition of the Legislature is known - which party is in charge of the House of Delegates and the Senate - we will be better able to strategize and assess the situation.
The Virginia Legislative & Advocacy Committee of GWSCSW does NEED volunteers. There is a strong need for 2-3 individuals who live (and practice) in Northern Virginia to be part of this committee. Please contact L&A Branch Director Judy Gallant (judy.gallant@verizon.net) and VA L&A Committee Chair Wayne Martin (wamnoles@aol.com) if you are interested.
Edited excerpts from Sue Rowland’s final report:
Topics of bills from this years Virginia General Assembly (GA) of import to our members included monitoring the Professional Counselors’ success with their attempts to acquire Virginia GA’s agreement to participate in the Compact legislation (done! This bodes well for us in introducing the language of our Interstate Compact to legislators next year), legislation to streamline LCSW licensure without giving up the requirements necessary to protect the public consumers of your services, and issues related to the insurance coverage so necessary to support your practices. Oh yes, and opposition to legislation intended to tie your hands when serving kids in need of care. These were your primary policy issues.
Others you monitored to make sure nothing bad might result. And a third group you monitored because a portion of your membership might be interested.
That said…
** Insurance bills — you (& LPC’s) definitely have the attention of the GA as it related to how you are viewed and “treated” by the insurance industry that the GA has control over. Some passed, others put on hold -- though some parts in those bills are covered in the ones that passed. And work is yet to be done. The legislators need to have hard data about your experiences with the insurance industry as you simply work to do your jobs helping folks in need of mental health professionals. Your prep work in a survey of VA members will be most helpful here.
Our group, the joint legislative committee of the VSCSW and GWSCSW, took positions on 7 policy issues for which bills were introduced this session, to either support or oppose. Another set of bills were either “watched” to determine if positions were needed during the course of the session, or were monitored as of “interest" to some members of the Societies.
From Wayne Martin:
The GWSCSW membership may already know that the VSCSW lobbyist, Sue Rowland, has retired from active legislative work and her office is closed. However, before she retired, she recommended a colleague, Mark E. Smith, as her successor. The joint VSCSW/GWSCSW legislative committee, after interviewing Smith on zoom, examining his credentials and background, decided – unanimously -- to offer him a contract as our VSCSW/GWS lobbyist. His contract was APPROVED by both the VSCSW and GWSCSW Boards. His priorities, in addition to monitoring legislation in the 2024 Virginia General Assembly and assisting us in making contacts/connections with legislators in Northern Virginia, will be to assist in passing legislation for the “Interstate Compact”. His full contract is available for review by any Society member. The cost of his services will be split evenly by the VSCSW and the GWSCSW. He begins his work with us as of July 1st, 2023. The L and A committee looks forward to a productive relationship with Smith. If there are any questions, please forward them to Wayne A. Martin (GWS liaison to the VSCSW and chair of the GWSCSW Virginia L&A Committee) at wamnoles@aol.com or to Branch Director, Judy Gallant.
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).
Wayne Martin, Chair, VA Legislation and Advocacy Committee
First, let me pay tribute to and acknowledge the years of work provided by retiring Virginia L and A Co-chair, Judy Ratliff, LCSW. For many years Judy served as the Chair of the Virginia L and A Committee. She was dedicated, assertive, and inspirational. She made sure that the concerns of the Northern Virginia members of the GWSCSW were acknowledged and listened to by the leadership of the VSCSW. This has always been a unique partnership. The VSCSW and the GWSCSW share equally in the expenses of the lobbyist (Sue Rowland); however, given the history (that goes back more than 25 years) of this relationship, the VSCSW has always taken the lead with legislative activities in the Commonwealth. Judy insisted that she (and now, we) be included in all conversations and decisions. She was instrumental in getting our lobbyist, Sue, to come out of semi-retirement for one more year to serve us in her capacity as legislative consultant. (Sue had retired; and after months of interviewing other firms with no results, Judy’s urging, or guilting, helped Sue agree to come back for one more year.) The GWSCSW owes Judy Ratliff a debt of gratitude. It has been an honor to serve as her Co-Chair.
The joint groups (VSCSW Legislative Committee and the VA L&A Committee of the GWSCSW) currently have monthly zoom meetings with Sue Rowland. This is to communicate concerns and issues that may arise during the January Virginia Legislative session, to monitor legislation that may impact Virginia LCSW’s, and to consider our own legislation. Preparation is essential as one never knows what “surprises” we may face. The role of our lobbyist is to review and monitor bills that could impact us and to report back to the committees. At this moment, there is no “critical legislation” for the upcoming legislative session. I add the word, “yet”.
During our meetings, we rely on Joe Lynch, the VSCSW Legislative V.P. Joe has done extensive research on many of the current hot topics. Some of his work is featured in the boxed information below. Judy and I have supported his efforts and have let Joe take the lead. He attends the Virginia Board of Social Work meetings- has been an advocate for LCSW’s and often provides public comments that can assist the Board in their decision-making process. Joe has a working relationship with Virginia NASW's long time Executive Director, Debra Riggs.
The committee continues to hear complaints from our members about insurance companies lack of timely payments and increasing barriers to reimbursement. Before we can consider legislation, we need facts and specifics. In order to gather this information, Joe has written a membership survey, “Survey to Measure the Current Status of LCSW/ Carrier Relationship: Practices That Are Barriers to getting claims Paid and Are Disincentives for Accepting Clients with Insurance.” The survey, once finalized, will be posted on the GWSCSW Webpage. PLEASE COMPLETE this very important survey and email it back to Joe Lynch.
The committee continues to monitor the response and reaction to the ASWB Clinical Exam; the effort for an Interstate Compact; and other regulatory matters; the Committee pays close to attention to any regulatory proposals or changes. We encourage ALL our members to be knowledgeable and we encourage reading the minutes of the Va. Board of Social Work and look at the “Town Hall” section for proposals. All of this is public information. Check out the website of the Virginia Board of Social Work, https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/social/
Finally, the best way each member can assist the committee, is to know their respective Virginia state Delegate and Senator. Make sure they know you vote and are concerned about mental health issues.
Virginia will have a Special Election on January 10, 2023, for one House of Delegates seat (35th District, Fairfax County) and one Senate of Virginia seat (7th District, Norfolk City, Virginia Beach City). Sue Rowland says that the turnout will likely be very low and the “whoever shows up” rule will be very important in this one.
There is an election next November (2023) and all 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly are up for re-election. Politicians listen to their constituents.
If anyone is interested in being a part of this GWS Virginia L&A Committee, please contact either our Branch Chair, Judy Gallant, judy.gallant@verizon.net or myself, Wayne A. Martin, LCSW, wamnoles@aol.com
Virginia Board of Social Work Board Members
Eboni C. Bugg, MSW, LCSW First Term Ends June 30, 2025 Albemarle, VA
Sherwood Randolph, Jr., MSW, LCSW First Term Ends June 30, 2026 Richmond, VA
Canek Aguirre, Citizen Member Chairperson Second Term Ends June 30, 2024 Alexandria, VA
Angelia Allen, Citizen Member Second Term Ends June 30, 2023 Portsmouth, VA
Jamie Clancey, MSW, LCSW Vice-Chairperson Second Term Ends June 30, 2023 Culpepper, VA
Denise Purgold, MSW, LCSW First Term Ends June 30, 2026 Henrico, VA
Elke Cox, MSW, LCSW First Term Ends June 30, 2026 Lynchburg, VA
Gloria Manns, MSW, LCSW Second Term Ends June 30, 2024 Roanoke, VA
Teresa Reynolds, MSW, LCSW First Term Ends June 30, 2024 Cumberland, VA
Governor Youngkin has appointed 3 new members to the Virginia Board of Social Work. They are:
Sherwood Randolph, Jr., MSW, LCSW, Denise Purgold, MSW, LCSW, and Elke Cox, MSW, LCSW. For the first time in the Board’s history a Citizen Member of the Board, Canek Aguirre, was elected to be the Chairperson.
Governor Youngkin has issued Executive Order 19 that requires Health Regulatory Boards to reduce their regulations by 25%. On October 26, 2022, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that “…the Virginia Board of Social Work, a health regulatory board under the Department of Health Professions, has enacted regulations that will speed up the process by which a social worker from another state can receive a license in Virginia…”.
The Va. Board of Social Work is one of the first of the boards to comply with the Executive Order issued by Governor Youngkin. This reduction should make the process of getting a Virginia clinical license through “endorsement” more efficient. Changes to the regulations allow for out-of-state practitioners to apply for a Virginia license without the verification of 24 months of post-licensure active practice or providing evidence that their education and supervised experience are substantially equivalent to Virginia’s requirements. Out-of-State Social Work licensees that hold a comparable LCSW, LMSW or LBSW in good standing can quickly and efficiently apply for licensure in Virginia by applying online (which includes a fee), and providing verification of passing an examination at the level for which they are seeking licensure.
The Board of Social Work regulations will allow out-of-state applicants who took a state social work exam or whose examination was waived by the initial licensing state to gain licensure without taking the national examination. This regulation directly affects seasoned out-of-state licensees who may not have been required initially to pass the national social work examination.
Those who are licensed in MD and DC and want a VA license, should consult with the VA. Board of Social Work on the new endorsement process.
Judy Ratliff and Wayne Martin, Co-Chairs, VA Legislation and Advocacy Committee
Supervision
The Virginia Health Care Foundation has a program called Boost 200. It is a new initiative that will pay for licensure-required supervision for motivated Master's-prepared social workers to help them become LCSW in VA. For more information, please go to https://www.vhcf.org/boost 200/
The Virginia Telemental Health Initiative (VTMHI) is a pilot program to expand access to timely and appropriate telemental health services to low-income, un-and under-assured patients by collaborating with pre-licensed behavioral and mental health professionals. To help expedite licensure, VTMHI will match the latter with supervisors to achieve needed client contact hours while providing pro-bono support in free and charitable clinics. For more information, please go to https://ehealthvirginia.org/vifrginiatelementalhealth/
Foundational Competencies in Older Adult Mental Health Certificate Program
The E4 Center of Excellence for Behavioral Disparities in Aging, in partnership with CATCH-ON, the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program based at Rush, and the Rush Center for Excellence in Aging has developed an online educational program that provides basic knowledge that every mental health clinician needs to work effectively with older adults. It is a 14 hour certificate program that can serve as a first step in developing competency in older adult mental health. Please contact aging@rush.edu for details.
Petition for Rulemaking
Below, please find information on rulemaking by Joe Lynch, the Legislative and Advocacy Chair for the Virginia Society for Clinical Social Workers (VSCSW).
Interstate Social Work Compact: Attached and also you can see it at this hyperlink: https://compacts.csg.org/compact-updates/social-work/ Petition for Rule-Making: Attached and you can see it at this hyperlink: https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewPetition.cfm?petitionId=371 Estimated Economic Impact on MSW supervisees Letter to Jaime Hoyle requesting Administrative Change NASW notice to CareDash and Better Help Message to VSCSW and GWSCSW Assessment of the Capacity of Virginia’s Licensed Behavioral Health Workforce: Attached and also at this hyperlink: https://www.vhcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/BH-Assessment-Final-1.11.2022.pdf VBSW-approved supervisor list Psychology letter re: Emotional Support animals VSCSW and GWSCSW Legislative Committee Meeting Agenda 8-9-22 Grant opportunities for MSWs under supervision, to receive funds to pay for supervision toward LCSW Judy Ratliff, Co-Chair, jratliff.lcsw@gmail.com | Wayne Martin, Co-Chair, wamnoles@aol.com
Lobbyist
As some of you may know, Virginia has been without a lobbyist since December, 2021. Our lobbyist of many years, Sue Rowland, decided to semi-retire at that time. GWSCSW and VSCSW did launch an exhaustive search, and had two excellent candidates. Unfortunately, we did not realize the cost of current fees charged by lobbyists in Virginia, and found that they were way outside of our shared budgets. Although Sue was in semi-retirement, she did still have some clients, and we approached her to establish terms on which she might return. Just a few weeks ago, we were able to conclude negotiations. and she has agreed to return for one year, with the option to return for a second year. We are so, so excited that she is going to continue to keep us as clients, because she knows us and knows the needs of clinical social work and social workers in Virginia.
New member of the Virginia Legislation and Advocacy Committee
We welcome Brian Rink as a new member of our committee. Brian recently moved to Virginia from Maryland and has a strong interest in legislation and advocacy. We are very happy to have him.
Judy Ratliff, Co-Chair, jratliff.lcsw@gmail.com | Wayne Martin, Co-Chair, wamnoles@aol.com
www.gwscsw.org PO Box 711 | Garrisonville, VA 22463 | 202-478-7638 | admin@gwscsw.org
