TABLE OF contents Bureaucratic Hurdles Restrict Essential Mental Health Services from Virginia Youth & Their Families PG 6 Meet the Conference Speakers
PG 8
Become A Sponsor of NASW-Virginia 2012 Annual Conference PG 10
Legal Developments in LGBT Family Rights PG 11 Health Insurance, HIPAA and Client Privacy PG 15 Welcome New Members Poster Session
PG 19
PG 20
From the president’s pen Virginia licensure update Mary Sasser, LCSW, MPA President, NASWVA denials of lcsW applicants NASWVA depends on the voice of our members, who represent over 3000 members throughout the state, to bring forth legal and policy concerns that Mary Sasser, LCSW are impacting them. Over the course of the past year or so, we have been President hearing statewide concerns regarding licensure difficulties. Specifically, we have heard from many sources that growing numbers of social workers have been denied in their licensure application process. Reasons for denial are varied, but generally include denials due to insufficient clinical work, inadequate supervision, inadequate course work, and poor documentation. In response, NASWVA has taken a number of steps, and will continue to act in an effort to advocate for applicants and educate our members. regulatory changes To understand this current state of increased denials, it is important to understand the regulatory environment in which these changes were initiated. In November 2008, the Virginia Board of Social Work revised the Regulations Governing the Practice of Social Work, and included a requirement that any person wishing to pursue supervision for licensure provide a supervisory contract for preapproval by the Board of Social work before beginning such supervision. Since the inception of the regulatory changes, some social workers have had their supervisory contract for proposed supervision denied. Even persons who completed supervision prior to these regulatory changes are being denied as well. Social workers have been denied across settings, such as child welfare, hospitals, nursing homes, home health, schools and others. In some cases, supervisors who have been teaching supervisees for many years have also been denied. In response to inquiries, the Virginia Board of Social Work published guidance document #14010 on Supervised Experience for Clinical Social Work Licensure http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/social/default.htm. NASW VIRGINIA CHAPTER neWs 2