LEAD 2021 Program Booklet

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

Agenda

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NASW-PA PACE & Legislative Committee

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FAQ

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About Social Workers

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Talking Points

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NASW-PA 2021 Conference

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Student Roundtable

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Membership

Find out more information on the LEAD 2021 Attendee page. You will find resources

Thank you for joining us for Legislative Education and Advocacy Day! If you’ve joined us in past years, welcome back! If this is your first year attending LEAD, you’re in for an exciting day of education and advocacy.

We understand that attending legislative meetings and advocating for legislation can be intimidating, especially if this is all new to you. However, there is no reason to worry. Legislators want to hear what their constituents have to say. Your voice matters, and we hope that Legislative Education and Advocacy Day will help you better understand how social workers elevate society!

We encourage you to look through the materials in the following pages to familiarize yourself with the bill we are advocating for. If you still have questions, please feel free to find a staff member or volunteer, we are here to help you have a successful day.

as well as a list of advocacy tasks for the day! https://www.nasw-pa.org/ page/LEADAttendee

Share your photos from the day and let the world know how

Students, join our student Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/pasws

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All student members of NASW-PA get a free graduation cord - just pay shipping!

Shipping is just $3! https://bit.ly/3r2mjWm

LEAD 2021

AGENDA March 23, 2021 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.

LEAD Program/Advocacy Training • Welcome – 5 min

Kristie Jo King, President

• School Introductions – 15 min • • •

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Led by Elizabeth Catalano, BSW Student Representative Why Lobbying for your Profession is Important – 20 min Angie Armbrust and Natalie Cook, NASW-PA Lobbyists Social Work Advocacy: Ethical Connections and How to Make a Difference – 30 min Johanna Byrd, Executive Director NASW-PA’s Advocacy Efforts and Things You Should Know – 20 min Tim Seip, Legislative Committee Chair Rebecca Zelner, PACE Committee Chair Sierra McNeil, Social Justice Committee Chair Talking Points for Meeting with Legislators – 15 min Johanna, Kristie, Angie, and Natalie Instructions and Send Off – 15 min Johanna Byrd, Executive Director Kristie Jo King, President

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Virtual Meetings with Legislators & Advocacy Tasks 12:30 – 1:00 p.m.

Virtual Rally with members of the PA General Assembly 03

NASW-PA PACE Committee The Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) Committee is the political action committee of NASW, dedicated to advancing social workers’ values and public policy goals in campaigns, elections and building political relationships with elected officials. NASW-PA PACE evaluates Pennsylvania legislative candidates as well as the gubernatorial candidates in respect to social work values and professional issues through several means. NASW-PA PACE uses your contributions to help elect candidates who will advance the profession and advocate for social justice.

Interested in becoming involved? Contact Johanna Byrd at jbyrd.naswpa@socialworkers.org – Learn more about NASW-PA PACE Committee online at www.nasw-pa.org/pace

NASW-PA Legislative Committee The NASW-PA Legislative Committee is a new committee that examines NASW-PA’s legislative agenda and evaluates proposed legislation in relation to the interests of professional social work and the clients we serve. The committee recommends to the Board and others to take a position on certain bills of interest, whether it be to support, oppose, or remain neutral. This information is then used by our staff and lobbying team to inform our actions in the legislative arena.

If you have an interest in becoming involved with the Legislative Committee, contact Johanna Byrd at jbyrd.naswpa@socialworkers.org Interested in becoming involved? Contact Johanna Byrd at jbyrd.naswpa@socialworkers.org – Learn more about NASW-PA PACE Committee online at www.nasw-pa.org/pace

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FAQ What is the advocacy focus of this year’s LEAD? This year’s advocacy theme aligns perfectly with the annual national Social Work Month theme: Social Workers Are Essential. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen the incredible impact that social workers have and how it’s contributed to our society during this crisis. Social workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools are managing the impact of COVID-19 directly. Our private practitioners and clinical social workers are navigating the incredible mental health crisis that has emerged from the isolation of quarantine, the grief experienced by those who’ve lost loved ones, and the impact of trauma on our first responders. However, social workers are often left off the list of professions being recognized for the essential work we’re doing during this time. While we don’t require recognition to perform our jobs at heroic levels, this lack of recognition has consequences in the levels of professional respect, resources, and workforce support. This year during LEAD, we will educate our elected officials about the essential role that social workers play in our communities.

Why are we not advocating for or against a specific bill this year?

At the beginning of the legislative session, many of NASW’s top legislative priorities have not yet reached bill status. For some, there may be sponsorship memos. For others, there may be a bill that addresses the issue but does not fully align with our viewpoint. For yet others, we may be aware that an existing bill is not the likely vehicle for the issue to be taken up by the General Assembly. When there is not a singular pressing bill to address, it is common for associations to promote general education about the profession during their legislative days. Given the events of the last year and the relative lack of recognition of social workers as essential workers during the pandemic, this seemed like the perfect time to educate our elected officials on the value of social work.

What other legislative issues are NASW-PA working on?

Issues that we will be working on this year include, but are not limited to: • • • • • •

Telehealth Criminal justice reform Voting rights/elimination of gerrymandering Environmental justice Increasing the minimum wage Supporting loan forgiveness for social workers but also for all economically-disadvantaged populations • Diversity/anti-racism training

Can we discuss those or other issues during our legislative visits?

YES! Part of educating our elected officials about the social work profession is to also share what we stand for. After you’ve shared your experiences and thoughts about social work, talk to your Representative or Senator about an issue that’s important to you.

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About Social Workers Social workers are defined in Pennsylvania as those who have a bachelors, masters, or doctoral degree in social work. Because of extensive internship requirements, social workers have accrued hundreds of hours of experience in the field before they even graduate. There are 38 colleges or universities in Pennsylvania that offer at least one accredited professional degree in social work.

There are more than 700,000 professional social workers employed in the United States, and more than three million worldwide. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to identify social work as one of the fastest growing professions in the United States. Other government sources report there are more clinically trained social workers providing mental health and behavioral health services than any other professional discipline in the nation.

The nation needs more social workers as it continues to deal with entrenched problems that have stressed our

Sen.society, Scavello including systemic racism and the Coronavirus pandemic. The United States is also experiencing one of its

Prime Sponsor, SB 706

worst economic downturns since the Great Depression. Social workers are on the front lines, helping people overcome these crises.

In fact, social workers are everywhere people need help navigating tough life challenges. They contribute to interdisciplinary care teams in schools, hospitals, mental health centers, nonprofits, corporations, the military—and in local, state, and federal government. Many social work professionals also own private consultation practices.

Throughout U.S. history, social workers have: • Fought for civil and voting rights for people of color • Protested American intervention in wars • Achieved the minimum wage and safer workplaces for poor people • Expanded reproductive and employment rights for American women • Supported marriage and employment protections for LGBT people • Advocated for immigrants seeking asylum • Pushed for sensible gun laws and anti-violence initiatives • Raised awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment • Fought for client privacy and mental health services

Rep. Kosierowski Prime Sponsor, HB 2320

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Talking Points Talking Points For Meetings With Your Elected Officals • Many in the public only think of social workers as the “people who take children away.” In truth, you will find social workers throughout society – not just protecting children from abuse and neglect, but also providing mental health and substance use disorder treatment, assisting active duty military, veterans and their families, in schools, helping corporations better serve their communities, and in community organizations as well as in local, state and government.

• Social workers are the largest providers of mental health in the country, far outnumbering psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, and other mental health professionals.

• During these last twelve months of the pandemic, social workers have provided essential services, but have not always been recognized or appreciated for the work they do in keeping the Commonwealth as healthy and as safe as possible. o Social workers directly assisting COVID-19 patients in hospitals o Social workers in nursing homes helping isolated elders and working hard to keep patients safe o School social workers navigating assisting students during school closures, including increasing suicide rates among teenagers o Clinical social workers moving their practices online and deciding when/how to reopen their practices, while assisting Pennsylvanians with the mental health challenges of COVID-19 o Grief therapists working with those who lost loved ones to COVID-19 o Trauma therapists counseling the health care workers who are struggling with the losses of the last year • Share your own stories! Why are you becoming a social worker? What are your goals?

ADVOCACY TIPS FOR MEETINGS • Be concise and to the point; • Be polite and friendly; • Say “I don’t know” if needed; • Be prepared for anything; • But, most of all, don’t underestimate yourself or your impact!

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2021 Conference Theme & Rationale: Social workers are essential to community well-being.

As practitioners, social workers are trained to help people address personal and systemic barriers to optimal living. They are employed to effect positive change with individuals, families, groups and entire communities.

W H E N:

As a profession, social workers frequently use their collective power to pass laws and establish policies that give more people access to community services and benefits, improving the quality of life for everyone.

Dates are being finalized

Social work is the only helping profession which requires social justice advocacy as part of its professional code of ethics, and is therefore a large workforce mandated to advance the rights of the most vulnerable in society.

October

WH E R E : Online platform

2021 Conference Student Opportunities: • Volunteer opportunities for student members • Student-focused workshop track • Present a poster at our BSW / MSW / DSW student poster presentations • Network with other students and professionals from around Pennsylvania • Learn about job opportunities and graduate programs at our exhibit hall

LE A R N MORE AND GET UPDATES : www.nasw-pa.org/conference 08

Calling All Students!

Join NASW-PA Student Reps for a Student Round Table Discussion Join NASW-PA's BSW and MSW Representatives in an engaging conversation. We want to hear from you! These roundtable meetings will be on the first Thursday of the month from 6-7 PM. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 8th 6-7 PM. All students welcome. You do not have to be a member to be a part of the roundtable. Bring your thoughts, ideas, questions, concerns!

Zoom information Meeting ID: 813 7264 0274 Passcode: 567497 Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81372640274?pwd=Y3dKSFpGR3ZXeGJwUWRtb29zZUI1dz09 If you have any questions please contact Rachel Rhodes at rrhodes.naswpa@socialworkers.org

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Whether you are a social work student or degreed professional, whether you work with clients or with communities or organizations, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has the resources and professional development opportunities to enhance your education, build your career, and advance you as a social work professional.

• Entry into a community of nearly 150,000 colleagues who support each other and the profession • Automatic chapter membership at no additional cost for a local connection to continuing education, news, and issues affecting social work practice where you live or work • Discounted membership rates for students and social workers just entering the field • Access to career advancement services of the NASW online career center, including résumé, cover letter, and interviewing tips, and all features of JobLink, NASW’s social work job bank • Multiple opportunities throughout the year to take free webinars and earn CE credit

Partner with the Association that supports your studies, work, and career.

JOIN NASW TODAY. www.socialworkers.org 202.408.8600 ext. 499 800.742.4089

• Free NASW WebEd online courses that offer CE credit • Specialty sections for practice-specific information and resources, member-to-member networking, and opportunities to earn additional free CE credit • Professional credentials that can energize your career and increase your marketability • Affordable professional liability and personal insurance for protection on the job and at home • Members-only information on legal issues affecting the profession • Advocacy on Capitol Hill for the future of our profession and viability of our workforce for years to come

www.socialworkers.org

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