Legislative Agenda

The NASW-MI Chapter, through its Legislative Social Policy Standing Committee, has adopted the following initiatives for 2007 – 2008.  The Chapter and the Legislative Social Policy Committee encourages any member interested in more detail on any of these items and/or interested in assisting in the advancement of these issues to contact the NASW–MI chapter Governmental Relations Director – Linda Burghardt at burghardt@nasw-michigan.org. 

Social Work Reinvestment Initiatives

1.  Partial Student Loan Forgiveness.   A number of states have recognized the return on investment of providing partial student loan forgiveness to individuals who pursue BSW and MSW degrees and who commit to work in high need areas of social work within the State upon achieving those degrees.  These loan forgiveness programs may vary in percentages and amounts of loans to be forgiven or time periods of commitments of work in a particular critical service or geographic area. Loan forgiveness programs are often focused on certain service specialty areas or geographic areas such as:

• Child welfare
• Aging/gerontology, long term care
• Underserved urban populations
• Underserved rural populations

Proposed Action -- The Chapter will be developing proposed legislation for advancement in 2008 and enactment in the 2009-2010 State legislative session.

2.  Educational Incentives.  Currently,  the only Educational support/ incentives offered to those pursuing degrees in Social Work in MI is linked with Federal Title IV-E funds in child welfare and that is limited to state employees who pursue MSW degrees and agree to work for the State at least two years after obtaining the degree.  Currently over half of Michigan’s Children and families who come to the attention of Michigan’s Child Welfare system are served by Social Workers serving in private non-profit agencies.  These Educational/Support Systems are not available to them.  Additionally, demographics indicate there will be a growing need for social workers to serve in elderly care settings in the coming years for which these educational support/incentives can assist in addressing that need.

Proposed Action -- The Chapter will be developing and advocating proposed administrative policy and legislative changes necessary to provide educational support/incentives to:

• Individuals pursuing social work degrees committing to work in child welfare
• Individuals pursuing social work degrees committing to work in underserved fields or with underserved populations

3. Pay equity with other human service fields.  -  State Civil Service position descriptions and/or current administrative practices have social workers doing  the same or similar work as other positions (psychologists, etc.) frequently resulting in significant disparities in  pay and opportunities for advancement..  This same thing may be occurring in non state civil service settings (hospitals, other health care and social service local public and private settings). 

Proposed Action -- The Chapter will be seeking ways to conduct or have other third party neutrals conduct an objective and thorough review of social work positions and equitable pay.

4.  Require individuals with LMSW degrees in certain supervisory positions.    Currently, there are few positions within the traditional social work fields that require an LMSW degree for supervisory positions.  Some laws or rules require LMSW degrees in School Special Education settings or in certain child welfare residential settings but there are numerous other settings where a licensed LMSW supervisor with certain specialized experience would aid in the quality and continuity of the work force and therefore the quality and effectiveness of services.

Proposed Action -- The Chapter will be advocating for the review and analysis of the current requirements for a LMSW degree for supervisory or specific service positions and the development of policies that make that a requirement in social work settings where it can be demonstrated that it is necessary for an occupant of a position to have a LMSW degree in order to enhance and improve the quality and effectiveness of services.

5.   Social Work Workforce Development - Promotion of, and advocacy for, placement of Social Workers in positions to make a difference.  The Chapter monitors emerging trends and initiatives to assess developing opportunities where social workers are needed or where the Chapter needs to advocate that social workers be placed to strengthen and improve services. Some of these are in traditional human service settings and some are in non-traditional settings.

Proposed Action -- Several current initiatives the Chapter will be exploring include:

• Enlistment and placement of social workers in management, community organizing and policy development positions associated with the Campaign to End Homelessness initiative currently being spearheaded by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
• Development, in cooperation with public indigent criminal defender offices and assigned attorneys, of a system for identification and placement of social workers in public criminal defender settings to assist in alternatives to incarceration and community corrections resource development.
• Development, in cooperation with the Elder Law Section of the State Bar, of a system of linking private social workers who focus on serving the elderly with Attorneys who practice elderly law and/or identification and placement of social workers in offices of attorneys whose principal practice is elder law.

6.  Certification of Social Workers as substance abuse treatment providers.

Proposed Action -- The Chapter will advocate for the certification of LMSWs with C-CATODSW credentials to be grand-parented for Office of Drug Control Policy Certification and to allow social workers to fulfill credentialing requirements through continuing education courses provided by NASW-MI.

Visibility promotion of the social work profession with State Legislators.  To accomplish many of the Chapter’s SWRI objectives, the support of state legislators may be required.  To gain that support, the Chapter must ensure that the legislators know and understand the high level of education, training, and experience that social workers possess and the extent to which they can be a very valuable resource to the legislators as they attempt to address the complicated and complex human services issues that society is now facing.

Proposed Action – The Chapter will set up meetings between the legislators and chapter staff and LSP Committee and special interest group members to educate the legislators on the profession, the human services issues, and the expertise that the Chapter can provide to them. 

Advocacy on Behalf of Vulnerable Populations 

Advocacy on Legislation Introduced.  To effectively influence the decisions of policymakers, the Chapter must continue to partner with legislators on their policy initiatives and collaborate with like-minded organizations to serve and protect the vulnerable populations.

Proposed Action -- The Chapter will continue to work with legislators and other organizations on passage of:

• Initiatives promoting universal health care
• Anti-Bullying legislation
• Mental Health Parity legislation
• Second Parent Adoption legislation

 LSP Forum