SPARTAN STRONG

The social work community was saddened and horrified to hear of the news from Michigan State University last week. After another senseless shooting in one of our communities, we know that three students were killed and five more critically injured. The Chapter extends its condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the shootings, as well as to the staff and administration of MSU. NASW-Michigan has been in contact with the Governor’s office, Representative Dievendorf, and with the Michigan State University School of Social Work, and will keep social workers updated as local services or resources are needed.

Read NASW-Michigan’s statement and learn how you can provide support here.

Additionally, we continue to work with our coalition and legislative partners around common sense gun safety laws. On Thursday, Michigan Senate Democrats introduced nearly a dozen bills to tighten gun regulations, which include universal background checks for gun purchases, safe storage requirements for gun owners and so-called red flag laws allowing judges to temporarily confiscate a gun from someone posing a risk to others or themselves. 
 

MERIDIAN INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT

NASW-Michigan staff met with Meridian representatives last week to discuss the reduction in reimbursements as well as a plan going forward. The Office of the Inspector General received a complaint that a provider was being overpaid through a different insurance company but encouraged Meridian to look into their reimbursements as well. Meridian found that clinicians were being paid at the physician rate instead of the outpatient rate that was set by Michigan Medicaid and MDHHS. Meridian found this and corrected the rates in December, and decreased reimbursements began in January. Meridian failed to send out notice surrounding the change before reimbursements started arriving. 

Moving Forward

If you are a provider who has received lower reimbursement from Meridian, you may be able to negotiate a rate one on one. Rates can be negotiated based on many factors, including needs in the area. We will provide the contact information for that when we receive it.

For now, Meridian indicated that they will not pursue clawbacks. If there ends up being a move towards clawbacks, NASW-Michigan is ready to advocate for an appropriation to cover the mistake instead of relying on providers.

MDHHS is looking into adding provider protections in managed care plans to their rules in an effort to avoid situations like this and clawbacks in the future.

We will keep you updated throughout the process.

LICENSURE UPDATE

NASW-Michigan has been hard at work with the Michigan Board of Social Work, LARA, and our legislative partners in advocating for necessary changes to our licensure process. 

We are currently working with legislators to introduce a package of bills surrounding licensure. One portion will be reworking our licensure levels to ensure title protection regardless of exam passage. We propose the following initial licensure level requirements:

• Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW): successful completion of a bachelor's degree from a Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited institution
• Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW): successful completion of a masters degree from a CSWE accredited institution (This level would replace the current limited license at the Masters level, and incorporate the Advanced Generalist option)
  • Removal of the Limited Licensed Master of Social Work (LLMSW) category
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW): successful completion of a masters degree from a CSWE accredited institution, completion of 4,000 supervised post-graduate hours under a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and passage of a nationally recognized clinical exam or alternative competency measure (when available)

Another portion we are working on is portability. As you may know, the Council of State Governments has been working to create an Interstate Compact that would enable social workers to practice in each other’s jurisdiction, giving members of the profession more license mobility. However, there are issues with the draft compact that was provided a few weeks ago (see below). NASW-Michigan wants to ensure that even without the Interstate Compact, social workers licensed in Michigan can be portable at least within the Great Lakes States.

As we continue to advocate for these changes, we will need your help! If you are interested in working with us around licensing advocacy, please email NASW-Michigan Director of Policy and Advocacy, Melina Brann, at  mbrann.naswmi@socialworkers.org .

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

NASW-Michigan has been tracking relevant legislation over the past few weeks. Recently, we provided support tickets in committee hearings for the expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Michigan Senate voted Thursday afternoon to approve a tax package that eliminates the retirement tax, expands the working families tax credit (formerly known as the earned income tax credit) and sends $180 inflation relief checks to taxpayers. A second vote to give the bill immediate effect, which requires a two-thirds vote, failed, but legislators are now considering resolutions that would suspend immediate effect rules so they could implement the tax plan right away.

Senate Democrats introduced a package of gun safety legislation on Thursday as well. Senate Bills 76-86 focus on a variety of safety issues including requiring background checks, making safety devices tax exempt, enacting extreme risk protection orders, and updating sentencing guidelines.

We will continue to monitor these bills and provide updates and advocacy alerts when needed. You can follow along with the bills we are watching too by visiting our Action Center.

COMPACT UPDATE

An interstate compact is a legal contract between two or more states/territories that would enable social workers to practice in each other’s jurisdiction, giving members of the profession more license mobility. The Council of State Governments (CSG) is overseeing development of the compact and the Association of Social Work Boards is the lead. NASW and the Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA) are partners. 

• The interstate compact would facilitate mobility of regulated (licensed) social workers by authorizing the social worker who holds an interstate compact license in a member state (the “home state”) to practice social work in all member states (“remote states”). 
• State participation in the compact would be voluntary/optional. A social worker with an interstate compact license would only be authorized to practice in the states that have opted in to the compact. 
• When practicing telehealth services, the social worker’s scope of practice would be determined by the laws of the state in which the client is located when receiving services. In other words, if you are located in Pennsylvania and providing telehealth to a client who is located in Kentucky at the time of service, you are practicing in Kentucky and must abide by Kentucky licensing laws and regulations. 
• Renewal requirements for the interstate compact license, such as continuing education, would be determined by the laws/regulations of the social worker’s home state. 
• Obtaining a social work license when moving from one member state to another member state would be simplified. 
• A remote member state can take “adverse action” against a licensed social worker with an interstate compact license, but only the social worker’s home state can revoke the license. 

According to a statement released by CSG after the meeting this week, the Model Social Work Compact Bill will be finalized and ready for state enactment by February 27, 2023. Seven states must enact the Model Social Work Compact Bill in its entirety before the Compact Commission and infrastructure necessary to implement it can be put in place.

Though we don’t have the final Model Social Work Compact Bill in hand, we look forward to seeing the final legislation in the coming weeks and will plan to assist social workers with understanding what it means related to their practice and social work regulations across the country. In preparation for all the exciting changes that are on the forefront, NASW is preparing resources that will aid state chapters by offering technical assistance to address compact-related issues and will continue to provide updates as available and/or appropriate.

 

A WIN FOR THE MOVEMENT TOWARDS PAID INTERNSHIPS

Last week, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) sent out a press release acknowledging the $4.5 million dollar grant that was awarded to “expand the number of school-based mental health service providers in high-need schools”. 

It is planned that this grant will be used towards the Michigan Earn, Learn, and Serve in Schools (Mi-ELSiS) program. This program will use some of the funds to provide 165 graduate-level trainees a $20,000 stipend for working in high-need schools for a minimum of one year. These institutions and districts will place school social work, school psychology, and school counseling graduate students in high-need schools to complete their” program internship. 

The project’s target is to hire half (83 of 165 graduate trainees) for employment as mental health services providers after they complete a 52-week service obligation in a high-need school.

“NASW-Michigan is thrilled to be able to continue our positive momentum to create more paid internship opportunities for social workers and other behavioral health professions,” said Duane Breijak, Executive Director. “These stipends will both increase the number of social workers able to enter our workforce and provide a critical pipeline to quality jobs in schools across Michigan. We look forward to seeing this implemented in the fall”

The funding for the Mi-ELSiS is being managed by the Michigan Health Counsel and funded through the U.S. Department of Education. NASW-Michigan worked closely with the Michigan Health Council to secure this funding. More information about implementation will be available in the upcoming weeks.