NASW/TX Works for YOU!
The NASW Texas Chapter exists to advocate for social workers and to advance the profession of social work. Its activities include influencing legislative decisions, educating the public, developing loan forgiveness programs, and convincing legislators and employers to pay social workers fairly.
In this section, you will be able to learn about what our chapter is doing for YOU. Not all the subsections are complete as yet, so please come back to this page again and again to view the most recent actions we are taking on your behalf and find out what you can do to help.
Reinvestment Initiative
In conjunction with the national Social Work Reinvestment Initiative, NASW/TX has developed its own 5-year work plan, all geared to advancing the profession. The work plan has goals, objectives, and concrete activities to:
1. recruit high quality applicants to our Schools of Social Work;
2. retain social workers in their profession;
3. conduct research on the value of social work services and social workers; and
4. reimburse and compensate social workers comparably to other like professions.
Click here to view Reinvestment efforts at the national level.
Click here to view the Texas Reinvestment Work Plan.
Presentation Materials
Handouts for NASW members
Handouts for Deans and Directors
2009 Closing Plenary: Social Work Reinvestment: Purpose and Possibility PowerPoint
SWRI Fact Sheet
SWRI Quarter 2, 2010 Report Card
Public Education Campaign
In the Media
Texas
The NASW Public Education Campaign is all about changing the public's perception of the social work profession and of social workers. Stories in the media can reach very large audiences and can be very powerful in their impact on the public mindset. We will post stories here for you to view and share with public officials, colleagues, family, friends, anyone who might be interested in what social workers do and how they make a difference in communities.
If you read or hear a story about social workers that you would like to share, send a link or source information to naswtex@naswtx.org so that we can add it to our growing list.
NPR: "In Bronx, An Alternative Fix for Failing Schools." A program that employs social workers to come to school is showing promising results.
Transcript of Radio Broadcast
Radio Broadcast
The Turnaround Program
Click here to view the website that explains the Turnaround Program used in the Bronx schools in the NPR story.
Mass Insight Studies
Click here for evaluations of Turnaround Program and others. (Posted 8/24/09)
Reducing Hospitalization Costs
Transitional Care can improve care and save money. Social workers can play a role, just as nurses do. Click here to listen. (Posted 8/24/09)
Child Welfare
Click here to read article on Child Welfare Retention Issues. (Posted 03/11/10)
Click here to read the article. (Posted 12/21/09)
Elderly/Long-term Care
Click here for the full article. (Posted 10/30/09)
Hospices
Click here for the full article. (Posted 10/30/09)
Assorted References Related to Social Work Effectiveness (Updated 1/5/10)
Testimonials
“When asked in June 1997 to design and create a high school for at-risk juniors and seniors which would eliminate high school barriers, I knew the students would need much more than academic support. This concept grew to be known as Gonzalo Garza Independence High School in the Austin Independent School district, Austin, Texas. To date, Garza has graduated over 1700 students, many of whom would not have graduated from high school and particularly without the services and interventions of a social worker on campus provided by Communities in Schools. The social worker and her social work interns from the University of Texas at Austin are able to secure and coordinate social/medical/legal services in the community as needed by the students for their multitude of challenges, assist with housing and transportation needs, and facilitate support groups on campus for students as needed and requested by the students. These social workers truly save lives on a daily basis. They are essential to the success of the students.”
Vicki Baldwin
Retired Principal
Gonzalo Garza Independence High School, Austin Texas
April 7, 2010
"Social workers provide a vital link between our patients and their families and the many members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team. In an era of increasingly complex care planning pressures and increased institutional accountability for our patients’ wellbeing after discharge, the role of the social worker is more important than ever. As we work to care for the “whole patient” during these demanding times, we should take comfort in knowing that professional social workers are on the front lines."
Steve Newton, FACHE
President
Baylor Medical Center All Saints, Fort Worth Texas
September, 2009
"We value Social Work as an integral part of our healing mission. Strong and dedicated social workers are an essential part of our health care team, working closely with physicians, nurses and the community to help patients and their families cope with challenges caused by illness or life changes. They provide that extra dimension of care and support that many times is vital to the total care of the patient.”
Joel Allison, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Baylor Health Care System
September, 2009
"I have had the opportunity to work with Social Workers in Case Management throughout my career in acute care, long-term acute care, and rehabilitation hospitals. It is amazing to observe the many aspects of a patient’s stay, which the social work case manager touches. With every patient on the social worker’s case load there is communication and collaboration with the patient, family, physician, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nursing, payor sources, pharmacy, medical records, hospital finance, and outside services such as home health care. As I make rounds on the patient units, it is not unusual to hear a nurse or physician request the social worker to talk to the patient and family regarding hospice care or ask questions from what time an outside test is scheduled to how long the payor has authorized the patient’s stay. As I make my daily patient rounds, it is evident to see the relationship the patient has developed with the social worker case manager, one of advocacy. Recently, a pharmacist was admitted with a severe head injury. During his hospital stay, not only did his insurance lapse, his roommate decided that the pharmacist was no longer a suitable roommate and requested the social worker make other living arrangements for this patient. Although physically functional, the patient was unable to live by himself due to cognitive deficits. Additionally, the patient had been estranged from his family for several years. After many meetings and hours of phone calls by the social worker, the patient’s parents decided that they wanted their son back and saw that they could care for each other. An old proverb states that a picture is worth a thousand words. The expression on the faces of the patient and his parents, as they were reunited, was indeed a beautiful picture of what healthcare professionals, especially social workers, strive to achieve every day. During my career, I have seen numerous examples of some of the miracles that social workers have achieved while working within the constraints of our difficult and demanding healthcare system."
Deborah Hopps, MPS, RN, FACHE
CEO
Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital at City View
October 7, 2009
“I have long believed that Social Work is one of the noblest professions. Its dedicated practitioners have devoted themselves to advancing the health and social conditions of a community’s most vulnerable populations. Our social workers are integral members of our healthcare team and vital to our ability to fulfill our Mission of providing high quality, affordable healthcare services to everyone who walks through our doors.”
James N. Valenti
President & CEO
University Medical Center of El Paso
December, 2009
Loan Forgiveness Opportunities
National Programs
The national office of NASW has information regarding national loan forgiveness programs. To view, click here.
Loan repayment programs for social workers and other health professionals...click here to view.
Texas Programs
Under Construction
Legislative News
81st Texas Legislative Session
The 81st Legislative Session that ended May 31st, 2009 was relatively unproductive. Due to strong disagreements among legislators about legislation related to a Texas Identification system, many bills were left stranded in committee or died by other means.
However, NASW/TX had a few successes. A bill we filed, H.B. 3262 by Representative Elliott Naishtat, that would have allowed licensed social workers to be private providers of vocational rehabilitation services in connection with a workers' compensation insurance claim, will be addressed through rule, so legislation will no longer be needed.
There were a few bills we supported that passed, including:
- HB 3559 - Parenting Coordinator Guidelines. While the bill itself didn't pass, a compromise was rolled into HB 1012 HB
- HB 1151 - designed to help remove children from the middle of their parents' divorce/parenting time fights. While this bill didn't pass, the contents were rolled into HB 1012
- HB 806 - Health plan coverage for prosthetics
- HB 1012 - Conservatorship of a child
- HB 2154 - Physicians Education Loan Repayment Program
- SB 1411 - Relating to financial assistance programs in connection with certain children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services.
- SB 1646 - Council on Children and Families
For a complete wrap-up of bills that we were working on or tracking, click here.
Federal Legislation
National Social Work Reinvestment
Health Care Reform
NASW Position Papers on Current Issues
The web site of our national office (www.socialworkers.org) has many policy papers available to members. Familiarize yourself with them and use them in discussions with legislators and other public officials. Be an informed advocate for social work and our clients!!
Policy Statement Abstracts from Social Work Speaks
Issue Fact Sheets
General Fact Sheets
Legislative Issues
Significant Events
Under Construction
How can you help?
Contact your legislator
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