> >

Iowa Social Policy & Advocacy

Telehealth Survey - Open December 2 through December 16, 2020

UNDER CONSTRUCTION - CHECK BACK SOON!

NASW Iowa Chapter will be conducting a follow up to our spring telehealth survey to assess how things are going for social workers and allied professionals in regards to telehealth.

A link to the survey will be added here in the next day or two.

Here is a link to a cost calculator that may be helpful to you as you consider whether or not it is more expensive for you to provide services using telehealth.

Special thanks to NASW IA member Jill Lehmann-Bauer who created the document that this spreadsheet is based on!

Now, more than ever, NASW IA needs YOU to help with state level advocacy

FOR ACTION ALERTS - SEE THE NEWSLETTERS PAGE UNDER NEWS

NASW IA Newsletters

COVID-19 Update

Now -- even more than ever -- we need you to reach out to your state legislators to let them know what is going on. Your stories about how state policies impact you and your clients are much more powerful coming from you.

Please, when we send out an advocacy alert, answer our call to action. When things happen on short notice, we will send out emails and post on our official Facebook page. More detailed explanations will be found on this website.

Please consider helping NASW-IA with state level advocacy efforts. Now, more than ever, we need your help in representing the social work profession and the people we serve.

Advocacy

Advocacy is defined by many as arguing or pleading for a cause, whether a person, group, or policy. Advocacy is key to the role social workers play within their jobs and their communities. The Iowa Chapter develops legislative priorities on an annual basis reflecting the needs of those we serve society as a whole. NASW encourages members to become involved in advocacy efforts on many different levels. Social workers are ethically obligated to conduct advocacy on behalf of yourself, your clients and society.

Ways to do Advocacy on the State Level

Personalized Letters to Government Officials

If you are short on time, you can always write to your state senators and representatives. While it varies from legislator to legislator, email is a pretty effective way to reach most of them. NASW also recommends a letter by USPS for state legislators. It’s different – so it gets their attention.

Find contact information for your State lawmakers with the link below:

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find

The National Education Association (NEA) has a nice tip sheet on writing letters elected officials: http://www.nea.org/home/19657.htm

Phone Calls

Phone calls are not as effective for Iowa state legislators, because their voicemail can get full. If they know you and have your phone number in their cell phone, it can work. You can call the Iowa Legislative switchboards, which are open from 8 am until 5 pm on days that the legislature is in session. (Noon to 5 pm on Mondays)

Iowa State Senate switchboard
515-281-3371

Iowa State House switchboard
515-281-3221

You can leave a voicemail once transferred to their extension, which then send an email to their legislative email account.

Letters to the Editor

Another way to make your stance known is to write a letter to the editor. The beauty of a letter to the editor is that it can educate the public as well as your elected official.

Here’s a nice resource from our friends at the Union of Concerned Scientists on how to write a good letter to the editor: Guide to writing a letter to the editor

And another from the NEA: NEA Guide to writing a Letter to the Editor

Here’s a link on how to submit a Letter to the Des Moines Register:

How to Write a Letter to the Des Moines Register

Ways to Reach out to the Governor’s Office

Web form to send your thoughts to the Governor:

https://governor.iowa.gov/constituent-services/register-an-opinion

by phone: 515-281-5211

by Twitter:

Governor Kim Reynolds
Twitter Handle: @KimReynoldsIA

For a handwritten letter use this address:
1007 E. Grand Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Please feel free to call the NASW office should you have any questions 515-277-1117

COVID-19 Update: Generally, the gold standard for communicating with a government official is a face-to-face meeting . We hope that we will be able to do these again soon!

If you can’t come to the Capitol to do this, you can do so at home at townhall meetings and coffees.
For information on when and where townhall meetings are scheduled, go to:
http://www.infonetiowa.org/calendar/events/

Social Work Reinvestment

The Iowa Chapter is committed to advocating on behalf of the social work profession in Iowa. To learn more about the Chapter's activities surrounding Social Work Reinvestment, CLICK HERE.

DONATE TODAY!!!The work of the Chapter cannot be done without your help! Consider a donation to the SWRI efforts in Iowa.

You can send your donation to:
NASW, Iowa Chapter
Attn.: SWRI Efforts
1620 Pleasant Street
Suite 212
Des Moines, IA 50314

Helpful Links:

Temporary Driver's License Legislation for Undocumented Latino Immigrants. Written by Northwestern College Students under the supervision and revision of Dr. Valeria Stokes, LISW

NASW-IA Chapter 2014 Social Work Labor Force Study

Temporary Driver's License Legislation for Undocumented Latino Immigrants. Written by Northwestern College Students under the supervision and revision of Dr. Valeria Stokes, LISW

NASW-IA Chapter 2014 Social Work Labor Force Study

Iowa General Assembly
Find My State Legislator
Register to Vote
Iowa PACE

Federal Advocacy

Another benefit of membership is advocacy and lobbying at the federal level. The NASW national office in Washington, DC takes the lead on federal issues. If you are concerned about federal issues, be sure to check out the NASW federal advocacy page.

If you don't know who your member of congress is, click on the link below:

Find my member of Congress