Newsletters

During today's Iowa Medicaid town hall for providers, to IME Director Liz Matney stated that the Medicaid rate increases will be effective 7-1-23. They hope to have those rates ready for public announcement mid-June.  New rates might not be loaded into the system by 7-1-23, but they will be retroactive.  The $7 million appropriated by the legislature for Medicaid reimbursement rate increases will be specifically for mental health therapists.  Their goal is to get Iowa Medicaid rates to at least 85% of the benchmark they were using.  The additional $3 M that we didn’t expect will also be for mental health, b...

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Medicaid Town Hall Meeting for Providers Agenda items include: *** Rate Review Next Steps with Appropriation** Thurs. 5-25-23 4 pm to 5 pm Other Agenda Items: Medicaid Updates Continuous Coverage Update Molina Go-Live Open Discussion To learn more and to register go to https://hhs.iowa.gov/ime/about/advisory-groups/townhall

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NASW Iowa Chapter is one of the more than 170 organizations and individuals that have signed on to a joint statement Recognizing March 31, 2023 as Transgender Day Of Visibility.   Joint Statement: Iowans Recognize Transgender Day Of Visibility More than 170 issue joint statement supporting transgender Iowans   Today a coalition of more than one hundred and seventy Iowa community organizations, faith leaders, businesses, labor unions, and elected officials issued the following statement recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility, which takes place tomorrow, Friday, March 31st:   “Today we speak with ...

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Meet NASW IA Chapter member Kaylee Martin. Kaylee is the BSW Board Representative to the NASW Iowa Chapter.    You’ve won the Lottery. It’s a lifechanging amount of money.                What would you do differently? I would purchase and donate social work textbooks to colleges around the country for students to use, create scholarships for college students in need, and would purchase items to donate (i.e. food, clothes, etc.) to those in need.               What would yo...

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  How did you decide to go to social work school? I had always wanted to get into understanding human behavior, motivations and why some people do things others do not typically do. Once I understood that environment and circumstance has profound impact on our behavior, Social Work’s holistic perspective just made sense. If you could give one piece of advice to social work students, what would it be?   If you think you understand an issue, behavior or culture, you are wrong. Social Work is about life-long learning and immersion in different spaces, especially in areas we don’t inhabit in our personal live...

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What led you to run for the NASW Iowa Chapter Board? I was asked to, but am grateful as I feel I can make a difference on a macro level as well as micro.   How did you decide to go to social work school? I had been introduced to “therapy” in a very tumultuous time in my life when I needed it, and decided that I wanted to give back somehow. Returning to school at age 40 was a challenge, and it “steered” me in this direction.   When did you realize that social work is the profession for you? When I started to find out how many different ways social workers can help people and what we can do...

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  What led you to run for the NASW Iowa Chapter Board? The profession is only as strong as its members and their involvement in their professional organization therefore I have always been active in NASW. This is my second time on the NASW-IA board representing the NW branch and advocating for policies, programs, and recognition of the important role we play in rural Iowa.   How did you decide to go to social work school? While working in a non-profit organization serving adult with serious mental illness, my supervisor encouraged me to get my MSW. She provided guidance and support as I worked full-time and went to sc...

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What led you to run for the NASW Iowa Chapter Board? I was asked to by Tony (Raymer) How did you decide to go to social work school? I was encouraged to by a social worker that was a colleague of mine. If you could give one piece of advice to social work students, what would it be? Find a mentor who will challenge you. If you could give one piece of advice to new social workers, what would it be? Get out of your comfort zone, keep learning, and get consultation. What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long week? I like to bake and spend time with my family. A client appointment or a meeting is cancell...

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Rebecca is the secretary of the NASW Iowa Chapter.  If you could give one piece of advice to new social workers, what would it be? You may feel like you want to do it all and maybe even like you can do it all. Remember your limits and recognize your strengths.  What you give has value and it's important to give it intentionally. What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long week? Lately, I’ve loved some pizza, a movie and a lego set. A client appointment or a meeting is cancelled 15 minutes for it was scheduled to begin:              H...

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The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) is holding community conversations about the ASWB tests required for licensure in many states.  As you may recall, this summer, ASWB released data that demonstrated test pass rate disparities among racial groups. The independent consulting firm the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) will be conducting three types of community conversations: in-person, virtual, and self-paced survey. It is time to register with HumRRO to participate. About the community conversations Each virtual and in-person community conversation is an interactive three-hour session connecting social...

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2022 Taxes and NASW Membership Dues Deductibility Members who qualify to deduct membership dues payments from income taxes should note that for the calendar year ending December 31, 2022, four percent (4%) of the annual NASW dues payment is not deductible. This percentage is based on the amount of association lobbying activity in 2022.

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The NASW Iowa Chapter office will be closed beginning at 1 pm Friday, 12-23 and will reopen on Tuesday, 1-3-23. If you need assistance with CEUs or any other year-end matters, please contact us by 4 pm on Thurs. 12-22 so we have to time for research and processing.  If you have questions about CEUs or licensure renewal, please see the Iowa Board of Social Work website: https://idph.iowa.gov/licensure/iowa-board-of-social-work

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NASW Essential Chat with NASW Board President Mit Joyner Thurs. 9-29 6 pm CT Facebook Live Governance and Leadership Shaping the Social Work Vision for the Future Featuring Dr. Mit Joyner NASW President-Elect Yvonne Chase Senior Field Organizer Dina Kastner NASW Federal Lobbyist Julie Shroyer MSW

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NASW is calling all non-profit professionals to see if they qualify for #PSLF during the Limited Waiver through October 31, 2022. Many #SocialWorkers qualify for #PSLF. Visit the #PSLF Help Tool to start the process of gaining forgiveness. #PSLFWorks https://studentaid.gov/pslf/

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Following a recent update from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), NASW has received multiple inquiries regarding telehealth place of service codes (POS) for Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance companies. A blog post written by NASW Senior Practice Associate Denise Johnson clarifies what POS codes clinical social workers should use when providing telehealth services and much more. Read the NASW Social Work Blog https://buff.ly/3DtahPx

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