President’s Report on Louisiana Matters May 2004
by Terry Zenner

 Your Board met at Synergy Hospital in Baton Rouge on April 23, 2004. This is a delayed newsletter so as to include significant information about the Clinical Social Work Federation meeting (see separate article). One of my roles as president is to provide a summary report to the CSWF. Included in this newsletter is that report, so you get a sense of how Louisiana is being represented to them.

The BIG NEWS, of course, is that we were successful with the bill WE sponsored to rid ourselves of “C&C” or “Consultation and Collaboration” (with a physician). Henceforth it will no longer be necessary for us, or our clients, to spend time and money contacting a physician in order to make an insurance claim. Though on the books for more than a score of years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield were the primary sticklers about enforcing this little peccadillo. In addition to any phone calls you made to your Senators and Representatives, we owe this achievement to the many hours at the Legislature by our Legislative Chair, Deborah Fernandez, and Maxine Cormier, our excellent lobbyist. We’re all kind of in a state of shock; it passed the full House and Senate floors unanimously! This has never happened to social work bills before. I think we have to further thank our Governor for appointing leadership which is sympathetic to our issues.

The LACSW membership year is July 1st—June 30th. Renewal notices were mailed May 10, 2004. That gives you some time to budget this cost in your practice. Your “benefits” were listed in the cover letter. I can’t emphasize enough how important your renewal is. We can only gain total membership when we add to what we keep. The more we gain in members, the more manageable are our increasing costs. I am fully aware of the competing solicitations that arrive daily by mail, email, and phone. This “cause” is your practice well-being , without which none of us can even consider the other “causes”. There is an application in this newsletter. Please put LACSW on your “to do list”.

Your Education Committee has done a good job in getting out early notice of the workshop we’re sponsoring on June 18th. Topics include divorce anger, enneagram (personality typing and appreciation), and ethics. The full brochure is on our website, www.lacsw.org (averaging 250 hits/month). Your attendance is another way to support LACSW and gain knowledge/6 CEU’s at the same time. The committee is already planning a fall workshop.

As I listened to other state presidents at the recent CSWF meeting, I got a renewed appreciation for all of the help I get from each active board member. This is not to be taken for granted, as it is not the case in many other floundering clinical “societies”. Unlike our rank in many domains, we are truly an outstanding state in regard to having an active board with fully functioning committees. Thanks to each of you board members! If you would like to join this invested group, call our Nominations Chair, Anne Heard, at 504-897-3276 ASAP. (We presently have 19 board members, with 2 or 3 more new committed).

Nominations are open for any member to serve on the board of LACSW. Election to the board happens during our annual meeting of the entire membership, during a brief interlude of the June 18th workshop. The full board then meets August 13, 2004, for a 6 hour annual planning/”retreat” meeting, which will be at Synergy Hospital in Baton Rouge. Due to this schedule the next newsletter will be arriving in early September.

Sometimes I discover too late that I wasn’t consistent in mentioning the hard work of specific chairpersons by name. Presently, I’m aware that very honorable mention should be made of Leesa Sitter’s endless term as Secretary. It is her minutes that form the source of much within each newsletter. Thanks, Leesa, for legally documenting that the board actually meets and pursues its agenda. Just for now at least, your job is no longer thankless!

President's Report on CSWF Meeting

Twenty-six state clinical society presidents attended the annual meeting of the Clinical Social Work Federation in Alexandria, Virginia, May 13-16, 2004. These state presidents voted in behalf of a total nationwide enrollment of 2,701 clinical members. This figure is up to date, and no longer includes California and New York. They both maintain active “societies”, but have withdrawn from the CSWF for different reasons. Even among the 26 states represented, there exists quite a diversity of “health”. While we have struggled to trod on in the not so distant past, I would say we presently are considered among the “strong” organizations within CSWF. Among the best are the Greater Washington, D.C. chapter (now biggest with over 400 members) and North Carolina.

With this background, I share the most potentially important news to come out of the meeting. The CSWF Board voted 16 in favor, 8 opposed, to giving CSWF “national authority” within its by-laws.

In complying with our board’s leanings, I voted among the opposed. Our past-past president, Anne Heard (visiting her son at her expense) was there also to witness the sometimes testy debate which preceded the vote. The hesitation among the opposed had largely to do with just how the implementation of the change will unfold. While “Federation” in the organization title remains, the states no longer have autonomy. They must now:

1. Comply with whole board votes such as this.
2. Go through an also new and untested conflict resolution process, or
3. Secede

I and others offered congratulations to the vote winners in a gesture toward reconciliation. The majority left feeling new hope, as they had been deflated by losing the same proposal at the last CSWF meeting in New Orleans.

The CSWF board also passed a deficit budget (to the tune of -$32,000 to be taken out of capital reserves, a no no) for the upcoming fiscal year. This again was riding on the active pursuit of an expanded membership, as well as an anticipated request to raise the states’ per member contribution, presently $37/yr. On May 20, 2004, we already received an email poll of the various states’ boards: would we be willing to contribute an additional $2-$5/per member of CSWF? This could come in the form of each state either scrounging the money from present state fees collected, or raising the state dues. Our dues at $195 are neither the highest nor the lowest among the states. The following is not a declaration of outcome, but as I write, the partial feedback thus far received from the LACSW Board is that it tends toward not raising our state dues. If that stands at a legal meeting on June 18th, then we will be left to await the total national poll. Should the national board vote on the high end, a $5 increase, we would have to come up with $400 more (80 Members x $5) within our present budget and dues structure, or consider seceding. On the grand scale of things $400 seemingly isn’t big bucks to put at risk a national representation of Clinical Social Workers. LACSW will vote; CSWF will vote. Aren’t democracies wonderful? Homogeneous they’re not. To be continued.

Anne Heard and I had the privilege of keeping appointments “on the hill”. We lobbied in the offices of Senator Breaux, Senator Landrieu, Representative John, and Representative Vitter. Our focus was on (S.486/H.R. 953) concerning mental health parity, and (H.R.1709) return of privacy rights within HPAA.

It was announced during the meeting that Michigan had just become the 50th state to license social workers! Louisiana’s licensing goes back to 1973.

ClinPac
by Justin Schleis

Our PAC is now in full compliance with the Ethics Board, reporting requirements. From it's beginning in 1992, only Annual Reports had been filed. I followed that model when I became chair in 1998.This year the

Ethics Commission staff began an aggressive review of all PACS reporting, and threatened huge fines because in addition to the Annual Report, a series of 180, 90, 30 and 10 day reports prior to Primary Elections and 10 days prior to the General Elections, and 40 days after were not being done.I requested a hearing before the

Ethics Board on May 17.Debbie Fernandez, Chair of the Legislative Committee, accompanied me.Five other small PACS were in the same boat. All fines against all six PAC's were suspended except for $1000.

After the Board meeting these six met briefly. We were all relieved with the way it was handled, however we decided to get together and see about getting the Campaign Finance Statute amended to reduce the current $200 a day for each overdue date.

On May 26, I met with Chris Summers of the Ethics Commission Staff, in a very cordial meeting and agreed to take the option of simple monthly filing due by the 10th of the month. After paying the fine, our ClinPac balance is $2450, which leaves us with a safe balance for the next year or two.ClinPac $ can only be used for contributions to legislative candidates, not towards the LACSW lobbyist.I suggest that LACSW members give their planned ClinPac contributions to funding the lobbyist in 2004-05. Then again to

ClinPac in 2006.Thanks to all past and future ClinPac contributors. You have been great in supporting the PAC.Justin Schleis, Chair.

I'm also looking for someone to take over this job. Any Takers?? (225) 767-7731.

Humor

David Rougeau, a former board member, passes many good email jokes to me. I thought this one made for a good newsletter laugh:

The Washington Post publishes a yearly contest in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for various words. The following were some of this year’s winning entries:

1. Coffee (n.). a person who is coughed upon.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.
3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent
6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightie.
7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp
8. Gargoyle (n.), an olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n.), the emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller .
10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline
11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam
12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified demeanor assumed by a proctologist immediately before he examines you.
13. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddish expressions.
14. Circumvent (n.), the opening in the front of boxer shorts.
15. Pokemon (n.), a Jamaican proctologist

From an incoming email:

5/6/04, Physician’s News Digest wrote: THE NATION’S HMOS POSTED COMBINED EARNINGS OF $6.7 BILLION IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2003

According to Weiss Ratings Inc., the earnings figure is a 52 percent increase over the $4.4 billion reported in the first nine months of 2002, reported the Central Penn Business journal. Despite the mostly positive numbers, roughly 22 percent of all HMO’s reported loss during the period, the Business Journal added.

Connie Konikoff—Lafayette

(Connie not only is presenting at our June 18th workshop, but she has already volunteered to be on our Board of Directors!)

Our website is www.lacsw.org . Website ID is “LACSW”, and your password is “strength”. If any LACSW member would like to post a short clinical article on our website (no charge), crediting yourself and with a link to your website if you have one, contact Charlene Spears at 337-237-9150

Report to the Clinical Social Work Federation - May 2004

Our membership in October 2003 was 71. It presently stands at 79, about an 11% increase. We continue to have an active board, with about 15 LCSW’s meeting every other month for about 4 hours. Following each meeting we publish our newsletter, which goes to all of our members, plus about a half dozen out of state addresses, affiliated with CSWF. Additionally, we communicate noteworthy news PRN by email to the board or entire membership. Our website www.lacsw.org, stays current with up to date membership data, some of which is available only to members. There we also post membership application forms, newsletters, and brochures of our upcoming workshops.

On the negative side we were sad to lose the service of our immediate Past-President, Mim Aretsky; this due to new personal and business priorities. She has availed herself for some continuing services. Luckily our “past, past - president”, Anne Heard, has remained as a guide and is active on the board. We’ve had a long serving Secretary, Leesa Sitter, and, a computer savvy Treasurer, Charlene Spears, to add to a strong Executive Committee. We’re not gaining or losing financially.

Of equal importance has been the Chairperson of our Legislative Committee, Debbie Fernandez. She coordinates with our lobbyist, whom we treasure for her loyalty and effectiveness. Separately, we have access to CLIN-PAC, our Clinical Social Work Political Action Committee, which collects voluntary contributions aside from membership dues ($195/year). Together these facilitate our highest priority goal, state legislative lobbying. We are aided in this by revenues from sponsoring 2 or 3 workshops a year.

For the first time in many years our Membership Committee published a directory of all the members and distributed them to all. In it we learned of multiple niche specialties and talents within LACSW. We have a newly formed mentoring committee that is just getting beyond “what does one such do?” Our Managed/Unmanaged Care Committee has had some successes in slaying the dragon of MCO’s. It concurrently avails newsletter ideas to foster alternatives to practice within MCO’s.

The LACSW President Elect, Judith Haspel, is in learning mode. We have determined that we need not tamper with our by-laws stipulating officers’ holding 2 year terms, if we pursue the 3 year appointed position to CSWF representation. My term as President will expire July,. As I am not presently inclined to pursue this position, we already have George “Skip” Morlier, a former president, considering doing so after July 1, 2005.

On the backside of this report is a run down of all the various mental health professionals in Louisiana. It took some research to gather. A similar “perspective” might be an idea for other states topusue, and perhaps even for CSWF to look at nationally.

Yours truly,

Terry J. Zenner, LCSW
President, Louisiana Association of Clinical Social Workers

Treasurer’s Report

Upcoming Workshops

Managed Care Update
by Leesa Sitter, LCSW, DCSW

Hot off the Press 5/27/04

The LACSW Managed Care Committee has learned that Family Managed Care (FMC) has supposedly opened up their panel further to providers, as there were complaints of significant limitations of who was authorized sessions, even though providers were on the panel. FMC has also sent out a letter to providers that fees will be increased effective 6/1/04 and some extensions of the list of CPT codes.

Leesa Sitter Contacted Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas after receiving complaints from clients and clinicians that Social Workers were not on the provider panels; only MD’s or PhD's in Texas. After a few hours of phone calls, several menus, several transfers, some disconnects, some not in English, some sympathetic “Good Luck’s” HA, I was finally able to reach a live person (Mary), who showed through further research that Social Workers are on most products that are provided, and that there may be misinformation that is given as the medical is different from mental health. If in question regarding mental health benefits for BCBS of Texas providers should call 1-800-528-7264 for Customer Service and ask them to check further into the benefits for the particular client regarding in network vs. out of network and to see if they are a provider. “GOOD LUCK!” HA

LACSW
P.O. Box 14153
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Phone: 225-761-1668
Fax: 337-989-8458
Email: LACSW2@hotmail.com

Our Corporate Sponsor, Synergy, Offers Regional Services

Synergy Healthcare Group offers Inpatinet Psychiatric Services in Baton Rouge and Lutcher, as well as Community Mental Health Centers in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Slidell.

Transitional Living services are offered in Baton Rouge and new Orleans, and Home Healthcare Services are located in Baton Rouge, Hammond, Alexandria, Lafayette, and Kenner.

Referral Lines:

Transitional Living:

Synergy Home Health:

Moving? Missed an Issue?

Please contact us at:

LACSW P.O. Box 14153 Baton Rouge, LA 70808
or
lacsw2@hotmail.com

To Contact Your Licensing Board:

Send $5.00 to the board for a copy of “The Rules, Standards, and Procedures of the Louisiana Social Work Practice Act– amended Oct.24, 2003.

Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners 18550 Highland Road—Suite B Baton Rouge, LA 70809 Phone: (225) 756-3470 or 800-521-1941 (LA only) email: socialwork@labswe.org Website: http://www.labswe.org

Contact Information:

LACSW Officers:

President– Terry Zenner 337-989-9350

President Elect— Judith Haspel 504-891-5807

Secretary— Leesa Sitter 318-226-8753

Treasurer— Charlene Spears 337-237-9150

Regional Board—Baton Rouge

Anita Evans, Deborah Fernandez, Judy Holland, Maureen Powell, Justin Schleis, Larry Gooch

New Orleans– Anne Heard, Mimi Jalenak, Donna Lewis, George Morlier, Laura Myers

Slidell— Maria Klette-Ketchum

Covington— Carol Miles

Shreveport— Beth Porter, Peggy Salley