clinical social work association

(N=248) Survey taken 12/10/16-12/28/16

Below are the results of the Survey sent to CSWA members to get their views on what they would like CSWA advocacy priorities to be in 2017. We asked people to choose one or two areas for each issue, realizing that our resources are limited. The percentages are how many of the respondents chose a given issue.

Choose one or two of the areas below as the primary place(s) advocacy efforts should be made around mental health parity and reform legislation.

• Oppose efforts to reverse mental health parity law = 87%
  
• Oppose efforts to eliminate DHHS regulations protecting mental health parity = 55%
  
• Oppose failure to provide adequate funding for addiction treatment found in CARA Act =21%
  
• Oppose failure to fund mental health research and resources in the 21st Century Cures Act =23%
  

Other (please specify):

• Oppose efforts to put irrelevant "make-work" requirements on therapists who are Medicare providers
  
• Oppose a statute of limitations for child abuse prosecution
  
• Practice of interstate electronic social work
  
• I am sorry to say that I do not know enough about these issues to choose.
  
• Protection of mental health treatment records in accord with Shaffer v. Redmond
  
• Want all efforts focused on the one checked above [oppose efforts to reverse parity law].
  
• Protect all devices for seniors who are hard hit by all of the above
  

Choose one or two of the areas below as the primary place(s) that advocacy efforts should be made around the Affordable Care Act.

• Oppose complete overturn of ACA = 51%
  
• Oppose overturn of coverage of pre-existing conditions = 57%
  
• Oppose overturn of coverage of adult children up to age 26 under parents' insurance = 13%
  
• Oppose elimination of subsidies for working poor = 31%
  
• Oppose elimination of subsidies for middle class = 10%
  
• Oppose use of vouchers to purchase health care (replacing required coverage for essential benefits) = 25%
  

Other (please specify):

• The cost of the insurance is too high for lower middle class purchasers so a hard look at what can be eliminated to bring the cost down is warranted
  
• Need to address out of network benefits
  
• Truth about insurance companies--change from affordable insurance to high deductible to line the pockets of CEO--educate that it is not a failure of the ACA but corporate greed, pass laws to make it illegal to profit from people's health needs.
  
• Establishment of universal/single-payer system.
  
• Need more information on what the new administration proposes as a replacement for ACA. Perhaps, instead, put additional resources in Question #1 options.
  
• Particularly concerned about Medi-Cal clients
  
• Tough choices: all vital, all seem equally important. -2
  
• Lobby for improvements to the basic structure of ACA
  
• Oppose the repeal of ACA, period. It does not need repeal. It needs fine tuning and fixing in some areas.
  
• Oppose overturn of any element unless there is another, equal or better plan.
  
• Oppose complete overturn of ACA and oppose elimination of subsidies for working poor.
  
• Oppose elimination of subsidies for poor and middle class
  
• Oppose vouchers
  

Choose one or two of the areas below as the primary place(s) that advocacy efforts should be made around Medicare and Medicaid.

• Oppose cancellation of the Medicaid Expansion program = 44%
  
• Oppose privatization of Medicare using Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) =72%
  
• Oppose raising the age of eligibility for Medicare = 26%
  
• Oppose decreasing standards for SSDI eligibility/increased work requirement = 8%
  
• Oppose turning federal funding for prevention services, early intervention, recovery, etc. into block grants = 28%
  
• Other (please specify):
  
• Allow SW to expand billing privileges for Advance Care Planning
  
• Oppose RAISING SSDI eligibility standards and/or raising work requirements
  
• Advocate for ability of social workers to work in nursing homes and advocate for coverage in homes for health and ADLs assistance for elderly
  
• No opposition to any of these
  
• My choices are opposed privatization and oppose turning federal funding into block grants
  
• Oppose privatization of Medicare and raising the age of eligibility]
  
• Oppose vouchers for Medicare
  
• All of the above
  

Choose one or two areas below as the primary place(s) that advocacy efforts should be made around diversity and civil rights.

• Oppose rollback of LGBTQ civil rights = 45.5%
  
• Oppose rollback of religious civil rights = 15.0%
  
• Oppose rollback of women's civil rights = 30.0%
  
• Oppose establishment of extremely restrictive immigration policies = 25.5%
  
• Oppose attacks based on ethnicity, religion, differently abled = 28.6%
  
• Oppose failure to fund criminal justice and corrections reforms = 18.3%
  
• Oppose current increased use of prisons as mental health hospitals = 40.8%
  
• Other (please specify)
  
• Oppose ALL rollback of civil rights and acceptance of diversity - 17
  
• Cannot ethically just choose one or two - 6
  
• Oppose voter suppression/restrictions on voting -1
  
• Improve safety for workers and patients at MH hospitals - 1
  

Choose one or two areas below as the primary place(s) that advocacy efforts should be made around mental health treatment.

• Oppose reversal of prohibition on "conversion therapy" = 26.5%
  
• Oppose elimination of Mental Health First Aid and Understanding Trauma
  
• program for first responders = 24.5%
  
• Oppose restrictions on long-term treatment modalities needed for some mental disorders = 38.8%
  
• Oppose coverage limitations on mental health treatment = 79.6%
  
• Oppose "fail-first" or "step-down" treatments for substance use treatment and
  
• psychotropic medication = 9.7%
  
• Other (please specify)
  
• Priorities need to focus on the highest number of people that need service not the minority represented by activists with a political agenda instead of a clinical agenda -1
  
• All of the above - 6
  

Please add any other comments or issues that you think should be considered.

Because of low reimbursement rates, it is very difficult to obtain an appt with a psychiatrist who accepts insurance. Those who do make up for this by scheduling far more appts than they can be competent with.. It is very difficult to find a therapist who works with more specialized diagnostic categories like trauma and accepts insurance because if reimbursement rates.

Hard to choose only 2 in each of the categories, but I think you're doing a terrific job of knowing both what's important and what CSWA can accomplish.

It's difficult to prioritize these lists as all these issues are important, now more than ever. I do believe that any reversal of prohibitions on conversion therapy would be extremely detrimental.

Stress that Treatment of mental disorders is prevention for other physical disorders and that focus on mental can reduce money needed for physical

Please consider that all members did not vote democrat and that some of us have much hope for positive changes with the new administration. Sometimes it feels like both the NASW and the LCSW society assume that all members stand on the left. I fall in the middle and would like to see many things change in our country. I live in a home where we are both self employed. I am tired of paying 1k a month for health care and this year going up to a 10k deductible, while politicians have 70 some percent of their insurance paid for. I am concerned that social workers really need to consider a role of advocating for a more empowered, anti-victim, self responsible approach to helping people. I believe he is for LEGAL immigration and for preventing the immigration of dangerous people, taking care of America first, as there are millions suffering here in our country. I did not renew my NASW membership because they represent the extreme left. I am in need of renewing my CSWA membership and I am unsure if I want to do so for the same reasons. Thank you for considering my comments.

Oppose challenges to mental health parity and changes that violate ethical standards and scope of practice within integrated healthcare system modalities.

Trump has alienated all or almost all minorities. I can't believe there will come a day that I would be literally afraid of the President and the rest of government

Insure parity for the treatment of mental health disorders--increase the embracement of compassion for all civil rights issues!

Thank you – 25

Please guide us on how to proceed - 3

I think all of these areas are incredibly important.

I think many more things are important than just one or two in each category, especially in light of the incoming administration.

Enforce parity in mental health care and use of pre-authorization in Medicaid programs. Major concerns for small businesses and cost of health care. Many of these citizens are mental health providers in private or small group practices. These individuals do not qualify for any reduced health care costs or grants.

I was not aware that some of these ideas were even being considered. Wow! Social workers need to work hard to keep human rights a part of our country in the coming years.

All of these are important; choosing is impossible. Most important maybe is protecting AND CONTINUED FUNDING for what mental health and substance abuse support we have now?

I am completely overwhelmed by all of the urgent and essential advocacy and human rights issues on our plates. It is virtually impossible for me to pick where to focus our efforts. I would advise us to pick issues where we think we can join with other groups and really make an impact.

Too much focus on negatives, need to focus on what to promote - 4

The new administration is a threat to mental health. We must do everything we possibly can to fight the reactionary provisions that would roll back the advances made in human rights and rights for the mentally ill. - 5

I think it is important that Medicare and Medicaid payments be comparable to private insurance "allowed amounts' for comparable mental health services.

Advocate fully funding for addiction tx in CARA Act

Standing up as a group against any continued public statements of hate or attempts at normalization of racism, sexual harassment, and anti- LBGTQ or immigrant threats. We have an obligation as health professionals, to point out the damaging effects of this rhetoric and demand that our highest leaders behave in ways that do not harm others in our country. Thank you for doing this survey and preparing!

Re: the ACA section: I would love to oppose complete overturn of ACA, but trust you have a better sense of whether that is a practical and achievable goal. Given the possibility that it's not practical, I picked the parts of it that seem most urgent to me. Though they do all seem important.

It's hard to choose only one or two options. I want to check all if the above - 7

While I would like to think that there will not be many changes, I think the focus for right now will have to be defensive to just keep what we have...at the same time, starting to design other studies and doing other research to lay the groundwork for best practices could be powerful with the right administration...who are our cheerleaders in the house and senate right now..

Increasing collaborative mental health services such as pharmacy, dietician, physical therapy, ministry in mental health facilities. Advocate for stricter rules to accredit mental hospital, including provider licensure review with continued education audit, increase advocacy for American psychiatrists, increase advocacy for 21st century cures, get more people discharged and healthier from mental facilities, not allow state mental hospitals to be a lifetime residence.

FIGHT LIKE HELL

Support expansion of Medicare – 5

Medicare is a great program. Most seniors seem fairly happy with it & believe it to be well run.