SSW Celebrates A National Breakthrough in Social Welfare Policy

Social workers, policy advocates and clinicians celebrated an important civil rights victory this month, as new legislation was signed into law by President Bush. Known as the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, this law mandates that health insurers provide equal coverage for mental, as well as physical illness.

"Prior to this legislation, federal policy did not require insurers to cover mental health services on par with insurance coverage for physical health services," said Associate Professor Sally Bachman. "Hence there has been tremendous variation among states in mental health care coverage. In many areas of the country, a person with a mental health problem might be entitled to only a few treatment visits for common mental health problems such as depression.This legislation establishes federal policy with respect to mental health parity, recognizing that mental health problems require access to treatment as much as physical health problems. This is a step in the right direction for eliminating the stigma associated with mental illness and promoting health and well being for all."

In addition to the parity law, the 110th Congress also passed other important legislation including:

The College Cost Reduction Act that allows social workers who took out loans after October 1, 2007, to cancel remaining payments after 10 years of public service;

The reauthorization of The Higher Education Act. This law also concerns loan forgiveness for social workers who serve in high-need areas.

Legislation of importance to social workers that will be revisited in the coming year includes:

The Caring for an Aging America Act that would offer loan repayment options to social workers who specifically train in geriatric care and commit to providing full time service to older adults for two years;

The Teri Zenner Social Worker Safety Act that would provide state grants to help improve safety measures for social workers, including self defence training and other technology-based tracking systems;

The Increased Student Achievement Through Increased Student Support Act that would offer grants for training and placement partnerships. Partnerships would be between higher educational institutions that train school-based social workers, and under-resourced local educational agencies (LEAs) in need of trained school-based mental health professionals;

The Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act that would advise Congress on policies related to the field of social work;

The SAMHSA Reauthorization Act that would include a provision for loan forgiveness for social workers who agree to provide two years of work in low resourced geographic areas in need of health professionals.

About BUSSW:
Distinguished by its urban mission and clinical and macro practice focus, the Boston University School of Social Work is committed to educating masters’ and doctoral level students who will become leaders in a multicultural environment. The School offers the MSW and PhD degrees, as well as continuing professional education, and its nationally recognized faculty has been ranked 8th among schools of social work with doctoral programs. Located in a diverse and academically rich community, the School offers almost unlimited opportunities for urban social work practice and research. Visit bu.edu/ssw for more information.

About Boston University:
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the school’s research and teaching mission.