As social workers, it is critical that we are supporting our clients as best as we can. We need to make sure we are checking in with our clients to ensure that their contact information on file with ODJFS is up to date, making sure that they are regularly checking their mail in order to respond to requests for information in a timely manner, and helping them transition to other insurance benefits as applicable.

Here are some useful links to utilize during your work with clients:

• Get Covered Ohio - Trained Insurance Navigators
• Ohio Medicaid Benefits Enrollment
• ACA Enrollment
• Planning for Medicaid Unwinding 2023
• Communications Toolkit
• Educators Toolkit
• Ohio Department of Insurance - contact for questions/complaints/appeals
• Ohio Medicaid Care Coordination Resources

On Tuesday, the Columbus Dispatch published an article that chronicles patterns of systemic racism within Equitas Health, a large healthcare organization predominately serving people living with HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQIA+ community  that employs many social workers. None of us should be surprised when presented with evidence of systemic racism within our institutions, but it can feel particularly disheartening when coming from an institution that focuses on health equity. The former employees profiled in the article demonstrate the ways that Equitas Health’s equity initiatives for LGBTIA+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS faltered without intersectional frameworks that adequately addressed race and racism.

NASW Ohio wants to foremost express solidarity with current and former Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) staff of Equitas Health, many of whom are social workers and our members. Thank you for your vulnerability and work to bring these internal issues to light. 

Equitas Health leadership has an opportunity to embrace accountability, repair harm and build an anti-racist organizational culture - we are hopeful that they will rise to the occasion. Leadership (particularly white leadership) in other social work organizations (including NASW) should resist the tendency to scapegoat and instead, reflect on whose voices have not been heard in our organizations. BIPOC social workers and advocates have been sounding the alarm of racism within our institutions since the inception of our institutions. Since the racial justice uprisings in 2020, these voices have only gotten louder - and still many are not listening. If you are looking to understand the pervasiveness of racism within social work practice, you might start by watching the recording of a panel and discussion that we hosted with the Columbus and Ohio Chapters of the National Association of Black Social Workers in July 2020, during which many BIPOC social workers shared their experiences. That recording is available here: www.naswoh.org/BLM .

NASW Ohio rejects the idea that our license and education somehow immunize against the impact of systemic racism. Social workers perpetuate racism. Social workers suffer from racism. And our ethical responsibilities for self-care are only achievable in work settings that understand this and actively work to identify and oppose racist structures. We all have a part to play - and we will know we are successful when those most impacted say that we are.

Link to Dispatch Article: https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2021/10/05/equitas-health-nonprofit-faces-allegations-discrimination/6003736001/

We want to express deep love and solidarity for the Afghan people, particularly those whose lives are in acute risk due to their alignment with U.S. military, stances on gender and LGBTQ equality, or journalistic reporting. 

Our hearts also extend to all active duty servicemembers and their families as well as veterans who may be experiencing an increase in difficult feelings including moral distress. In particular, we want to extend our deep condolences to the family of Max Soviak of Berlin Heights, a Navy medic who was amongst the 13 U.S. Servicemembers killed yesterday at the Kabul airport. 

Social workers will continue to play an important role via political advocacy and direct service as this humanitarian crisis unfolds. Below we have collected some resources that may support your practice and advocacy efforts. We invite social workers who have direct connections to Afghanistan, work in refugee resettlement, and/or with active duty and veteran military members to add to our list below. 

NASW National statement 'NASW Calls for Peaceful Political Settlement in Afghanistan' (August 2021) >>>

Resources for supporting the Afghan people

• Refugee Council USA - resources for support and advocacy at https://rcusa.org/afghanistan
• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Ohio and local offices - Afghanistan Community Alert, August 20, 2021 https://www.cair-ohio.com/afghanistan-community-alert/
• Community Refugee & Immigration Services, Ohio  - information and opportunities to support refugee resettlement in Ohio https://www.crisohio.org/august-newsletter-spotlight-developments-in-afghanistan/

Resources for Veterans

• Information on coping with current events in Afghanistan - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs tip sheet, August 2021
• Veterans Crisis Line - If you are having thoughts of suicide, call 1-800-273-8255, then PRESS 1 or visit http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
• Vet Centers - Discuss how you feel with other Veterans in these c ommunity-based counseling centers. 70% of Vet Center staff are Veterans. Call 1-877-927-8387 or find one near you .
• VA Mental Health Services Guide - This guide will help you sign up and access mental health services.
• MakeTheConnection.net - information, resources, and Veteran to Veteran videos for challenging life events and experiences with mental health issues.
• RallyPoint  - Talk to other Veterans online. Discuss: What are your feelings as the Taliban reclaim Afghanistan after 20 years of US involvement?
• Download VA's self-help apps - Tools to help deal with common reactions like, stress, sadness, and anxiety. You can also track your symptoms over time.
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) -  Request a Peer Mentor
• VA Women Veterans Call Center - Call or text 1-855-829-6636 (M-F 8AM - 10PM & SAT 8AM - 6:30PM ET)
• VA Caregiver Support Line - Call 1-855-260-3274 (M-F 8AM - 10PM & SAT 8AM - 5PM ET)

Get the scoop on using technology in practice with NASW Ohio’s Danielle Smith, attorney Glenn Karr, and IT expert Jay Karr . Participants will receive 6 social work CEUs, including ethics and supervision, plus a Certificate in Ethical Use of Technology. The course is scheduled for Friday, May 17 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. via livestream. The cost is $100 for members, $140 for non-members.

The Tech Savvy Social Worker: Ethical use of technology *online only*

Friday, May 17 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. online

Register Here

Providers should be aware that a new form, Standard Authorization Form (Form Number: ODM 10221), is now available. The purpose of the form is to improve care coordination for a patient across multiple providers by making it easier to share protected health information in a secure manner. The form is applicable to all covered entities in Ohio. It is not required to be used, but a properly executed form must be accepted by the receiving entity. The requirement to accept a properly executed form is applicable within 30 days of January 3, 2019.

• Standard Authorization Form
• Instructions for Completing Standard Authorization Form
  

House Bill 49 signed by Governor Kasich in June 2017 expanded the list of mandated reporters for elder abuse in Ohio. This bill also required the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to develop training materials for all mandated reporters. ODJFS has met this mandate by developing a series of reference guides, geared towards the various individuals and professional disciplines listed in section 5101.63 of the Revised Code (ORC), effective September 29, 2018.

Each guide contains an overview of adult protective services (APS), specifically: statutory definitions pertaining to APS; indicators of elder maltreatment; guidance on how and where to report suspected elder abuse; and information on what happens after a report is made. In addition, each guide contains information specific to its audience. One publication is written for the mandated reporters working in the medical field; one written for legal and law enforcement professionals; and one is written for financial service providers. There is also a fourth guide written for all Ohioans that does not focus on any particular discipline or profession. A copy of each guide is included with this correspondence for your information and use, as applicable.

ORC Section 5101.632 tasks all entities that employ, license or regulate the individuals listed as mandated reporters with ensuring those professionals have access to the training materials developed by ODJFS. These guides are available free of charge in both electronic and hard copy format. Please select the following guides or you download or order them through the JFS Forms Central website (http://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/).

• Understanding Elder Abuse: A Guide for Financial Services Professionals
• Understanding Elder Abuse: A Guide for Legal and Law Enforcement Professionals
• Understanding Elder Abuse: A Guide for Medical Professionals
• Understanding Elder Abuse: A Guide for Ohioans

Please contact the ODJFS APS Program staff at aps_mailbox@jfs.ohio.gov with any question.

The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) unveiled a new publication entitled “Representing Domestic Violence Survivors with Pets in Ohio: A Manual for Domestic Violence Attorneys & Advocates Helping Survivors Obtain Protection Orders.” The manual is designed to enable attorneys and advocates in Ohio to better assist pet-owning domestic violence survivors. It offers a step-by-step approach to simplify the inclusion of pets in protection orders, allowing survivors to take control of their lives and escape abuse along with their pets.

“This manual will be an essential addition to the resources we currently offer on animals and family violence,” said Cathy Liss, AWI president. “It is crucial for attorneys and advocates to be aware of the concerns voiced by domestic violence survivors about their pets, of how those concerns affect the survivors’ decisions, and, most of all, of how to help them use the protection order process on behalf of their companion animals.”

The resource explains why pets should be protected in cases of domestic violence, noting that abusers often harm companion animals—just as they harm their partners and children—to assert dominance and control. One survey found that 71 percent of pet-owning domestic violence victims reported that their abusers had threatened, injured or killed their pets. Victims often refuse to leave violent situations for fear of what will happen to their pets. When seeking assistance, they may not even mention that they have a pet because they assume that there are no resources available to care for their animals.

The manual discusses the general legal landscape surrounding the inclusion of companion animals in civil protection orders, gives specific details about the laws in Ohio and provides links to forms and outside resources. To date, AWI has published similar resources for 11 other states and the District of Columbia.

Under Ohio law, petitions for protection orders are granted in cases of domestic violence and child abuse. Any adult in the household may seek a protection order on behalf of any other family or household member, including a child. Although animal abuse is not specifically mentioned in the statute as a basis for requesting that a court issue a protection order, the court may order the respondent to stay away from the pet(s) and/or allow the applicant to request custody of them as part of a domestic violence protection order.

“Because domestic violence intake interviews typically do not involve questions about the presence of pets, pets are still rarely included in petitions and final orders,” said Nancy Blaney, director of government affairs for AWI. “With the creation of this manual, which covers every aspect of this issue concisely but thoroughly, our mission is to simplify the inclusion of companion animals in protection orders for attorneys and advocates, allowing survivors to take control of their lives and find safety for themselves and their pets.”

AWI is organizing a series of cross-trainings in March for animal control officers, social workers and advocates for victims of domestic violence, among others, in Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo.

The manual is available to view here.

Our newest member benefit - MyNASW Community - is transforming how NASW members connect, share ideas and resources, and stay up-to-date.

This exclusive members-only community allows social workers to log in with their socialworkers.org username and password to post questions, seek advice, and participate in discussions specific to their practice or career stage.

In addition to discussions, members can add contacts and send private messages, networking with their peers both locally and across the country. Using the directory’s advanced search, you can find colleagues by Chapter, practice area, work setting, job function, or organization type. Each member controls what parts of their profile are visible to others by adjusting their privacy settings.

Another feature of the MyNASW Community is a searchable resource library, where members can upload and browse documents and digital resources in a variety of formats.

"MyNASW is your go-to for all things social work," said Jennifer Watt, director of membership at NASW’s National Office. "It allows members who may not have access in person, to create a network of their peers and be included in the latest discussions.”

Currently, MyNASW Community offers four discussion forums:

• All Member Forum – open to all active NASW members
• Children, Youth, and Schools - for members of the Child Welfare; Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults; and School Social Work Specialty Practice Sections
• Clinical Social Work, Aging, and Health – for members of the Aging; Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs; Health; Mental Health; and Private Practice Specialty Practice Sections
• Social Justice, Administration, and Courts - for members of the Administration/Supervision; Social and Economic Justice & Peace; and Social Work and the Courts Specialty Practice Sections

Visit mynasw.socialworkers.org to update your profile and join the conversation today. Questions? Contact NASW Member Services at 1-800-742-4089 Monday through Friday 9 am-9 pm ET.