SSWLHC/WI Chapter Meeting Minutes

September 15, 2000

The meeting was called to order at 9:10 by Brenda Johnson, Chapter President

Introductions

List of attendees is attached to back of Minutes

Industry updates & Networking:

Joint Commission Report - Karen Benson

• Conscious sedation monitoring
• Wasting of drugs: two people to observe and document
• Age specific competencies
• More Type I cites being given across the continuum
• Policies need to be very specific
• Restraint policies were a key topic
• Monthly News Brief from Joint Commission on Internet site to sign up for related information is: www.jcaho.org
• A handout was provided.
• Standard PE 1.6: Discharge Planning; this standard was reviewed and has been expanded
• Standard PE 6.1.1: keeping patient and family informed; this standard also has new language

May/June issue of the Continuum covers preparing for JCAHO surveys:

• Advance Directives: JCAHO states that we need to be asking the patient outright and documenting their wishes even if they have no formal advance directive written out, according to recent citations some hospitals have received. The hospital is not necessarily expected to act on this documentation but there should be evidence that the patient was asked.
• JCAHO surveyors appear to not know what Wisconsin law is in regard to advance directives. Facility nurses at some facilities do not want to know about advance directive. This may be because the nurse does not want to have this question added to the patient nursing assessment. Nurses want to be the caregivers.
  
• **The membership decided to compose a position statement in regard to advance directives that will be submitted to JCAHO Jennifer Johnson, Mary Jo Walsh, Dave Schmidt, Karen Benson and Cathy Hoppe will work on this project. Jennifer Johnson will chair this committee.

Positions open:

• Sandra Stephens reported numerous openings at Mendota MHI.
• Columbus Hospital has an opening.
• Metro region/Aurora HC: clinic, St. Luke’s, Prenatal Case Management
• Army Reserve social work has one present vacancy and numerous others coming up. One weekend per month with good pay. Fascinating work. Age 35yrs and under. Could retire within 20 years. CISD work. Contact Neil O’Connor.

• St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield: MSW for trauma teamwork.

NASW Update Chris Hoffschmidt:

Continuing Education activities were described including among others:

• The ethics and boundaries series continues
• Family court and domestic violence issues to be addresses in a daylong conference
• Annual conference issues suggested for May 9-11 at Milwaukee are:
• Continuum of care in industry: overlap and duplication
• Funding for alcohol treatment
• Mental health issues: how to serve this population/funding
• Nursing homes in crisis: closures

Dept. of Regulation and Licensing-- How to get new social workers certified.

There is a growing frustration with the length of this process.

• Many reasons can be holding up the process, not always the Dept of R&L.
• Recourse: call or write a letter of complaint to the SW section of Dept of R&L. This group only meets monthly.
• Bottom line: The bureau of R&L is not performing and NASW has not taken a hard enough position on this issue. SSWLHC has depended on NASW to handle this. NASW’s role is to provide advice and suggestion to the Dept. of R&L and are not able to facilitate the certification process. Marc Herstand is our contact person.
• **SSWLHC/WI Chapter recommends to NASW that they organize a workgroup. In the meantime send certification "horror stories" to Brenda Johnson at Meriter so that SSWLHC can consider formulation of a group position on this issue.
• Licensure issues in regard to mental health are also under discussion and changes are expected in terms of licensure for psychotherapy.
• CEUs: NASW recommends that social workers keep as much information as they can about seminars they have attended especially showing the hours that you spent at the seminar. Also keep the biographical information on the presenter and notes about the content of the program in lieu of certificates of attendance. Simply put: be able to defend your CEUs.
  
  Requirements of certification clarification:
  

• Upgrading CISW and CICSW is clarified on page 13 of the corresponding handout
  
• Chris will seek answers to the following questions:

Is there a definition of what supervision is?

Is there a documentation format for supervision given?

Comments? WWW.NASWWI@Aol.com

Business Meeting:

President’s Report - Brenda Johnson:

• SSWLHC at the national level is in some trouble organizationally due to industry trends toward case management models that are not supportive of social work.
• Voting for SSWLHC officers is due. Send your ballots in by Sept. 25.
• April 2001 is the next conference date to be held in San Antonio TX
• Karen Benson made a motion which was seconded by two members that our annual membership dues be raised from $40.00 to $50.00 The members present voted to authorize this increase effective FY January 2001.
• All members are invited to let officers know names of topics and presenters for future educational programs.
• A Social Work summit, sponsored by NASW, will be held and there will be an update at our December meeting. The summit is in Madison.

Treasurer’s Report/Dave Schmidt:

• Checkbook balance: $3560.52

Chapter Website update/Neil O’Connor:

• WI state AOSW has decided that to access the website all articles must go through Neil O’Connor at www.njoconno@facstaff.wisc.edu or by contacting www.aosw.org directly.

Committee Reports:

Nominating Committee: Karen Benson, Cindy Koehn and Anne Harvieux are on this committee. Pres. elect, secretary and one board member at large positions are up for election.

Health Policy: Mike St. John - No news at this time.

WHA: Sandra Stephens

• Council on professional services meeting report given
• Mandatory hearing test for newborns

COP: Pat Anderson:

• Sen. Feingold/Older Americans Act and Agriculture committee to allow import of medications.
• Closing of nursing homes: no new ones in last 19 years/many are closing 1000 beds are expected to close over the next two years.
• Lack of staff, Medicare expectations are unfavorable.
• COP: Each county has their own waiting list policy, which is problematic.  11,000+ persons are presently on the waiting list.

Thank You from Joe Gilson:

The Chapter received a thank you note along with his new address:

Jane and Joe Gilson
1003 Wilshire Circle
Grand Ledge, MI 48837

517-622-4590

Next meeting of the WI Chapter SSWLHC is December 1, 2000: The program will be a panel of representatives from The Schools of Social Work (UW/Madison, UW/Milwaukee, and one BSW program) to speak on the status of social work education and where is the profession going in the future.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 for lunch to be followed by the program:

"End of Life Care: Opportunities for Social Work Leadership"

Submitted by,

Paula J. Cook, Secretary

WI Chapter SSWLHC

PLEASE SEND INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR SOCIAL WORK CERTIFICATION "HORROR STORIES" TO BRENDA JOHNSON, CHAPTER PRESIDENT. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE FORWARDED ON TO NASW AND THE DEPT. OF REGULATION & LICENSING. FAX # (608) 267-6383 – E-MAIL: bjohnson@meriter.com or mail: MERITER HOSPITAL – 202 S. PARK ST., MADISON, WI 533715