FW: Social Work Licensure Permanent Exemption in Exec Budget

[Jim Scordo]

This is very good news and something we have been advocating for years.

 

Jim S

 

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From: Ashley Behrle [mailto:ABe...@asapnys.org]
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 9:51 AM
To: Alexis Gadsden; 'Amy Wenske'; Anne Constantino; Ashley Behrle; 'Beth Clark'; Beth Covelli; Beth Lawyer; 'Bob Lebman'; 'Carl Hatch-Feir'; Charmaine McFarlane; 'Cheryl Halvorsen'; Christopher R. Wilkins; Ellen Morehouse; Gary Butchen; Giselle Jackman; 'Henry Bartlett'; Herb Barish; Ira Marion; Janet Braga; Jeff Skaar ; Jennifer Faringer; Jim Scordo; John Coppola; 'John Tavolacci'; Julie Dostal; Karen Carlini; 'Kathleen Cullen'; 'Kathy Riddle'; Kym Laube ; Larry Calkins; Luke Nasta; Marsha Nadell Penrose; Marty Teller; Mary Silberstein; Norwig Debye-Saxinger; Patricia Hincken; 'Patti Hincken'; Raul Russi; 'Richard Pruss'; Robert Ross ; 'Ron Williams'; SEEP VARMA; Sherry LaFountain; Sonskeshana Kornegay; 'Steven Pressman'; Tammam Kinan; Teri Friedman; William Fusco; Britta Muehlbach; 'Charlie Devlin'; David L. Cornish ; Diane Gonzalez; Ira J. Marion; 'Jeanne Unger'; 'Nancy Jones'; Paige K. Prentice ; 'Rev. George Doering, Jr.'; Robert Anderson; Susan Ohanesian
Subject: Social Work Licensure Permanent Exemption in Exec Budget

 

All,

 

We are very pleased to see that the Governor has included a permanent exemption from the social work licensure scope of practice legislation for “individuals working in programs that are regulated, operated, funded or approved by the Office of Mental Health, DOH, the State Office for the Aging, the Office of Children and Family Services, DOCCS, OASAS, and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, and/or local governmental units or social services districts.” http://publications.budget.ny.gov/eBudget1314/fy1314artVIIbills/HMH_ArticleVII_MS.pdf (pg. 33)

Article VII language can be found on pages 390-391 at: http://publications.budget.ny.gov/eBudget1314/fy1314artVIIbills/HMH_ArticleVII.pdf

 

 

This is a critical issue that has been at the top of ASAP’s advocacy agenda for a number of years given the potential workforce crisis that would arise if current exemptions for our agencies written into law were to sunset. Through the diligent hard work of many of our members and a number of other advocates on this issue, our concerns have been heard and recognized by the Governor in his budget proposal. Governor Cuomo’s administration has clearly recognized that the state cannot afford the fiscal impact, loss of workforce and decreased access to services that would arise should the current exemptions sunset in the social work licensure law.

 

We will advocate strongly throughout the budget season to ensure the Assembly and Senate support this key provision of the Executive Budget, and include it in the final enacted budget. Please feel free to contact us with any questions on this important issue, and thank you to all who contributed to advocacy on this front!

 

We will share further budget details very soon.

 

Ashley Behrle, LMSW
Project Director
Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of New York State, Inc.
1 Columbia Place
Albany NY 12207
Phone: 518-426-3122
Fax: 518-426-1046
ABe...@asapnys.org
www.asapnys.org