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Social Workers Support Mental Health Parity Bill
After committee approval, bill to be considered before full Senate
Washington, DC - The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), representing more than 150,000 social workers, many of whom provide treatment to millions of Americans with mental illness and substance abuse disorders, supports the passage of the Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 (S.558). Clinical social workers are the major providers of mental health services in the country and have long championed health care parity for those seeking behavioral health services.
The Wellstone bill, which is sponsored by Senators Domenici, Kennedy, and Enzi, provides protection to more than 113 million Americans in health care programs sponsored by large employers (those with more than 50 employees). Covered plans must ensure that the benefits and financial burdens assigned to behavioral health services are on a par with the medical and surgical benefits. This remedies the discrimination that has been permitted against those with mental illness and substance abuse disorders by providing greater access to mental health and substance abuse services.
“As social workers, we are trained to look at a person in a comprehensive way, looking at the emotional, social, economic and cultural influences,” said Elizabeth Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, executive director of NASW. “This proposed legislation would allow social workers and other mental health professionals to provide comprehensive mental health services under employer based plans to clients whose insurance coverage had previously denied or limited that access. The time for this change has definitely arrived.”
Particularly important to the social work community, this bill preserves state social work vendorship laws which protect the individual’s choice of a health care provider. NASW has suggested to the sponsors of this bill that the proposed legislation would be strengthened by amending it to include a federal vendorship law, allowing covered citizens to choose their provider of mental health treatment.
“Legislation that achieves insurance equity for behavioral health care is essential to providing individuals with the care they need,” said Dr. Clark. “NASW is committed to improving access to care for all.”
For more information about NASW’s support of mental health parity and other legislative issues, please visit NASW Advocacy.
About the NASW Press
The NASW Press, a division of the National Association of Social Workers, has been publishing materials in social work since 1956. It is committed to delivering an unrivaled collection of high-quality books, scholarly journals, and professional social work references. It acknowledges that social work is a dynamic profession and demands a continuous enhancement of intellectual works; therefore, the Press provides publishing opportunities guided by rigorous standards and a constructive peer review process. The NASW Press endeavors to be the premier publisher of literary products in social work and other social sciences, serving readers throughout the United States and abroad..
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The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 140,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.