Meet Interim Western Division Chair: Cheryl Mills, LCSW-R

NASWNYS, Western Division

 

New Interim Western Division Chair:
Cheryl Mills, LCSW-R
 

Cheryl Mills, LCSW-R, has been named Interim Division Chair for the NASW-NYS Western Division as the 2019 Chapter Election is under way. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Cheryl!


NASW-NYS Interim Western Division Chair Cheryl Mills, LCSW-R

My name is Cheryl Mills, LCSW-R, and I am a graduate of the University at Albany’s School of Social Welfare. I have been a member of NASW for 30 years and an active member of Western Division Steering Committee since 2006.

I have extensive experience in health care and mental health care. For almost 11 years, I worked as a medical social worker at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and during that time, I also served as field instructor for the University at Buffalo’s Master of Social Work program. I have approximately eight years of social work case management experience in a health maintenance organization, handling medically complex case management with individuals with multiple chronic illnesses. I was the first master’s level social worker to be employed by this organization, as well as the first social worker to obtain the Certified Case Manager (CCM) credential.

Additionally, my social work background includes more than four years of working as a counselor in two outpatient mental health clinics in the Western New York area; over 10 years at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center, where I facilitated psychosocial group therapy on adult inpatient units on a part-time basis; and more than two years of private practice in two independent practitioner groups on a part-time basis. Since July 2018, I have been taking a leave from the social work field to serve as primary caregiver to my partner, who had a stroke two and half years ago, as well as caring for my 91-year-old mother who lives the Syracuse area. I have been working part-time at Wegmans’ bakery department since August 2018 and my plan is to return to the field shortly.

As an active participant of the Western Division’s Steering Committee, I have seen the Division go through many accomplishments, challenges, and changes. I truly want to see our Division grow and thrive and felt that this is the right time for me to step into the role of Interim Division Chair. I look forward to building a stronger and more unified Division together, and help educate social work students, the social work community, and all of Western New York, on the important, meaningful contributions that social workers make every day.

 

NASW-NYS Western Division
 

NASW-NYS Western Division
The NASW-NYS Western Division is one of the Chapter’s ten division chapters. The goal of the Western Division is to build strength through association in the Allegany, Cattaraugus Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. Please visit naswnys.org/western for more information on how to get involved.

2019 LEAD Update: Racial Equity Assessment in Legislation

Legislative, NASWNYS

**Important update regarding the NYS DREAM Act/New LEAD Topic**
 

Racial Equity Assessment in Legislation (REAL)
 

As you may have heard, the NYS Legislature recently passed the José Peralta DREAM Act. We applaud the Legislature’s initiative in tackling a decade-long effort to ensure that undocumented persons have access to higher education and professional opportunities in New York. We know that diversity benefits all of us and the DREAM Act helps a diverse population realize the American Dream.

In light of the Legislature’s action, we have decided to turn our focus for LEAD to the Racial Equity Assessment in Legislation (REAL) Act, which would require that the Legislature create a mechanism by which all bills be viewed through a racial equity lens. This process will help ensure that the laws passed to protect and support New Yorkers, do so for all New Yorkers. This is the first time we have ever had to change a LEAD topic, but it is with good reason: our first advocacy goal was achieved. 

We hope you will continue to join us in Albany on Tuesday, March 5, to ensure both racial equity and a strong financial investment in the social work profession, are realized in 2019! Visit naswnys.org/LEAD for more information.

 

Register Now for 2019 LEAD
 

2019 Social Work Legislative Education and Advocacy Day

Social Work Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) is a legislative event hosted by the National Association of Social Workers – New York State (NASW-NYS) Chapter, the New York State Social Work Education Association (NYSSWEA), the New York State Association of the Deans of Schools of Social Work, and the National Association of Social Workers – New York City (NASW-NYC) Chapter that brings hundreds of social work students and professionals to the Capitol. The goal of this event is to further social workers’ knowledge about policy issues in substantive areas of social work practice, teach participants about legislative advocacy, and provide an opportunity for social workers to lobby on behalf of specific legislation. This year’s LEAD event is on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. 

NASW Foundation Now Accepting Applications for Scholarships and Fellowships

Divisions, NASWNYS

The NASW Foundation is now accepting applications for scholarships and fellowships to assist students pursuing a variety of social work specialties.

for fellowships in health care and scholarships involving work with African American communities and with American Indian and Latino populations.

Applications are due by March 5, 2019.

Learn more:

Questions? Email

The NASW Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization created in 2001 to support NASW’s educational, research, and charitable initiatives through a wide range of diverse programs and projects that serve the social work profession, the practitioner, and the public. The Foundation administers this array of programs to fulfill its core mission of enhancing the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through the advancement of social work policy and practice.

Legislative victory: NYS Legislature passes ban on conversion therapy

NASWNYS

Tuesday, January 15, 2019, marked a historic day in Albany as the New York State Legislature voted to pass legislation A.576/S.1046 that will prohibit licensed mental health professionals from engaging in efforts to change a minor’s sexual orientation, gender expression, and/or gender identity, otherwise referred to as “conversion” or “reparative” therapy.

For several years in a row, the bill had passed the NYS Assembly but faced strong opposition in the Senate. But as we sat in the Senate Chambers, watching a new group of Senators cast their vote on our bill and on Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), the import of the moment could not be overstated. There were tears, cheers, and hugs, celebrating the end of two very long battles to ensure that gender non-conforming persons and those identifying as LGBTQ receive the same protections as gender-conforming persons.

Finally! – New York has a statewide ban on conversion therapy.

To many of our members, this legislative victory is a long time coming. NASW-NYS has long condemned the use of conversion therapy and for years, we continued to push for passage of legislation that would ban this dangerous and outdated practice.

You have seen the action alerts asking you to call on your legislators to pass legislation that would ban this practice; calling for a statewide ban on conversion therapy was our primary focus at the 2018 Social Work Legislative Education and Advocacy Day; and we made multiple media appearances to raise awareness of the dangers of so-called “conversion therapy,” most recently this past December, alongside Mathew Shurka, chief strategist and co-founder of the Born Perfect campaign. Shurka also served as a consultant on “Boy Erased,” the critically acclaimed film based on the Garrard Conley memoir of the same name, that has brought nationwide attention to the frightening reality of conversion therapy.

The philosophy behind reparative therapies are anathema to the NASW Code of Ethics, oppress people in the LGBTQ community, and represent a practice abhorred by the mental health profession. The practice has never been proven effective by any scientific or empirical evidence, in fact, every mainstream medical and mental health organization has repudiated the efficacy of conversion therapy, citing the growing evidence of harm and long-term detrimental consequences, including increased risk of depression, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse. But despite this, some practitioners continue to conduct conversion therapy and as such, the importance of this bill could not be underestimated.

We applaud the NYS Legislature for passing this important legislation, specifically Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) and Assemblymember Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan), our champions and bill sponsors in the Senate and the Assembly respectively, for their tireless effort to protect the rights of the LGBTQ community and to preserve the dignity and diversity of all New Yorkers. New York now joins 14 states and Washington D.C. that have passed laws prohibiting the use of conversion therapy on minors, and we hope the entire nation will follow suit.

We would also like to thank our lobbyist Karin Carreau, MSW (Carreau Consulting) for her unwavering commitment to advocate on behalf of our profession and the people that we serve. A prime example of advocacy and social work at its best!

Finally, we want to thank the entire NASW-NYS membership for your continued support and engagement. This legislative accomplishment is a prime example of your membership dollars at work. It is amazing how much our Chapter can accomplish when we work together as a unified front. We hope this serves as a reminder that every call, email, tweet, and appointment you make can have a meaningful impact on the profession and the lives of many. As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

We encourage our members to stay engaged in our legislative efforts by keeping an eye out for future action alerts. (Be sure to be subscribed to our emails and follow us on Facebook and Twitter!) Stay tuned — we have an exciting legislative session upon us and we are ready to work!

 

Social work students at the 2018 Legislative Education and Advocacy Day event. Students and faculty had the opportunity to meet with elected officials and urged passage of a statewide ban on conversion therapy

 

Bringing the voice of social work to the NYS Capitol

As we pause to celebrate this historic legislative milestone, please consider donating to the NASW-NYS Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE). PACE is the political action arm of the NASW at the federal and state level. Your support allows us to further our work by advancing our legislative priorities and your contribution to NASW-NYS PACE will support candidates who are social workers and social work friendly.

Please consider donating today!

Download the NASW-NYS PACE Donation Form  
Please mail completed forms to NASW-NYS PACE at 188 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Leading Statewide Mental Health Professional Associations Applaud Senate & Assembly Passage of Legislation to Prohibit So-Called “Conversion Therapy” for Minors

NASWNYS, Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

CONTACT:
Richard Gallo, NYS Psychiatric Association – (518) 465-3545
Jerry Grodin, PhD, NYS Psychological Association – (518) 265-2274
Samantha Howell, Executive Director, National Association of Social Workers – NYS – 518-463-4741
Mathew Shurka, Co-founder & Chief Strategist Born Perfect – (516) 287-7072

 

Leading Statewide Mental Health Professional Associations Applaud Senate & Assembly Passage of Legislation to Prohibit So-Called “Conversion Therapy” for Minors

 

(ALBANY, NY) – The New York State Psychiatric Association, The National Association of Social Workers – New York City and New York State Chapters, The New York Society for Clinical Social Work, and The New York State Psychological Association applaud the Senate and Assembly’s passage of legislation A.576/S.1046 today, sponsored by Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) and Assembly Member Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan), that will prohibit licensed mental health professionals from engaging in efforts to change a minor’s sexual orientation, otherwise referred to as “conversion” or “reparative” therapy.

Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) said, “Today we passed legislation to ban so-called conversion therapy, outlawing this dangerous and utterly discredited practice once and for all. I’m proud to stand with Assemblymember Glick, Senator Gianaris, my legislative colleagues, the leaders of the NYS Psychiatric Association, the National Association of Social Workers – New York City and New York State Chapters, the New York Society for Clinical Work, and the New York State Psychological Association, in the fight to ensure that all people, regardless of who they are or who they love, are treated with dignity and respect.”

Assembly Member Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan) said, “Not only is so-called ‘conversion therapy’ a discredited practice, it is highly destructive. This pseudo-scientific practice, which has been denounced by every major medical and professional organization, must be stopped. With the passage of this legislation in both the Assembly and Senate, finally our children will be protected from this discriminatory and damaging practice.”

The enactment of this law comes at a crucial time as The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy at UCLA School of Law estimates nearly 350,000 youth have endured so-called “conversion therapy” with another 77,000 at risk in states that have not acted to prohibit or restrict the practice, which has been shown to have long-term detrimental consequences, such as increased risk of depression, suicidal ideation, substance use, social withdrawal, and self-loathing. The enactment of this legislation builds on the leadership of Governor Cuomo, who in 2016 took executive action to prohibit insurers, health plans and Medicaid from covering and reimbursing so-called “conversion therapy” as well as barring it for minors in mental health facilities operated or funded by the State.

Barry B. Perlman. M.D, former president of the New York State Psychiatric Association and past chair of the New York State Mental Health Services Council said, “The New York State Psychiatric Association made the protection of youth central to its legislative agenda. When combined with the Governor’s previous executive actions, the enactment of this legislation provides among the most comprehensive and enduring protections any State has adopted to date to protect their youth from this discredited practice.”

Jack Drescher, M.D., renowned author and lecturer on the issue of sexual orientation change efforts who was among the leads drafting the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) 2000 position statement on the issue, noted the passage and enactment of this legislation comports with the position of the APA, “Recognizing there is no scientific or empirical evidence that conversion therapies work and, in fact, there is evidence of harm, every major medical and professional organization has repudiated the efficacy of ‘conversion therapy,’ a practice that can only heighten feelings of isolation and despair in a population that is at greater risk for depression, suicide and substance use disorders.”

Dr. Marsha Wineburgh, LCSW, representing the New York State Society for Clinical Social Work (NYSSCSW) concurred with colleagues noting “every person has the right to explore and discover their own sexual orientation. It is a natural process of human development; being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is not an illness, disease or short coming and should not be treated as such. So-called ‘conversion therapy’ perpetuates the false and unscientific views to the public, particularly our youth of needing treatment or a cure.”

Mathew Shurka, co-founder and chief strategist of Born Perfect, a nationwide campaign to end conversion therapy, who endured five years of so-called “conversion therapy” said, “Today’s action by the Senate and Assembly is truly historic for LGBTQ youth all across New York State, and I thank Senator Hoylman and Assemblymember Glick for their leadership and longstanding commitment to this important legislation. Having gone through conversion therapy here in New York and thankfully not attempting suicide during my hardest times, I am uplifted by the incredible action taken today under the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Heastie along with the Governor Cuomo’s actions and resolve to protect all LGBTQ youth. I hope the enactment of this legislation sends a loud and unequivocal message nationwide that all LGBTQ people are not sick and Born Perfect.”

Herb Gingold, Ph.D., past president of the New York State Psychological Association echoed such a sentiment, said, “Every single legitimate mental health association standing here today rejects the notion that a same-sex orientation is abnormal, however, absent legislation, young people like Mathew, may still be influenced, browbeaten, or forced into illegitimate treatments to change what isn’t broken; doing psychological damage along the way. We strongly support this legislation to protect the youth of our state from exploitation and harm.”

Dr. Claire Green-Forde, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers – New York City Chapter (NASW-NYC), further stressed the need for a statutory prohibition, “As social workers, we are committed to human rights across race, diversity and intersectionality, which means the right to BE. Sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE), including conversion therapy, is diametrically opposed to this right as its goal is to change a part of another human being’s very identity. We view conversion therapies as part of systemic oppression against the LGBTQ community.”

Samantha Howell, Esq., executive director of the National Association of Social Workers – New York State Chapter (NASW-NYS) said, “Social workers have an obligation to maintain the highest standards of ethical practice. The use of so-called “reparative” or “conversion therapies” violate the core values of the profession and run contrary to the mounting body of evidence revealing it to be extremely dangerous. We are pleased that the leaders in Albany also recognize the very serious risks that these practices pose. NASW-NYS thanks the Legislature for the action taken today, ensuring that the rights of all New Yorkers are protected.

Frank Dowling, M.D., a practicing psychiatrist and member of the NYS Psychiatric Association and Secretary and Commissioner of Science and Public Health of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY), added a professional and personal perspective, “As a psychiatrist and parent of a transgender son, I am horrified to think of how harmful such practices of ‘so-called conversion therapy’ could have been if used on my own child. I’m grateful that we as a family were aware of how important family and community support can be, and how to steer clear of charlatans and frauds who would seek to ‘convert’ someone instead of seeking to learn, understand, accept and adapt based on such understanding of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity.’”

Welcome Steven Baranowski and Amanda O’Brien to NASW-NYS!

NASWNYS

 

This month, we are excited to announce Steven Baranowski as our new Continuing Education Coordinator and Amanda O’Brien as our new MSW Intern. Welcome Steven and Amanda!

 

Steven Baranowski, LMSW
Continuing Education Coordinator
sbaranowski.naswnys@socialworkers.org
518-463-4741 ext. 17

Steven has been with NASW-NYS since January of 2019. Steven received a Master of Social Work from Fordham University in 1995. Steve has worked professionally mostly in foster care and adoption since 1994 and is currently pursuing a post-master's certification in adoption. He is an active member of the NASW-NYS COMM Committee and actively pursues interests in movies, tennis, and spending time with family and friends.

 

Amanda O'Brien
MSW Intern
aobrien.naswnys@socialworkers.org
518-463-4741 ext. 17

Amanda O'Brien is the Chapter's social work intern for the 2019 academic year. She is currently working on her master's degree in social work at Adelphi University and is interested in using her education in the areas of advocacy and policy implementation. When not working or studying, Amanda can be found writing and/or performing spoken word, reading a good book, and drawing.