POLICY & ADVOCACY
Removing The Red Tape
We work to challenge systemic barriers to health equity. Through management of two coalitions, we advocate for policy change that unites health and social care.
Our Coalitions:
Advocating for Policy Change
N3C
The National Coalition on Care Coordination (N3C) helps drive public policies that support integrated care.
CSWH
The Coalition for Social Work and Health (CSWH) promotes the value of social work in improving our nation’s health.
CHaSCI Case Studies
Our Policy Work in Action
Connecting Social Workers with Congress
Challenge:
Coordinating meetings with Representatives and Senators can be challenging, especially for social workers who have full-time jobs and no time in them carved out for advocacy and social justice.
CHaSCI Solution:
CHaSCI organized a small group of Coalition and Social Work and Health members, primarily social workers in direct service roles, to run a grassroots educational awareness campaign. Coalition members provided brief training with volunteer social workers across the country on how to conduct a meeting with their representative, then assisted with scheduling and follow-up for those meetings.
Results:
Ran by 5 Coalition for Social Work and Health members 64 social workers nationwide volunteered 70+ calls and emails made to Congress Approximately 20 direct meetings with representatives and/or their health staffers
Key Policy Elements:
Removed barriers for social workers to conduct direct advocacy Discussed the importance and value of social workers on healthcare teams with Congress Provided education and training to social workers for how to advocate
Advancing Social Work Access to HBAI Services
For over a decade, social workers have been excluded from independently billing Medicare for Health Behavior Assessment & Intervention (HBAI) services, despite alignment with their scope of practice and the growing need for integrated behavioral health care.
CHaSCI Solution:
CHaSCI led sustained advocacy and education efforts to address this gap. A local group of social workers collaborated across care settings to seek clarity from Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), with support from Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Although MACs in Illinois and Utah initially granted permission through local coverage determinations, these were later rescinded due to statutory limitations on CSW services. CHaSCI engaged with CMS and the White House—both in Chicago and Washington, DC—raising awareness of the HBAI exclusion and broader billing challenges faced by LCSWs. The team also sought guidance from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) on the overlap between CSW scope and chronic care management billing codes. These efforts continued post-pandemic, including meetings with the Center for Medicare team during the Biden Administration.
Results:
- Local and national advocacy efforts elevated the issue to CMS and White House leadership
- CMS reviewed LCSW eligibility for HBAI services during implementation of new legislation recognizing MFTs and mental health counselors
- Multiple CMS Physician Fee Schedules have cited CHaSCI’s comments
- Built a foundation for future policy change without requiring new legislation
Key Policy Elements:
- Highlighted statutory barriers preventing LCSWs from billing for HBAI services
- Demonstrated alignment between LCSW scope of practice and HBAI service delivery
- Advocated for equitable provider recognition to expand access to behavioral health care
Organizing and Launching the NASEM Social Care Report
Despite the growing recognition of social determinants of health, there was no national-level study focused on integrating social care into healthcare delivery—similar to the impact the IOM Future of Nursing report had on nursing. Social workers lacked a unified, evidence-based framework to elevate their role in health care systems.
CHaSCI Solution:
CHaSCI and the Coalition for Social Work and Health (CSWH) mobilized social workers and allied stakeholders to design, fundraise, and secure approval for a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) study titled Integrating Social Care into the Delivery of Health Care: Moving Upstream to Improve the Nation’s Health. We engaged leaders from the Future of Nursing report and NASEM to draft a “statement of task,” which was refined to focus on social care more broadly. CHaSCI led the approval process and organized an in-person convening in Washington, DC to engage potential funders. Once approved, the Coalition spearheaded a national fundraising campaign, securing $1.3 million from over 10 philanthropic organizations, several professional associations, and more than 60 social work academic programs.
Results:
- Study approved in late 2016, launched in spring 2018, and ran for 18 months
- Robyn Golden and two other social workers served on the study committee
- CSWH analyzed and disseminated key findings to the social work community
- CSWH collaborated with NASEM on dissemination efforts, including issue briefs, regional events (e.g., Chicago in January 2020), and funder strategy sessions
Key Policy Elements:
- Elevated the role of social care in healthcare delivery through a national evidence-based study
- Built a broad coalition of funders and stakeholders to support the initiative
- Provided actionable recommendations for integrating social care into health systems
- Created tools and events to support implementation and awareness across sectors