Public Comments of the National Association of Social Workers Before the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA)

June 27, 2006

Hubert H. Humphrey Building 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington , DC

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is pleased to submit comments before the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Founded in 1955, NASW seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families and communities through its work and advocacy. Social work is suited for addressing the complex problems associated with the HIV/AIDS epidemic because of its comprehensive approach and commitment to social justice.

NASW believes that federal resources must ensure that all persons living with HIV or AIDS have access to comprehensive services. NASW supports the language addressing treatment and care within the committee’s publication, “Achieving an HIV-Free Generation: Recommendations for a New American HIV Strategy ,” in which the right to such access is clearly stated.

NASW agrees that that all persons living with HIV or AIDS must have access to a core set of services to facilitate their remaining in care – this includes primary medical care, medications, case management, oral health, mental health, substance abuse treatment, and support services. But adequate resources must also be available to ensure that comprehensive services are available to both persons living with HIV/AIDS and those affected by HIV/AIDS.

We all understand HIV/AIDS to be a complex public health issue that affects not only individuals and families, but communities, businesses, and even governments. It is because of the breadth of the impact of HIV that NASW adopts a broader view of comprehensive services – one that includes:

• suitable and affordable housing;
• foster care for both children and adults;
• access to accurate information, including comprehensive sexuality education;
• legal services;
• transportation; and
• culturally appropriate and language accessible care.

As the largest providers of mental health services in the United States, social workers strive to ensure client access to mental health services, substance use and abuse treatment, adherence counseling, and overall case management – all with the goal of respecting a person’s right to the highest quality of care and treatment. The opportunity to meet clients within their communities and provide culturally competent and relevant services is part of the daily work of social workers and allied mental health care providers.

Therefore, NASW strongly encourages that the recommendations outlined in “Achieving an HIV-Free Generation” regarding training of professionals be expanded beyond medical providers. Doing so will better reflect the breadth of bio-medical and psycho-social services necessary to provide comprehensive services. Specifically, there must be creative solutions implemented to strengthen the social services and behavioral health workforce to ensure client access to licensed professional providers, including social workers.

Some examples of enhancing the workforce include:

• tuition reimbursement for social workers and other professionally trained mental health care providers who choose to provide HIV mental health and behavioral health care in underserved communities;
• expanding current federally funded provider training and education programs to ensure inclusion of social workers working within the diverse communities affected by HIV/AIDS; and
• ensuring recognition of and adequate funding for reimbursement of mental health, substance use, and related psycho-social HIV care.

Doing so will also expand the number of professionally trained health and mental health providers necessary to promote the highest quality of care and treatment, while also adding to the persons knowledgeable and ready to address the prevention and early intervention messages so necessary to reduce risk and stop HIV/AIDS transmission.

In conclusion, NASW encourages this committee to support the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act. Specifically, funding for all titles of the Act must be significantly increased to keep pace with increases in health care costs, the growing prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the United States, and the expanding need for Ryan White CARE Act services. NASW also recommends that the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative be fully funded at $610 million for Fiscal Year 2007.

Again, thank you for this opportunity to provide comments on behalf of our over 150,000 social worker members and those we serve in the HIV/AIDS community.

Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, Achieving an HIV-Free Generation: Recommendations for a New American HIV Strategy . November 2005. [Online] Retrieved at:

http://www.pacha.gov/pdf/PACHArev113005.pdf.

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