April 13, 1999
On Jan. 20, 1999, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) introduced The National Center for Social Work Research Act, S.178, to help provide co-ordination and direction and to stimulate much-needed additional support for social work research. The legislation would create a National Center for Social Work Research with a mission to "study and investigate the prevention of disease and health promotion, and social work care of persons with and families of individuals with acute and chronic illnesses, including child abuse and neglect and child and family care."
Congressman Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas) has announced his intentions to introduce a companion bill in the House of Representatives in early May. The Action Network for Social Work Education and Research (ANSWER), social work's education and practice political action network, is leading a campaign to educate Members of Congress about this issue and to influence them to pass the proposed legislation into law.
If passed, the legislation would address the profession's long time need to further develop its research capacity in order to 1) facilitate the delivery of even more effective social work services to clients, and 2) substantiate the critical role social workers play in a variety of settings.
Under the proposed legislation, the Center would:
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Committee on Commerce in the House will take the first steps on the legislative proposals. In order for those committees to take the time to consider and eventually approve the social work research center proposal, they must believe that it is a priority among the many issues before them. S. 178, and its future House companion, could obtain committee consideration if they receive wide bipartisan support in Congress in the form of co-sponsorship. Your help is needed to make this happen.
Please write, fax, call or speak in person to your two Senators and ask them to co-sponsor S. 178 and ask your member in House of Representatives to co-sponsor the upcoming Rodriguez bill. Ask both Republicans and Democrats to join in on the bills.
We expect that this legislation will not be won overnight and that we will be asking you several times in the future to contact your congressional offices again. Please take the time now, if you can, to build or strengthen your relationship with one or more of your Senators or Representatives or persons on their staff.
Following is a sample message:
"As a [social worker or social work educator] (include your work workplace and work experience), I have seen the need firsthand for improvements in services for people in all life stages and situations including children and older persons, persons with acute and chronic illness, persons with disabilities, persons with emotional disorders and persons living in poverty. In order to improve both prevention and treatment services for them, we must make strengthen the research underlying service delivery.
(For Senators or their staff) Please help bring this issue forward for debate by cosponsoring the National Center for Social Work Research Act, S. 178. Patricia Boyle, in the office of Senator Inouye is compiling the list of co-sponsors and can be reached at (202) 224-3934.
(For members of the House of Representatives or their staff) Please help bring this issue forward for debate by co-sponsoring Congressman Ciro Rodriguez's National Center for Social Work Research Act before it is introduced in May. Gabriella Gomez, in Congressman Rodriguez's office, is compiling the list of co-sponsors and can be reached at (202) 225-1640."
Call the congressional switchboard ((202) 224-3121), name your Senator or Representative, and ask to be connected to their office. If you are sending a message by fax, ask for the office's fax number. If you are calling in your message, ask to speak to the legislative director, or the legislative assistant who covers public health issues.
If you know the Senator, Representative, or a person working in their office, start with them.
You may reach members of your delegation at the following addresses:
ANSWER is tracking information regarding which members of the Senate and House of Representatives are supporting or opposing this legislation. Please let ANSWER know who you have contacted and also provide ANSWER feedback on any information you receive from congressional offices. This information is essential to implementing an organized advocacy effort. Please send the information by email to ANSWER@cswe.org.
Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors (BPD), Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education (GADE), the Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research (IASWR), the National Association of Deans and Directors (NADD), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR)