social work leaders in health care of metro st. louis, inc

Our History1966-2010

Social Work Leaders in Health Care of Metro St.

Louis, Inc.

We have a long and noble history…

1966: American Hospital Association adds Social Service Directors as newest affiliate Society

July 26, 1967: Eleven hospital social work directors hold initial meeting of the new St. Louis Society Founding Members: Walter Adrain, Frieda

Brackebush, Ann Dandurent, Mildred Duncan, Richard Duran, Robert Gains, Herman Litwack, Sr. Elizabeth Marie, Ed McMahon, Otillie Means, Dorothy Stauffer

Issues : Identifying problems confronting our profession such

as inclusion of SW as integral service in health care team

Need for a formal organization

September 1967: Seven more members join the group and temporary officers are elected: Robert Gains – Deaconess Hospital (Chair) Richard Doran – VA (Program Chair) Frieda Brackebush – Firmin Desloge Hospital

(Secretary)


December 6, 1967: Bylaws and membership criteria

are adopted Dues $2Meetings rotated among member

hospitals1967-1968:

Topics included:Developments in nursing home fieldNeed for central registry for child

abuse cases and protective service agency

“Extreme” need for undergraduate SW education locally


1968-1969: Fourteen members, bylaws revisedCommittees developed to study child

abuse, SW manpower, SW training. Educational programs on emerging

new Medicare benefit, SW role in disaster training programs, affiliation with American Hospital Association’s national Society for Hospital Social Work Directors

Manpower Committee reports that local colleges/universities uninterested in undergraduate social work training.

1969-1970: MO Legislature passes bill creating registry for child abuse, but does not appropriate funds for implementation.


1970-1971: Mostly programmatic meetings, few advocacy issues

1971-1972: Dues $2September 1971: Formal affiliation

with American Hospital Association began, completed January 3, 1972.

Issues: uniform statistical reporting, Maryville College to plan undergraduate SW program, Forest Park Community College to plan 2-year Human Services degree.

Programs included speakers on Medicare benefits.


1972-1973: Special meeting to plan for Midwest Health

Congress Social Service Institute in Kansas City and discussion of cosponsoring an institute through SLU Medical School’s Continuing Ed office.

Affiliation with MO Hospital Association slowed due to their desire to deal with a single state-wide organization. StL and KC chapters formed MO Association for Hospital Social Work Directors. Bylaws approved May 2, 1973. First state-wide meeting coincided with the Midwest Health Congress in July 1973.

Correspondence with local graduate SW program successfully advocating for retention of PT medical social work course instructor.

Bylaws changed to expand membership beyond hospital SW directors to other health care agencies.

Coordination of Social Service Institute of the Midwest Health Congress in June 1972. Featured speaker was Dr. Hyman Weiner.


1973-1974: Discussion of multi-worker vs. single-worker SW departments Dues $3 Issues: Considered consultation services,

possibility of a management institute, which never materialized

Bylaws changed regarding membership levels1974-1975: 25 paid members, incorporation

approved. Dues $10 Issues: Social Security Amendment of 1972

established a Professional Standards Review Organization (PSRO) to “promote the effective, efficient, and economical delivery of health care services of proper quality for which payment may be made under the Act”. Discussion of statistical reporting and PSRO’s impact on hospital social services. Members testified before the MO Subcommittee of the Joint Legislature Committee of Fiscal Affairs on funding of health care for indigent, subcommittee on licensure formed to work with MO NASW.

Programs: Legal rights on incompetent adults


1975-1976:By-laws changed and election of Board of

Directors proposedLiaison established with local PSRO with

committee formed to look at possible criteria for SW intervention in hospitals, and participation in audits. Sent member to meeting in Dallas on this issue.

Position paper developed on role of SW in discharge planning in response to Hospital Association of Metro StL paper

Attempted to elect Society member to Board of Health Systems Agency

Formed practicum committee to establish communication with SW schools

Continuing education important; efforts to hold national-quality conference attended by non-members on fee basis.


1976-1977: New corporate management structure. 31 members, several from non-hospital providersPrograms: “What is Good Care in the

Nursing Home?” and “Burnout”, workshops offered income to Society which fueled additional continuing education. Presentation by Senator Harriet Woods on concern of inadequate care of elderly.

Committees: NH concerns, membership, practicum, continuing education

MO Assn for Hospital SW Directors reorganizes – chapter provides $1 per local member to fund state activities. Two local members elected President and Secretary.

Issues: PSRO requirements, auditing, practicum issues

Bylaws amended to remove Associate Membership and have on level of membership


1978-1979: All but 2 hospital in StL had in-house SW services. Membership 42.Testimony before MO Senate Health

Care Committee re: quality of NH care

Programs: law and social work, cosponsored “Use of Group in Medical Settings” and “Support: How to Give It, How to Get It” with SLU School of Medicine Continuing Education Committee for SW. Lawrence Kahn, MD spoke on SW potential role in HMOs

Planned salary study.Planned meeting on “Marketing”

SW services in health care.


1980: Dues $10Workshop “Quality/Quantity Assurance--

$30.00; 48 in attendance1981-19821983: Dues $15, Membership 46

Society associated with MO Hospital Assn; several members attend annual conference at Tan Tara, Lake of the Ozarks; KC, MO chapter members also present and host a happy hour get together

1984: Seminar/Workshop: NASW Speaker Terrance Cahill, 20 DME sponsors paid $75Evelyn Bonander, Director of Social Work

at Barnes Hospital elected President of National SHSWD with significant local chapter support


1985-about 1988Issues included:

Changes in healthcare: Quality assurance, prospective pricing and DRGs, performance appraisal, supervision

Membership criteria included individuals who have prime or substantial responsibility for the management of the SW function in a hospital or related health care institution

Most members were employed by hospitals and had the position of director, assistant director or associate director (other health care organizations represented were home health medical equipment companies). Members were from large teaching hospitals with large departments and from small hospitals with 1 or 2 SWers


1989: Local dues $20• StL chapter hosts National’s annual

conference, “Meet Me in St. Louis” held at the brand new Adams Mark Hotel;

• SHSWD makes a statement on HIV/AIDS• Student receptions held at all 3 SW Schools

with panel discussions—major concern: the role of the SW in the Hospital---Beyond Discharge planning Workshop held entitled Product Line Management—33 in attendance

1990: 38 members. • Annual workshop “Current Issues in Long

Term Care (attendance 50)

1992: Held annual educational conferences with the goal of providing as educational opportunity but also to raise money for scholarships (1992-1996) at the 2 local universities with MSW programs.

1993: 36 members


1994: 42 members; 96 in attendance at annual workshop • Name changed to The Society for

Social Work Administrators in Health Care with goal of being consistent with national • Health care organizations were in

the midst of profound changes: Restructuring, managed care , advancing technology, movement away from acute care into ambulatory care and the community • A high priority was strengthening

field education for SW students and having input into the curriculum development in schools of SW related to health care


1995: • By laws updated/Revised. Revision task force

recommends for the membership to include those who have “leadership” role/responsibilities in the institution. National changes name of organization to National SW Leaders in Health Care. Recognition that many area Hospitals no longer have structured SW Departments. Considered opening membership to related health care institutions in an effort to broaden the types of settings from which members may apply for membership. Retained the organization’s focus on management/administration area of duties.

• Membership viewed a film on “Chaos” reflecting concern regarding rapid changes in the health care field.

• Focus on changes in Medicare/Medicaid funding with severe cuts and the effect of managed care. Conference on this subject planned.

• Expertise survey distributed to membership in effort to determine full picture of skill set of the organization.

• Fund raising conference entitled, “Brief Solution Focused Therapy” with main speaker, Jane Parker from National. Cost: $50.00


1996: Membership 32. the local chapter of the Society was struggling. Membership had dropped, members felt they

could not leave work to attend meetings, did not have time to be more active in the organization and the is a decrease in the number of social work directors or administrators in health care organizations.

Concern about low membership; discussion if organization will have to disband. Agreed that bylaws should have an amendment to reflect dissolvement of funds if the organization would disband.

Survey conducted to determine what computer systems various SW Depts are using.

A salary Survey was conducted to determine levels of pay (results not available)

$1,500 was approved for Scholarship award to a student from GWB and a student from SLU. UMSL not considered because they do not have a Masters Degree program yet.


1997: The board realizes that changes are needed to be

made if the organization was to remain viable: Need for peer support and guidance, unique

contributions of each member. Promote growth , strengthen SWers who did not report

to a SW manager. Promote professional social work ethics Focus on leadership

At the national education conference many local chapters expressed the need to change the focus and name of the organization .

Name changed to The Society for Social Work Leaders in Health Care and effort was made to get the word out to all social workers in all kinds of health care settings

Kick-off meeting was held at St. Luke’s in June. Survey was sent out to all members/potential members

to determine programming needs and preferred meeting times. As a result, the Society has been meeting 4 times a year in the evening.

Membership is up, attendance is up and enthusiasm and commitment to the organization has been great.


1998: Programs: Managed Care and the StL Health

Care Market: What SW Need to Know” Challenges/changes facing the

organization/profession. Society was structured as follows: The local

chapters were independently established and free to form their own standards. There was also a state and national component, but the umbrella over all of this was the Am Hospital Assn.

StL changes Society’s name to reflect changing times. At the national level it was announced that since many chapters were changing their name, the national organization was in the process of changing also. The new name would be the Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care. St. Louis was in the forefront of responding to change. The Society was a safe haven for its members in 1998. It offered a place to gather share stories, inspire leadership, and provide tools to incorporate into practice.


1999: Programs: “Making the Transition from

Clinician to CEO,” “SW Leadership in the New Millennium: Are you Prepared?” (conference). Topics included: The Changing Role of Social Work in Health Care: Risk and Opportunity AND Social Work Liability: Are You Vulnerable?

The contents of the Society’s safe deposit box were reviewed and the groups was inspired by the early leaders of the former Society for Social Work Directors in Health Care. As the year moved forward there was also a refocus on the purposes of the Society: 1) To promote education programs to develop social work leadership; 2) To strengthen relationships with health care organizations in relation to social work in health; 3) To provide a medium for the interchange of ideas and dissemination of material relative to social work leadership; 4) To strengthen field education for social work in health care; 5) To promote standards and ethics for the delivery of social work in health.


2000: Programs: “SW Leaders and the Media: How to Put Our Best Face

Forward,” “Difficult Conversations: How to make Them more Effective,” “National Trends in Health Care Social Work,” “Organizational Change”

Distinguished Student Scholarship Renewed. MSW student in the health care curricula at UM - SL, SLU and WashU given chance at a competitive merit cash award of $1000.

Membership 56 and reflected diversity in workplaces within health care.

Members committed to performing their roles amidst the continually changing healthcare environment and informational maze. SW focused on being accountable, outcome oriented, attentive to customer issues and productivity standards, cognizant of resource limitations, attentive to cost restraints, and continually aware of how changing healthcare policies affect the profession and impact the welfare of the clients served.

2000 Goals for National: 1) Organizational Strength and Solvency—To maintain an effective

organization that addresses the needs of the member, ensures the financial success of the Society, and reflects the highest level of volunteer and professional competency.

2) Professional Development—To develop, promote, and support nationally recognized social work standards, values, and best practices in healthcare.

3) SW Policy and Advocacy—To promote public policies which preserve or ensure the health of communities.

4) Education—To enhance the professional knowledge and skills of healthcare SW and other professionals through educational programs.


2001: Bylaws changed to create membership category for MSW students. Programs: “Changing Face of Healthcare SW:

Professional Practice in the Era of Managed Care,” “Meet me in St. Louis Again: Past, Present, Future Trends for Social Work in Health Care. (a special program inviting past and present members to a banquet held at Barnes Hospital Center for Advanced Medicine. Presenters : E. Kindley, R. Banks, C. Wingbermuehle)

Worked closely with National on issues such as decreased membership (marketing and branding of Society), maintaining professionalism while broadening focus, advocacy for the profession and clients, needing to be informed and involved, developing standards of practice and common identity between National and Chapters

Like the rest of the country, our group was forever changed by the attacks of September 11, 2001. Chapter did not publish a newsletter that month and several members were personally affected.


2002: Dues $30, student dues $15Programs: “Building Partnering

Relationships,” “Responding to Crisis and Caring for Ourselves as Social Workers,” “Leadership Development: Promoting the SW Profession,” “Advocacy,” “Special Health and Social Needs of African American Elderly,” “Overview of MO Medicaid and Legal Planning Tools”

National becomes independent of AHA but maintains affiliation

2003: Membership Award initiatedPrograms: “Fostering Innovation,” “ From

Barriers to Bridges: Transcultural Care for SW Leaders,” “Coping with Change: Emerging SW Roles and Identities in Health Care,” “Planning for End of Life Issues,” “SW Leadership in Healthcare”


2004:Program: “The Challenging Face of AIDS”

2005:Program: “When Grief Touches the

Professional”2006: Bylaws updated

Successful Vendor Fair heldPrograms: “Hire for Fit,” “Pt Autonomy

and Assessing Decisional Capacity,” “Difficult Communications with Employees/Co-Workers”

2007: Bylaws changed to create Associate Membership for non-MSWs. This change was not uniformly welcomed.Programs: “Starting Your Own Business,”

“Veteran’s Benefits: Who Qualifies and How to Get Your Clients the Help the Need,” “Ethnic Considerations in Grief and Hospice Care,” “Leadership in SW Education”


2008: SW of the Year award createdPrograms: “Non-Profit Management,” “The

NASW SW Reinvestment Initiative: Investing in the Profession,” “Ethical Issues in Health Care”

2009: National Society for Social Work Leadership creates affiliation criteria for chapters. St. Louis chapter votes to disaffiliate, primarily because of economic impact of affiliation. Name changes to Social Work Leaders in Health Care of Metro St. Louis, Inc.Successful vendor fair and conference heldBylaws updated to add BSW students as

Associate Members, Associate Members to become Full Members after 5 years and reduction in dues for Board Members, etc.

Programs: “Funeral Home Ethics,” “Life Care Planning: What is it and how can it help your clients?”

1967- 1994: The Society for Hospital Social Work Directors of Greater St. Louis, Inc.

1994-1997-Society for Social Work Administrators in Health Care

1997-2005-Society for Social Work Leaders in Health Care of Greater St. Louis

2005-2009: The Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care of Greater St. Louis, Inc

2009: Social Work Leaders in Health Care of Metro St. Louis, Inc.

Name Changes Through the Years

Year End Balances:1990: $3118.00 1991: $5175.001996: $4787.871998: $2556.801999 (Sept): $3773.762000 (Aug): $7891.382001: $5612.172002: $8524.322003: $7348.482004: $3700.582005 (Aug): $3883.872006: $4628.102007: $4649.972008 (Aug): $5078.902009: $7652.76

We Maintain our Financial Strength

Student Scholarships offered. First one for each of 3 SW schools, then 1 among them

2000: Jessica Egol, Lisa Moore-Lawrence2001: Sally Simpson, Melinda Springwater, Christina

Troisi2002: Tara Castiglioni, Megan Kinnamon2003: Elizabeth Stallone, Kristen Huml, Chris Cressler2004: Elizabeth Lucier2005: Beth Barrett2007: Lisa Fraser2008-2009: No award given due to reorganization of

the award

We Encouraged Our Future

Members always encouraged to submit items for the newsletter about their careers and families

In 2003, the Membership Award was created to encourage and honor active participation in the Society. The award was “raffle” based and members receive “chances” based upon their activity in the Society. Winners are given $500 toward continuing education.

In 2008 the Society’s Social Worker of the Year Award was created. Winners were:2008: Susan Signorino2009: Stacey Barton

We Honor Our Own

Ongoing efforts at membership recruitmentReorganization of our Distinguished Student AwardEffort toward enhancing quality and types of

speakers…and so much more!

WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU BEING A PART OF OUR FUTURE!

We Have Big Plans for Our Future

Martie Fenger, Chair

Tiffany WebsterStacey BartonSusan Signorino

2009-2010 History Committee

social work leaders in health care of metro st. louis, inc

Documents