Dear: Mental Health Professional’s

I revised the letter to respond to the article below. I sent out the following email to the NYC mayors office. I am DOING MY PART!! I really need HELP!! This is our livelihood why are they making decisions for us? We need to stand up and speak out.....Our jobs are already dangerous and we do not get any credit for it unless it is bad media. We are more than bad media it is time for us to STAND UP AND SHOW THEM WHO WE ARE!!!!! Demand what it is that we need and want!!! This is our opportunity to talk about the deplorable conditions we work in and our clients live in. People are suffering from mental health because of their apartments and their environment. This is our time to equal the playing field and demand more money and safety for us and our Gift's (client’s). Yes, they are gifts without them there will be no need for us. 

Please scroll down to the bolded area which is newly added to the letter. So you don’t waste time reading the entire message. 

I know many of you think that I’m crazy but, I just feel passionate about this cause. It isn’t about mental health professional’s only this initiative extents its benefits to all of humanity. 

PLEASE IM BEGGING FOR Everyone’s HELP! This has to happen. Ubuntu! ����

MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL’S

DIRECT IMPACT 

Grassroots Movement

Revised: November 12, 2020 

The Honorable Mayor Bill de Blasio

RE: Petition “Grandfather US in” to meet the demands of the current state of emergency within the mental health field.

The mental health field has a shortage of mental health professionals. There are an estimated 650,000 to 672,000 active social workers in the United States; significantly fewer are licensed.

Out of these 672,000, only 372,000 mental health workers are licensed and hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree. The other 300,000 are individuals who are employed by agencies or companies under the title of “Social Worker,” largely because they have neither a bachelor’s nor master’s degree. 

Due to the current state of emergency we are asking the Governors and the Legislature Council to consider putting in place an Executive Order to Grandfather in qualified social workers and other mental health professionals in all 50-states. We are asking that you become an ally for mental health professional’s by supporting this initiative to Grandfather US in. Grandfathering US in is not a large task considering the growing demand for social workers and mental health professionals. 

We propose the following requirements and provisions:

100 hours of supervision, 36 months of field experience, and 3,000 contact hours before the pandemic began.

Allow graduates to automatically confer to an LMSW.

Allow an MSW and LMSW with 3.5 years or more of experience to automatically confer to an LCSW.

MHC, MFT, Psychologist and all other clinicians should be grandfathered in based on the existing criteria with 3 years or more of experience. 

We are also asking that the Grandfather provision be endorsed in all jurisdictions (50-states) that have been affected by the COVID19. No further examinations should be needed, and the license should be acknowledged for a lifetime. Application fees will remain the same according to the Association of Social Worker Boards (ASWB)’s current fees. We are also asking that all 50-states take into consideration 3 times fail policy that allows a candidate to become licensed, certain fees may apply. The state of Texas did this in the early 2000’s.

The purpose of the Executive Order and Grandfathering US in would be to help reduce the backlog at testing sites and to meet the demand for licensed mental health professionals to help US reach the masses which is the long-term goal. The current provisions are temporary. The grief of the nation rests in the hands of social workers and other mental health professionals. 

We are in the second wave of the pandemic as it relates to mental health concerns that are impacting the emotional and psychological well-being of many Americans. 

However, sometimes they forget to include the most impacted American; the mental health professional’s. 

We are exhausted and in need of mental health relief as well. 

Freeing,us to be licensed will release stress, it will increase morale, and confidence to do our jobs moving forward.  We are underworked, underpaid and the least noticed. 

Grandfathering US in will help the economy grow exponentially. It will allow for home-based businesses to flourish, open small businesses, and increase entrepreneurship. It will improve our communities. It will improve the quality of life for US all.  It will also allow people with the necessary skills to meet the requirements of the job that you are asking us to do which is to be the first responder for mental health concerns within the most at risk communities alongside the police and EMT’s. 

We are happy to oblige but, it is time for the selfless to ask for help to improve our quality of life. 

I humbly thank you for your time, consideration, and forthcoming response.

Please if you have any further questions regarding this petition please contact me at (914) 562-5915. Email: tburgos39@gmail.com. 

Sincerely yours, 

Tanya L. Burgos, MPA, MSW