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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Whitney Walton, Behavioral Health Social Worker at Jacobi Medical Center
2:38:04
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121 sec
Whitney Walton, a behavioral health social worker at Jacobi Medical Center and member of DC37, advocated for better compensation for Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) in the NYC Health + Hospitals system. She emphasized the critical role of social workers, particularly LCSWs, in addressing mental health needs and providing expert clinical guidance.
- Walton proposed establishing a prorated annual differential for social workers who earn their LCSW from the New York State Department of Education.
- She argued that this investment would boost morale, improve retention of experienced clinical staff, and strengthen the quality of comprehensive care.
- Walton highlighted the additional years of practice, personal investment, and rigorous examinations required to achieve LCSW status.
Whitney Walton
2:38:04
Hello.
2:38:05
Good afternoon.
Justin L. Brannan
2:38:05
Good afternoon.
Whitney Walton
2:38:06
So my name is Whitney Walton.
2:38:09
I am a behavioral health social worker with Jacoby, and I am a member of DC thirty seven local sec local six seven sixty eight.
2:38:18
And I'm grateful for the chance to speak with you today.
2:38:20
So, I said, thank you.
2:38:22
As a licensed social worker, we are critical to our mission here at health and hospital.
2:38:27
Many provide essential daily services with their foundational license with their foundational licensed master social worker, or other known as LMSW credential.
2:38:37
But I wanna take the time to highlight the advanced capabilities of our licensed clinical social workers, our LCSWs.
2:38:46
So achieving the LCSW requires years of additional dedicated practice, significant personal investment, and passing rigorous examinations, representing a deep commitment to providing the highest level of care.
2:38:59
While working in a demanding hospital environment and critically across the diverse communities we serve, LCSWs are the forefront of addressing escalating mental health needs.
2:39:10
They offer expert clinical guidance and therapy often to our most vulnerable populations.
2:39:15
This advanced level of practice and the demanding path to achieve it, especially in the face of such significant community needs, must be reflected in in our compensation.
2:39:26
Therefore, I am strongly proposing that a prorated annual differential for established for all social workers who earn their LCSW from the New York State Department of Education.
2:39:39
This is more than fair compensation.
2:39:41
It's a vital strategic investment, recognizing that the LCSW will directly boost morale, significantly improve the retention of our experienced clinical staff who are essentials for our mental health service, delivering an an unlimited strengthen strengthening the community and quality of of comprehensive care, including what we have spoken about earlier.
2:40:04
Expired.