Michigan Budget Funds Social Workers!

BUDGET BILLS CLEAR LEGISLATURE WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

The 2023-24 budget has passed the Legislature and will soon be on Governor Gretchen Whitmer's desk. HB 4437 , the omnibus budget bill, passed 61-47 in the House. In the Senate the bill passed 26-10. SB 173 , the education budgets, passed 58-50 in the House and 29-8 in the Senate. Both bills received immediate effect, including in the Senate with little fanfare.

Crafting the budget under complete Democratic control for the first time in four decades, House and Senate leaders provided increases across education while also funding an enormous number of specific projects in multiple areas, including infrastructure, schools, health, communities, downtowns and cultural attractions.

For social workers, two of NASW-Michigan’s budget asks were funded.

$5 million was allocated for behavioral health workforce expansion for an accelerated degree program. The $5 million will provide $30,000 grants to at least 150 individuals who have obtained bachelor in social work degrees to enter into accelerated master of social work programs. These grantees must also commit to a minimum of 2 years of public sector behavioral health work in the state immediately after completion of the program. 

Additionally, the School Mental Health Apprenticeship Retention and Training (SMART) grant was fully funded in this budget. This appropriation provides a clear pathway for schools to receive funds for SMART internships.

You can read all of the budget allocations here.

END MASS INCARCERATION: PASS BAIL REFORM LEGISLATION

Michigan’s bail system is badly broken. It is a key driver of mass incarceration and disproportionately impacts Black and Brown people. On any given day, over half of Michigan’s jail population – about 8,000 people presumed innocent but who can’t afford bail – remain locked behind bars, still waiting for their day in court.

This year, we must work together to pass legislation aimed squarely at transforming our broken bail system so that it enables people to contribute to their communities rather than restrain them with overbearing and harmful bail restrictions.

Contact your lawmaker and tell them to pass bail reform legislation this year.

NATIONAL UPDATES

NASW is disappointed that the Supreme Court ruled on behalf of a Colorado website designer who refused to work with a same sex couple based on her religious beliefs. Our association will continue battling for LGBTQIA2S+ rights, which you can find more information about on our resource page under Practice and LGBTQIA2 on socialworkers.org https://buff.ly/43aIsES

NASW had pushed the POTUS to offer student loan relief and is disappointed SCOTUS has struck down President Biden's student loan relief plan. Despite this setback, we will continue to advocate for debt relief for SocialWorkers. We will release a more detailed statement later.