February 2004

Palliative and End of Life Care

Palliative and End of Life Care Highlights

Staff: Karyn Walsh, ACSW, LCSW
Senior Policy Associate for Bereavement and End of Life Care
Project Manager, Bereavement Project

End of Life Initiative

• NASW has defined “end of life” as one of its new initiatives. The objectives of the initiative are:
• Raising public visibility of the role of social work in end of life care;
• Improving end of life services by increasing practice tools for NASW members;
• Advocating for high quality in end of life services; and
• Securing funding that expand end of life strategies for NASW and the social work profession.

Publications

• NASW was the recipient of a Project on Death in America grant, which funded the development of social work practice standards in palliative and end of life care. The NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in Palliative and End of Life Care have been completed and are available at http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/bereavement/standards/default.asp
• NASW issued a new practice update in December 2003, on Social Workers in Hospice and Palliative Care Settings. The update includes helpful resources for social workers in palliative and end of life care, and is available at http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/bereavement/updates/EndOfLifeCare-PU0204.pdf

Educating Social Workers in End of Life Care

• In 2003, through 15 workshops at NASW state chapters, NASW trained over 300 social workers in Bereavement Practice Guidelines for Social Workers in Emergency Departments . Information on the workshop and related documents can be downloaded at http//: www.socialworkers.org/practice/bereavement

Advocacy

• NASW has participated in several conference calls and meetings, which keep staff updated and networking with leaders and policy makers in palliative and end of life care. Participation has included Last Acts and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Foundation conference calls on end of life care and issues, as well as meetings with the Campaign for Quality Care and the NASW DC Metro Chapter.