Organizations Caring For The Dying and Bereaved Further Agenda For Social Work- In End-Of-Life and Palliative Care

Washington, DC—Some 60 representatives of more than 35 social work and other organizations with a commitment to improve care for the terminally ill, dying, and bereaved, collaborated from June 1-3 at the 2 nd Social Work Summit on End-of-Life and Palliative Care.

“The 2nd Summit was an historic event. At no time has this group of leaders, with the unique and distinct abilities to shape the future of social work in end-of-life and palliative care, come together,” said Summit Co-Chair Grace Christ. “The diverse views represented created opportunities for learning from the collective wisdom.”

Summit planners set out to:

• Continue momentum within the profession to make end-of-life and palliative care an important strategic area of focus;
• Further develop a network of organizations and leaders, create a mechanism for collaborative efforts, and further the profession’s evolution in this area of policy/advocacy, practice, research and education;
• Identify key strategies, initiatives, and action plans.

The 2nd Social Work Summit on End-of-Life and Palliative Care was sponsored by the Open Society Institute’s Social Work Leadership Development Awards Program of the Project on Death in America, which between 2000 and 2003 funded 42 social work leaders in end-of-life and palliative care. The Summit was hosted by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization hosted a welcome reception. Participants came from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Singapore.

"The dynamic group of leaders in attendance at the Summit generated innovative ideas for enhancing the role of social workers in the provision of quality end-of-life care," said Kathy Brandt, Vice President for Professional Leadership and Consumer and Caregiver Services at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).

NASW Executive Director Betsy Clark commented that, “the Summit went a long way toward ensuring the future of social work in palliative and end-of-life care. It was an exciting three days.” Clark is also a Project on Death in America Social Work Leader.

Building on the work of the first such summit, held in 2002, facilitator Benjamin Broome from Arizona State University’s Hugh Downs School of Communications focused the group on the areas of policy/advocacy, research, education and practice. “State of the Field” presentations on the first morning set the stage. The group identified key priority initiatives related to each of these areas and then developed action plans that would move the field forward.

Work groups have been identified for all four areas. A steering committee and a board of consultants will oversee next steps and foster collaboration between participating organizations, providing ongoing guidance for the developing network.

“This meeting was an exciting and important meeting of leaders that has successfully built a clear consensus and plan for furthering social work in this increasingly important field,” said Summit Co-Chair Susan Blacker from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada.

This Summit continued the efforts started by the first Social Work Summit on End-of-Life and Palliative Care in Durham, NC, March 20-22, 2002, co-sponsored by the Last Acts Provider Education Committee of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life, and the Open Society Institute’s Project on Death in America.

For more information on the Summit on End-of-Life and Palliative Care, visit the new web site at www.swlda.org/network or contact Summit Co-Chair Grace Christ at info@swlda.org

Press Release Contact:
Sallie Lynch, 212-851-2402

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 150,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.