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NASW Releases Standards for Social Work Practice with Family Caregivers of Older Adults
New Publication Helps the Public Understand the Role of Social Work in Family Support
The Board of Directors of the National Association of Social Workers has approved new standards for social work practice with family caregivers of older adults. The release of the standards coincides with National Family Caregivers Month and the launch of the Administration on Aging’s Year of the Caregiver.
The development of NASW Standards for Social Work Practice with Family Caregivers of Older Adults is part of Professional Partners Supporting Family Caregivers, an initiative led by the AARP Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Administration on Aging, the Family Caregiver Alliance, and the National Association of Social Workers. One aim of the initiative, which is made possible by funding from the John A. Hartford Foundation, is to identify and further develop existing best practices that will raise the knowledge and skills of professionals working with family caregivers of older adults.
“These new standards accomplish two goals,” said Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, executive director of NASW. “First, they enhance social work practice with family caregivers of older adults; and second, they help the public understand the role that social workers play in supporting family caregivers.”
Social workers interact with family caregivers of older adults not only throughout the network of aging services and across the health, mental/behavioral health, and long-term care spectrum, but also in diverse settings such as employee assistance programs, faith-based organizations, housing programs, and veterans’ service programs. With its strengths-based, person-in-environment perspective, the social work profession is well positioned and trained to advocate for and support family caregivers of older adults.
“Family caregivers are critically important members of health care teams and social support networks for older adults,” said Susan Reinhard, RN, PhD, senior vice president with the AARP Public Policy Institute. “Social workers and other professionals must attend to the needs of the family if we are to help older adults maintain their well-being and independence to the greatest extent possible. The NASW standards promote social work support for family caregivers across settings,” Reinhard said.
The standards build on two documents: Advanced Gero Social Work Practice, a 2009 guide from the Council on Social Work Education; and the proceedings from the 2008 symposium, State of the Science: Professional Partners Supporting Family Caregivers—published in both the Journal of Social Work Education and the American Journal of Nursing.
Among the new standards are qualifications for social workers working with family caregivers of older adults:
- a degree in social work from a school or program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
- compliance with state-based licensing and certification requirements
- knowledge, skills, and professional experience in aging and family caregiving
- current knowledge of the social work theory and practice in this arena
- ability to provide and facilitate access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services to family caregivers of older adults, consistent with the NASW Indicators for the Achievement of the NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice
Work on the standards began with a 2009 survey of NASW Gerontological Social Work certification holders with regard to the knowledge and skills important to practice with family caregivers of older adults. A meeting of an expert panel (11 social workers with expertise in family caregiving and aging) and other external advisors was held in February 2010. This panel helped shape the draft of the standards, which were posted to NASW websites and disseminated to sister social work organizations, family caregiving organizations, and aging services providers for review and comment. At the close of the two-month public comment period, NASW staff collaborated with the expert panel to review and incorporate comments and prepare a final version for approval by the NASW Board of Directors at their September 2010 meeting.
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The Social Work Policy Institute (SWPI) is a think tank established within the National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) in order to strengthen social work’s voice in public policy deliberations, inform policymakers through the collection and dissemination of information on social work effectiveness and create a forum to examine current and future issues in health care and social service delivery. The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) is a charitable organization created to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through the advancement of social work practice.
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Key Terms
practice, aging, standards, chris herman, National Family Caregivers Month, AARP, John A. Hartford Foundation, Family Caregiver Alliance,