Health Practice Tools

When adopted at the state level, physician aid in dying (PAD) is a process that allows physicians to write a prescription for a terminally ill person to self-administer medication to end his or her life. Now legal in several states, it’s important for social workers to understand the PAD process and its legal, clinical, and ethical practice implications.

National Healthcare Decisions Day is on Monday, April 16th and begins a week of engagement to consider the importance of advance care planning for yourself, family members and clients.

From November 2017 through March 2018, tobacco companies are issuing “corrective statements” about the negative health effects of smoking.

The Guidelines for Perinatal Social Work Practice in Health Care Settings adapts the NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in Health Settings and applies it to the specialty of perinatal practice. The guidelines provide the reader with information about the types of issues that perinatal social workers address and the typical work settings for perinatal social workers. The guidelines are informed by perinatal experts and serve as a resource. The guidelines are meant to improve understanding of perinatal social work practice and provide useful information that can be applied to multiple perinatal settings, family structures, medical and social situations.

Medicaid is an open-ended entitlement, meaning that each and every person who qualifies for the benefit is provided coverage.  Medicaid provides health coverage to low-income families, children, pregnant women and people with disabilities.

Infants have spend time in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU) are at high risk for child maltreatment. Medical complications and the NICU environment set the tone for poor outcomes if appropriate interventions and support is not available for families. Social workers must take the lead in developing practice and policy solutions to prevent this public health issue.