NASW is hosting its second annual social work practice conference this summer.

“Social Work’s Critical Role in End of Life Care” will take place Aug. 4 in Boston directly before the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Special Topic Conference 2010, “Developing the Care Continuum: Innovative Models to Meet the Unique Needs of Patients/Families.”

“Our goal is to link this conference with the NHPCO event so it will help limit expenses for attendees,” said NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark.

“This conference is timely,” she added, “because it is occurring within the first year of the debut of the NASW- and NHPCO-developed baccalaureate-level credential for social workers who specialize in hospice and palliative care.”

The social work practice conference will feature keynote speaker Kenneth J. Doka, professor of gerontology at the Graduate School of The College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, N.Y., and senior consultant to the Hospice Foundation of America.

Doka is an internationally known expert in the field of palliative care. He has served as a consultant to medical, nursing, funeral service and hospice organizations as well as businesses and educational and social service agencies.

Doka has published numerous books, articles and book chapters. He is also editor of both Omega: The Journal of Death and Dying and Journeys: A Newsletter to Help in Bereavement.

The practice conference will feature general and break-out sessions and interactive panel presentations.

The event follows NASW’s successful practice conference, “The Aging Boom: Is Your Clinical Practice Ready?” More than 400 social workers from across the country attended last year’s Las Vegas meeting, which focused on ways social work private practitioners can better serve the expanding aging population.