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Educating Social Workers in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (ESPEC)

Educating Social Workers in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (ESPEC) is an innovative training program designed for social workers, by social workers, to promote the integration of primary palliative care skills into clinical practice.

Course Overview

ESPEC is a state-of-the art curriculum providing Interactive coursework with engaging videos of patient and family encounters, highlighting best social work practices using the eight domains of palliative care as the framework. Learners must complete Part I before registering for Part II and complete Part II before registering for Part III. Mentorship sessions can be joined at any time after completing Part I.

Learning Objectives

Identify best practices for front-line health social workers to integrate key palliative care principles into their clinical work.
Recognize the knowledge base and practice skills necessary to pursue additional competency in palliative social work.
Apply the skills necessary for more effective interprofessional communication and increased visibility in the health social work role.

Part I: Self-Directed Online Training

Integrates the eight domains of palliative care identified by the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care into health social work practice.
Includes videos of patient and family encounters, interactive exercises, reflective questions, and resources for self-directed learning.
Credits: 8.0 hours CE for online independently paced training in the following categories:
- 2.0 Clinical Social Work; 3.5 Pain and Symptom Management; 1.5 Cross-Cultural; 1.0 Ethics contact hours (8.0 total CE hours)
Fee: $150 for NASW Members / $200 for non-members

Part II: Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT)

Live online instructor-led training designed to improve confidence and competence in key social work skills, advocacy, and leadership using clinical scenarios and group discussion
Credits: 3.0 hours CE for instructor-led training in the live online general social work category (3.0 total CE hours).
Fee: $100 for NASW Members / $125 for non-members.
Starting with the March 6, 2025 session, Part III: Leadership Session will now be included in Part II
Upcoming sessions (available only to those who have completed Part I)

Part III: Leadership Workshop

Live virtual training focused on the development of effective advocacy and leadership skills
Designed to improve competence, confidence, and visibility in the health social work role
4 hours of training split into 2 two-hour sessions
Completion of the online modules and Virtual Instructor-Led Training is required prior to participation in the Leadership Training
Credits: 4.0 CE hours for leadership training in the live online general social work category. Both sessions MUST be completed in order to receive credit.
Please note: This will be the final opportunity for Part III before the content is included in a newly formatted, extended Part II.

Final sessions

Leadership Sessions– Thursday January 30, 2025 from 2:00-4:00pm Eastern and Thursday February 6, 2025 from 2:00-4:00pm Eastern

Monthly Mentorship (included in Part I registration)

Live virtual sessions are provided to social workers who have completed part I
Focused on the implementation of new practice skills and common challenges facing front-line health social workers in the workplace
Completion of the online modules is required prior to participation in the mentorship sessions
Registration for mentorship is not required. join any session(s) using these zoom links
Upcoming sessions will be held on Tuesdays, 4:00-5:00pm et: (links to come)
For any questions, please contact Kristal Shavers kshavers.nasw@socialworkers.org.

Faculty and Project Directors >>

The ESPEC program was developed as a partnership between the MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and the Social Work Hospice & Palliative Care Network (SWHPN). ESPEC was made possible by the generous support of The New York Community Trust, the United States Cancer Pain Relief Committee, The Y.C. Ho/Helen & Michael Chiang Foundation, the Hearst Foundations, and The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.

Hear what people are saying about ESPEC

"ESPEC is playing a critical role in training primary healthcare social workers to attain necessary palliative care skills, thereby improving the quality of life and reducing the distressing symptoms of countless patients."
— Cathy Berkman, PhD, MSW

"This knowledge will empower them to engage patients and their loved ones in essential conversations regarding advance care planning, goals of care, patient preferences, and options for end-of-life care."
— Ken Meeker, LCSW

"ESPEC offers evidence-based literature, a progressive presentation of clinical encounters between a patient, family, and the team, and an overview from a clinical social work perspective, creating a valuable training that will enhance the healthcare social worker's skillset to work at the top of their license."
— Louise Knight, MSW, LCSW-C, OSW-C, FNAP

Funders

Ho | Chiang - The Y.C. Ho | Helen and Michael Chiang Foundation