Creating social work competencies for practice in hospice palliative care

Abstract

Social workers play an important role in the delivery of Hospice Palliative Care in many diverse settings. The profession brings a unique perspective to end-of-life care that reflects and supports the holistic philosophy of Hospice Palliative Care. Despite the prominent and longstanding position of social work in this area, the role and functions of social workers had not been clearly defined. A Canadian task group of social work practitioners and educators utilized a modified Delphi process to consult front line clinicians nationally, and thereby achieved consensus regarding the identification and description of eleven core competencies in Hospice Palliative Care. These competencies are relevant for social workers at different experience levels across care settings. They can be used to inform social work practice, as well as professional development and educational curricula in this area.

Where is the voice of social work in the multi disciplinary palliative care team?

“…It seems clear that for social work to be better incorporated as part of the palliative care interdisciplinary team, it may be necessary to consider some adjustments to how this service is currently provided within each Hospice. It may also be necessary to acknowledge that any changes made to the current environment social workers are engaged in may involve changes at an organisational level and a shift in thinking as to what social work is (Beresford, et al, 2008;Bosma, et al, 2008;Clausen, et al, 2008). Prior to this occurring, I believe that a discussion as to how each Hospice wishes to structure the social worker service within their organisation needs to take place.…”

Bio-psycho-social-spiritual needs of adolescents and young adults with life-threatening illnesses: Implications for social work practice

“…Social workers are especially qualified to assess and meet bio-psychosocial -spiritual needs of AYA and their families (Bosma et al, 2010;Jones & Weisenfluh, 2003). Social work's broad professional base and knowledge in cultural competency, interventions across the life cycle, assessment, and multidisciplinary practice make the profession especially valuable in end-oflife care (Bosma et al, 2010;NASW, 2004). Families who have children and AYAs with life-threatening illnesses often face additional social challenges and needs (Beaune et al, 2014).…”

Palliative Care Psychiatry: Update on an Emerging Dimension of Psychiatric Practice

“…As of 2012, qualification for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine subspecialty board required completion of an ACGME-accredited 1-year postgraduate fellowship [13, 14]. As mentioned, palliative care is provided by interdisciplinary speciality teams, and specialist-level training experiences and/or competencies also exist for palliative care nursing [15], social work [16, 17], and chaplaincy [18]. …”