Summer Institute: An Introduction to Palliative Care

The Summer 2020 Institute has been cancelled. Please check back for Summer 2021.

This week-long (three half-days and two full-days) summer program is for ANY mental health professional who wants to learn about Palliative Care. Professionals in all fields of practice work with people who are facing serious or life-threatening medical illnesses and the bereaved. We welcome social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, mental health workers, case managers, nursing home and assisted living counselors, chaplains and people in private practice.

Everyone faces the journey of illness as a patient, friend, family member, caregiver or decision maker at some point in life. People living with chronic illness and the bereaved traverse all fields of practice, highlighting the need for all helping professionals to have basic knowledge of palliative care. Helping professionals are in an extraordinary position to support patients and families as they negotiate the trajectory of serious illness, providing support, counseling, education, anticipatory guidance and assistance with care planning and decision making. Most importantly, this means understanding how to work with patients and families at any point in the continuum of illness, from diagnosis through bereavement.

In this spirit, NYU’s Zelda Foster Studies Program offers this week-long summer institute. This course is a primer in palliative care, providing an overview of the field, digging deep in comprehensive assessment, interventions and skills, and exploring ethical and legal implications in the field. We will discuss self-care and clinician well-being in the work in hopes of creating sustainable practices. Clinicians will leave the week with an increased confidence in their ability to meet the needs of patients and families across settings.

Learning Objectives

• Utilize bio-psycho-social-spiritual assessment to effectively engage and support patients and families living with serious illness
• Increase understanding of issues patients and families face from diagnosis through bereavement
• Identify the role of all providers in symptom management
• Integrate fundamental palliative care principles into existing practice
• Recognize common ethical challenges and frameworks
• Explore issues of burnout and self-care

What We Offer

• In-person and interactive training focus
• Expert academic and clinical faculty
• Content tailored to working clinicians
• Community of working professionals interested in the field
• 23 Continuing Education credits for Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Mental Health Practitioners

Continuing Education Contact Hours

NYSED and ASWB/ACE Approved for 23 CE Hours.