Palliative and End-of-Life Care

Post-Master's Certificate Program (in person and online)

This certificate program provides an integrated sequence of courses to promote the interaction of theory and practice. The program will also enhance clinical practice knowledge; expand assessment and clinical intervention skills; examine assessment and treatment needs of patients and their families; use a biopsychosocial-spiritual framework; and provide opportunities to develop leadership skills.

This certificate program is part of NYU Silver's Zelda Foster Studies Program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (PELC), which encompasses a range of initiatives designed to develop and mentor PELC social work leaders at all stages of their careers.

Program Highlights: 

• Interaction of theory and practice; clinical practice knowledge

• Assessment and clinical intervention skills

• Biopsychosocial-spiritual framework

Modules

• Module 1: Ethical Issues in Palliative Care/Pain and Symptom Management: Multidimensional Perspectives (20 CEs)
• Module 2: Theories of Attachment, Loss, and Bereavement (15 CEs)
• Module 3: Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Leadership Development (15 CEs)
• Module 4: Practice Seminar (20 CEs)

"In this program, the faculty treated students as peers, and the collegial atmosphere allowed students—at all levels of experience—to feel comfortable participating in our own learning. The faculty’s enthusiasm and commitment to teaching, as well as their own work in this field, was a highlight of the program."

- Nicki Weiss, MSW Pathways to Care program at Westchester Jewish Community Services, Hartsdale, NY

This certificate requires the completion of 18 two-hour sessions over the course of two semesters. Assignments include weekly readings and a final learning assessment in the form of a project.

An MSW and at least 2 years of post-Master's experience in or related to Palliative and End-of-Life Care (PELC) is required to apply to this program. We hope that students will draw from that experience while in the classroom setting.

*** To enroll in the Practice Seminar and the Leadership modules, the student must be currently working in a position that is in or related to the PELC field and one of your reference letters must be from a current supervisor. If you are unsure about your current position qualifying for this module, please contact Dr. Susan Gerbino at susan.gerbino@nyu.edu.

The program offers two sections, one in-person on Wednesdays at New York University's Washington Square Campus in NYC from 4:55–6:55pm ET, and the second runs online on Thursday evenings from 6:00–8:00pm ET, over the course of the 2023-24 academic year. Specific dates will be announced shortly.

Susan Gerbino, PhD, MSW

Susan Gerbino is a Clinical Professor at NYU Silver and is the Director of the School’s Zelda Foster Studies Program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care, which encompasses a range of initiatives designed to develop and mentor PELC social work leaders at all stages of their careers in the areas of clinical practice, education, research, publication, and administration. Dr. Gerbino teaches in the MSW program as well as in the Zelda Foster Studies Program. She has a private practice specializing in work with people with chronic or life-threatening illnesses and complicated bereavement.

From the Director: 
"The Post-Master’s Certificate Program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care is based on the belief that the people with whom we are privileged to work are the experts. Our approach to teaching echoes that collaborative belief, with faculty moving fluidly between the positions of ‘expert’ and ‘co-learner.’ We are committed to creating a safe and respectful environment that acknowledges the role of practice wisdom and validates emotion and spirituality in the learning process."

70 NYSED and ASWB/ACE Continuing Education Contact Hours will be awarded for this program.

55 jurisdictions accept ACE-approved provider CE contact hours. ACE is not an approved Continuing Education provider in the states of New York (though NYU Silver is NYSED CE approved in NYS) and West Virginia, unless the event is outside of West VA. ACE only approves individual courses in New Jersey, though NYU Silver is CSWE-accredited and therefore accepted for licensed NJ professionals. Here is a full list of statutes related to social work CE.

Access the Post-Master's Certificate application here.

Application Deadline: August 1, 2023

The full cost of this certificate program is $3,500. Because this program is divided into four course modules, applicants have the option of registering for individual modules at a cost of $1,000 per 20 CE module and $750 per 15 CE module. Students must complete all four modules, however, to receive the certificate of completion and CEUs. The cost of this program includes registration fee and cost of an online compendium of readings.

• Ethics/Pain (20 CEs): $1,000 (due in the fall semester)
  
• Leadership (15 CEs): $750 (due in the spring semester)
  
• Theories (15 CEs): $750 (due in the fall semester)
  
• Practice (20 CEs): $1,000 (due in the spring semester)

Total: $3,500

Available discounts include:

• 25% discount for NYU Silver School of Social Work MSW/DSW/PhD alumni
  
• 25% discount for field instructors currently working with NYU Silver School of Social Work graduate students.
• 15% discount for applicants who have already completed one NYU Silver certificate program.
• 50% discount for veterans.

Please note: discounts may not be combined.

Deposit: Upon acceptance into the program, a $250 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place. This deposit is applied to the total cost of tuition.