Summer Institute: An Introduction to Palliative Care

July 21-25, 2025

This comprehensive virtual training 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 comprehensive virtual training. This course is a primer in palliative care with a particular focus on meeting the needs of the underserved and increasing access to palliative care. The coursework provides an overview of the field, digging deep in how to provide culturally competent comprehensive assessments, interventions and skills and exploring ethical and legal implications in the field. We will discuss self-care and clinical well-being in the work in hopes of creating sustainable practices. Clinicians will leave the program with an increased confidence in their ability to meet the needs of all patients and families across a diverse range of 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
• Address disparities in health care and access to palliative care among marginalized and diverse populations

What We Offer

• Interactive training focus
• Expert academic and clinical faculty
• Content tailored to working clinicians
• Community of working professionals interested in the field
• 18 Continuing Education credits for Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Mental Health Practitioners, Marraige and Family Therapists, and Psychoanalysts

Schedule

This training is broken into 3-hour sessions over 5 days and will include coursework in the following areas:  

• Introduction to Palliative and End-of-Life Care
• Social Work Practice in Palliative Care
• Addressing Health Disparities in Palliative Care
• Grief Loss and Bereavement
• Pain and Symptom Management
• The Importance of Language in Palliative Care

2025 Summer Institute Agenda

Please note all times are Eastern Standard Time.

Continuing Education Contact Hours

NYSED and ASWB/ACE Approved for 18 Continuing Education Contact Hours.

Fees

The cost of this program is $800, plus an additional $25 fee if you are interested in obtaining the 18 CEUs ($825 total).

Early Bird Discount: Register by May 15 and save $100 ($700 plus $25 for 18 CEUs)

Refund Policy: Requests for a withdrawal/refund received before June 1 will receive a full refund. Requests for a withdrawal/refund received after June 1 until July 1 will be subject to a $250 cancellation fee. No refunds after July 1, 2025.

Registration Information

Registration is now open for the 2025 Summer Institute.