Continuing Education: The Family Meeting in Health Care—Social Work in a Leadership Role

Family caregivers play a significant role in caring for people with chronic and serious illnesses. In the context of palliative and end-of-life care, caregivers play a vital role in providing assistance with daily living, critical medical decision-making, and adherence to treatment recommendations. Social workers are uniquely qualified to work with family caregivers from the person-in-situation perspective and to take the lead in the family meeting. This class will highlight the theoretical framework for the family meeting in health care, including palliative care, best practices in caregiver assessment, and treatment, using real-life case scenarios to illustrate complex clinical issues and social work best practices. The training will focus on reinforcement of theory, practice skills, reflective exercises, and strategies for increasing professional visibility within the family meeting. Topics will include caregiver burden, biopsychosocial screening, multidimensional intervention, communication techniques, and existential and cultural differences in response to serious illness.

Continuing Education Hours Offered: 2