SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE IN PALLIATIVE CARE

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: Senior standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Social & Behavioral Science Breadth - Social Science Level - Advanced L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Define the concepts of serious illness, palliative care, hospice, and end-of-life care and differentiate among the terms. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Recognize how the psychosocial, cultural, and existential domains of palliative care can influence patient and family experience of serious illness. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Identify personal attitudes and values related to serious illness and end of life. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Describe the roles of social workers on palliative care teams and how those roles are distinct from (and similar to) the activities of other team members. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Describe the roles of other healthcare professionals (e.g., physicians, nurses, pharmacists, chaplains) on palliative care teams. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Examine ethical challenges that can arise in the setting of serious illness and end-of-life care. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Define approaches to screening, assessment, and intervention of psychosocial aspects of care. Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Define the concepts of serious illness, palliative care, hospice, and end-of-life care and differentiate among the terms. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Recognize how the psychosocial, cultural, and existential domains of palliative care can influence patient and family experience of serious illness. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Identify personal attitudes and values related to serious illness and end of life. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Describe the roles of social workers on palliative care teams and how those roles are distinct from (and similar to) the activities of other team members. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Describe the roles of other healthcare professionals (e.g., physicians, nurses, pharmacists, chaplains) on palliative care teams. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Examine ethical challenges that can arise in the setting of serious illness and end-of-life care. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Define approaches to screening, assessment, and intervention of psychosocial aspects of care. Audience: Graduate