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Hospice and Palliative Care

Hospice and palliative care social workers provide professional services that address the psychosocial well-being of patients and families.  To capture the specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities of professional social workers in hospice and palliative care settings, NASW and NHPCO worked together to create a new certification program (see below).  While social workers have been an integral part of hospice and palliative care in the U.S., recognition of their role internationally is still growing.  NASW works together with organizations such as FHSSA to support the role of social workers providing psychosocial support in hospice settings in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

• NASW Free WebEd Course:  Achieving Cultural Competence to Reduce Health Disparities in End of Life Care
• Certified Hospice and Palliative Social Worker (CHP-SW) and Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Social Worker (ACHP-SW) -credentials for social workers in hospice and palliative care developed jointly by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
• Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa – an affiliate of the U.S.-based, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the National Hospice Foundation that supports hospice care in Africa.