GSS Professional Development Workshop: Social Work Practice with Seriously Ill Persons—Palliative Care Fellowship

Millions of persons in the U.S., of all ages, live with a serious illness. Social workers are important members of the interprofessional teams that provide services to these individuals and their family members.

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is specialized care for persons with serious illnesses. Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life for the patient and family.

Hosted by Cathy Berkman, Ph.D., M.S.W., this Professional Development Workshop (PDW) will discuss social work careers in caring for seriously ill persons and will describe the Palliative Care Fellowship at the Graduate School of Social Service.

Berkman is an associate professor at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service and is the director of the Palliative Care Fellowship. For the last 20 years, Berkman’s primary interests have been in palliative and end-of-life care, including preferences for treatment and communication with health care providers and family, knowledge, and attitudes about advance directives, and examining the role of culture. Her current research includes an examination of these issues comparing Korean American, Korean, and Chinese American older adults.