Cultural Considerations for Improving Care at End of Life

Recorded Webinar
Instructor: Karen Bullock, Ph.D., LCSW
CEs: 1.5 
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Social workers and other social service providers.
Course Delivery Method and Format: Recorded webinar, self study. All courses are hosted on SmithOnline. Login information will be emailed immediately after registration to the email address entered during registration.
System Requirements: Attendees will need access to a computer with internet and the capability to play recorded videos.

Date of original webinar: April 9, 2020

Cultural competency skills are essential components of successful interventions with individuals, families and communities across the life course. Furthermore, a key component of palliative and hospice care is the effectiveness and compassionate ways in which social workers are able to incorporate cultural preferences and concordance practices. This webinar provides participants knowledge and understanding of the revised NASW Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice. This session will examine the challenges and complexities of culturally competent practice and identify opportunities for improving care until the end of life.

Registration Fee and Deadline:

$35 (one time registration fee of $5) | Ongoing

Learning Objectives:

1. Define the concepts of culture and diverse factors that influence end-of-life care.
2. Describe the NASW Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work.
3. Identify strategies and approaches for addressing disparities and improving care. 

Instructor Biography:

Karen Bullock, Ph.D. is professor and head of the school of social work at North Carolina State University, in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Work from Boston University, her master’s degree in social work, from Columbia University, and her bachelor of social work degree from North Carolina State. She is Affiliate Faculty at the Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention (CHIP) at the University of Connecticut. Bullock has more than 20 years of clinical practice experience in mental health and aging, with interests and expertise in health care disparities and end-of-life care issues. She is a John A. Hartford Faculty Scholar and serves on several national boards and committees, including AGE-SW, Social Work Hospice & Palliative Care Network (SWHPN), the American Cancer Society (ACS) Oncology Social Work Research Peer Review Committee, and is current Chair of the NASW Mental Health Section Committee. Bullock's research focuses on cancer care and social support for older adults with non-curable illnesses. Her article on The Influence of Culture on End-of-Life Decision Making, won the 2012 Best Article Award by the Routledge Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care. She has been a leading force in advancing social work practice, education, and training in gerontology, mental health, palliative and end-of-life care. She has been quoted in the Washington Post, USA Today and LA Times as an expert in these areas. Bullock has published and presented nationally and internationally on these topics. She was a Visiting Scholar at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and previously held appointments at the Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital, the University of Connecticut, Salem State College, Smith College, and UNC-Wilmington.