PDIA Social Work Leadership Award

The Project on Death in America (PDIA) Social Work Leadership Award is given annually to social workers who demonstrate outstanding leadership and have advanced the field in end-of-life, hospice and palliative care. The goal of this award is to acknowledge and increase the visibility of social workers’ contributions to the field, and encourage future generations to continue providing quality care to the seriously ill, dying and bereaved. This award has been presented by SWHPN to 4 outstanding social work leaders since 2007.

Description:

This award will be given annually and will acknowledge the contributions of outstanding social work leaders in the specialized area of social work in palliative and end-of-life care. Nominations are sought for individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing social work practice in one or more of the following areas: research, education, practice, and policy.  This unique award is created through the generous support and vision of the Project on Death in America.

Nomination Process:

Eligibility:

• Must hold a degree in Social Work from an academic institution recognized by the Council on Social Work Education or a comparable accrediting body in the nominee’s country
• Have exemplified excellence and leadership in end-of-life, hospice and palliative care that has reached beyond their immediate institution/place of employment
• Be a member of the Social Work Hospice & Palliative Care Network (SWHPN)

The application must include:

• A completed online nomination form
• Two letters of support (not written by the nominator) which clearly demonstrate the nominee’s skills, talents and accomplishments related to hospice and palliative care
• A copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae

The award will be presented on the morning of Friday, March 5th at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy for Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) held from March 3 – 6, 2010 in Boston, MA. The awardee will be asked to give a presentation and/or participate in a forum with conference attendees interested in speaking with an accomplished practitioner in end-of-life, hospice and palliative care social work.

The recipient will also be encouraged to publish their work in a professional journal, such as the the Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care, the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, and the Journal of Palliative Medicine.

In addition to the honor associated with selection by professional peers, a monetary award will be granted.

Submission Process:

Nomination forms can be submitted electronically and can be accessed at http://swhpn.org/nomination/.

Deadline:

Completed nominations must be received no later than January 31, 2010.* The individual selected to receive the 2010 Project on Death in America Social Work Leadership Award, and the individual who nominated them, will receive notification no later than February 15, 2010.

* Note the previous deadline for receiving nominations was January 15, 2010.