July | PARTNERED WEBINAR
Beyond Silos - Generative Role Blurring and Outcome-Driven Collaboration in Palliative Care: Lessons from Chaplain and Social Work Practice
Date, Time & Location: July 23, 2026 | 11am PT-12pm PT/2pm ET-3pm ET | Zoom
Palliative care teams are uniquely positioned to deliver whole-person care, yet the greatest opportunity for impact may lie not only in defining roles, but in how clinicians actually work within—and across—their areas of overlap. This session introduces a practice-informed Venn diagram framework that maps where chaplain and social work expertise diverges and overlaps, and how that space can be used more intentionally to improve outcomes—offering insights that resonate across professions. Rather than a prescriptive model, the tool is meant to spark real conversation, helping teams reflect on and strengthen how collaboration shows up in everyday practice.
Top row, L-R: Presenters, Naomi Tzril Saks, MA, MDiv, BCC and Dr. Cara Wallace; Bottom row, L-R: Respondents, Kevin O'Keeffe, LCSW and Edward Penate
August | CE WEBINAR
August Webinar:
Holding Death in a Dying World: Secondary Trauma, Receptive-Affective Capacity, and Collective Resistance
Date, Time & Location: August 13, 2026 | 12pm PT - 1pm PT / 3:00pm ET - 4:00pm ET | Zoom
Free to all SWHPN Members & Non-Members
Presented By: Abigail Nathanson, DSW, MSW, APHSW-C, ACS
As repeated exposure to death and systemic distress challenges emotional and relational capacity, the task is not to harden but to remain permeable without breaking. Through a polyvagal lens, secondary trauma is understood as an intrapsychic and embodied disruption of attunement rather than a failure of coping, reframing presence as distinct from productivity. Receptive-affective capacity is reconsidered as a practice that can restore relational presence and nourish palliative social work clinicians amid ongoing exposure to death, trauma and grief.
Learning Objectives:
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Analyze how repeated exposure to death, grief, and moral distress affects emotional regulation, clinical judgment, and relational presence in palliative social work practice.
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Differentiate between signs of grounded engagement, emotional over-activation, and shutdown in oneself and colleagues when working with seriously ill and dying patients.
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Apply concrete, in-the-moment strategies to restore steadiness and maintain compassionate presence during difficult clinical encounters.
About the Speaker: Abigail Nathanson, DSW, MSW, APHSW-C, ACS
Dr. Abigail Nathanson, LCSW, APHSW-C, ACS, received both her master's and doctoral degrees in social work from NYU, where she is currently on faculty. She is a trauma therapist and palliative social worker, and helped to create the Advanced Clinical Seminars on Grief and Trauma training program at NYU. Dr. Nathanson is trained in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, EMDR and Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy.
November | CE WEBINAR
November Webinar:
Holding Death in a Dying World: Secondary Trauma, Receptive-Affective Capacity, and Collective Resistance
Date & Time: Thursday November 19th, 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET - 10:00am PT/1:00pm ET
Pricing: SWHPN Members - $25 | Non Members - $45
Presented By: Delia Cortez, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C
Patients facing illness, injury, amputation, or other significant changes to their bodies often experience grief that extends beyond physical loss. Changes in function, appearance, independence, and identity can create a sense of estrangement from one's own body and significantly impact coping and healthcare decision-making. This presentation explores the concept of "estranged body parts" through a grief-informed social work lens. Participants will learn to identify grief responses associated with bodily loss, assess the psychosocial factors influencing decision-making, and apply practical interventions to support patients and families as they navigate complex medical choices. Through a case example and discussion, attendees will gain strategies to facilitate adaptation, promote self-determination, and provide compassionate, person-centered care.
Learning Objectives:
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Raise awareness about the difficulties faced by those undergoing an amputation.
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Explore methods to assist individuals in finding meaning during their amputation journey.
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Recognize the importance of early grief work prior to an amputation by applying Worden's Four Grief Tasks.
About the Speaker: Delia Cortez, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C
Delia Cortez, has been a Clinical Social Worker at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center for 18 years and a member of its inpatient palliative care team since 2016. She completed advanced palliative care training through the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute and is a graduate of the post-master's leadership fellowship at the NYU Silver Zelda Foster Studies Program. Delia is dedicated to supporting patients and families facing serious illness and is passionate about clinical supervision, mentoring, and teaching.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Continuing Education Information
Social Work Hospice + Palliative Care Network (SWHPN), #1716, is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Social Work Hospice + Palliative Care Network aka SWHPN maintains responsibility for the program. ASWB Approval Period: 7/18/2023 – 7/18/2026.
Social workers should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval for continuing education credits.