Next up in our new series looking at the activities of the various SWHPN committees is the Student Committee. We started this committee in late spring 2020, as a way to provide additional support focused on our SWHPN student members, especially during the pandemic. The committee is comprised of Board members and SWHPN members, some of whom teach BSW- and MSW-level students, as well as several people who are either getting their PhDs or have recently completed this process. The committee is chaired by Dr. Stephanie Wladkowski, PhD, LMSW, ACHP-SW, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Eastern Michigan University.

In this past year, the committee has created and led six webinars, from tips for making the most of your field placement and finding a job, to learning more about the benefits of pursuing an MSW, DSW, and/or PhD, to learning how to lead a team meeting effectively. Collectively, these sessions reached hundreds of social work students, educating them about the field of hospice and palliative care, a specialization that few colleges and universities offer.

In fact, one of the most popular webinars from the Student Committee was led by Dr. Wladkowski, and Vickie Leff, LCSW, BCD, APHSW-C on “What is Hospice and Palliative Care?” which provided an awesome overview of the interdisciplinary nature of the field, and how social workers can lead the team in order to provide care to patients and families. Our hope is that by offering these sessions, students gain a better understanding of the impact social workers play in hospice and palliative care, so that they may seek field placements and eventually jobs.

Finally, we have worked to revamp the SWHPN student membership to make it as accessible and beneficial as possible: membership starts at $35/year or $4/month, and almost all webinars and Summits for student members are free. We want students to feel as supported as possible as they begin their social work careers. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] to share your ideas for additional ways we can help support our student members!