A cultural and mental health competency training program on end-of-life care for new social workers: A grant proposal

Palliative and end-of-life care is a field that is rapidly changing due to advancements in medical technology. New social workers are challenged to provide expertise in their delivery of end-of-life services within the medical field while recognizing unique cultural differences. This lack of professional training presents a major barrier to improving care for dying patients and the bereaved. Social workers report their deficiencies in two key areas knowledge of end-of-life interventions and expertise in cultural competency. In response to this critical need for improved training, a grant was written to obtain funding for an ongoing end-of-life care training program on the best end-of-life cultural interventions for social workers in the hospice care profession. This 2-day training entitled, Bridges End-of-Life Care Training Program is based on NASW standards for cultural competency and end-of-life care. The actual submission or funding for this program was not required for the completion of this project.