PASSWORDMANAGEMENT
COURSE DETAILS
Course Length: 9 Weeks
Effort: 5-7 Hours/Week
Format: Instructor-Led, Online
Cost: $1,044
Hours: 54 CE
Discipline(s): Social Workers
Overview
This course examines the ethical tensions and complex relational dynamics that frequently arise in palliative care practice. Through case-based discussion and applied ethical frameworks, you will explore challenges related to equity, trauma exposure, family conflict, personality and psychiatric disorders, and moral distress. Emphasis is placed on ethical reasoning, team consultation, and the palliative care social worker鈥檚 leadership role in navigating emotionally and ethically charged clinical situations.
What You'll Learn
- Trace the evolution of palliative care social work into a distinct specialty
- Understand the historical foundations shaping today鈥檚 practice
- Clarify the role of the palliative care social worker within interdisciplinary teams
- Identify core competencies that define specialty-level practice
- Navigate the shift from generalist to advanced, specialized care
- Strengthen professional identity and role clarity in complex care environments
- Explore current challenges and emerging opportunities in palliative care settings
- Participate in optional weekly Zoom sessions to deepen learning and discussion
What You'll Earn
54 continuing education (CE) hours provided through 糖心原创 (糖心原创) Extended Learning, accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and approved by the Board of Behavioral Sciences, Provider #PCE-3405.
Who Should Enroll
Students enrolling in this course should have a Master's degree in social work, psychology, counseling/therapy, or closely related field, preferably with clinical application/experience.
Completion and Refunds
Cancellations may be made up to the day before the first day of the course; a refund will be issued minus an administrative fee of $35. No refunds are possible for withdrawals once the course starts.
- Advanced Practice Palliative Care Social Work: Focused, Specialty-Level Learning for Experienced Clinicians
Palliative care social work has matured into a distinct and highly skilled specialty鈥攐ne that requires more than introductory knowledge or broad overviews. As the field has grown, so too have the educational options available to social workers seeking training. This redesigned course series was intentionally developed to meet the needs of experienced palliative care social workers who are already practicing in complex clinical environments and who are seeking depth, refinement, and professional integration, rather than basic orientation.
Originally offered as a comprehensive eight-month program, this curriculum has been thoughtfully re-envisioned in response to changes in the continuing education landscape, evolving workforce demands, and feedback from seasoned practitioners. The result is a flexible, four-course series that distills the most meaningful and practice-relevant content of the original program into focused, stand-alone learning experiences that can be taken individually or sequentially.
These courses are not designed to replace foundational palliative care training. Instead, they are intended to complement existing programs by offering advanced clinical reflection, applied skill development, ethical analysis, and leadership growth for social workers who are already functioning at鈥攐r aspiring to鈥攕pecialty level practice. Each course is instructor-led, grounded in real-world clinical experience, and structured to support thoughtful engagement, professional dialogue, and integration into daily practice.
Enroll in a single course to strengthen a specific area of your practice or complete the full four-course sequence for a comprehensive advanced practice learning experience. This flexible program structure allows you to tailor your coursework to your current role, career stage, and professional goals, while remaining grounded in the real-world challenges and opportunities of palliative care social work practice.
You will find a learning environment that values:
- Clinical nuance over checklists
- Reflection and judgment alongside evidence-based frameworks
- Interdisciplinary leadership, not just role clarity
- Sustainability, ethics, and meaning in long-term palliative care work
Meet the Faculty
- Sandra Shadley, LMFT, HEC-C, CT
Sandra is the Director of Patient & Family Support Services at a large regional hospital system in Central California, where she oversees palliative care services, chaplaincy, and medical social work teams. With over a decade of experience in palliative care since co-founding the program, she has developed comprehensive services including inpatient consultations, outpatient clinics, and home-based care.
Sandra's career bridges clinical and administrative leadership, beginning in psychiatry where she served in community mental health settings before moving into leadership roles. In palliative care, she leverages her psychiatric background to facilitate meaningful communication between patients, families, and providers.
Certified as a Healthcare Ethics Consultant (HEC-C) and Thanatologist, Sandra serves as Chair of the Bioethics Committee and facilitates bi-monthly Schwartz Rounds. She has also developed communication skills training for medical residents, which she presented at the National SWHPN Conference. Her work focuses on integrating progressive concepts into healthcare systems to better serve patients and families.
In Partnership with CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care
In collaboration with the , an institute of the California State University, we offer cutting-edge palliative care education. For over a decade, the Institute has empowered healthcare professionals across diverse healthcare settings with high-quality palliative care programs. Through an advanced online platform, these programs cater to the unique needs of organizations, ensuring top-tier instruction and support for current and future healthcare professionals as well as the community.
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