By Nicole Marcouiller, LICSW, OSW-C
Spring has arrived, and that means it is time to get ready for another annual conference. Last year was a significant milestone; we celebrated 40 years of AOSW. However, as we go into year 41, I am mindful that each conference is an achievement. The first AOSW conference, held in 1984, was an opportunity to unite a group of social workers. These oncology social workers (OSWs) were unified by their work throughout the country and by their shared passion for providing quality psychosocial care to patients and their caregivers. For the first time, this group of OSWs was able to come together in an organized and intentional way. It was a chance to connect, learn, and grow. AOSW has continued to be able to meet annually to unify the profession, expand the knowledge base of those doing the work, and advocate for patient outcomes. This year, we are coming back together under the theme, “Unite to Ignite: Cultivating Connections.”
As the world continues to evolve around us, so does our work. Patient needs grow, resources shift, and the technology that has become a core component of our work has almost literally taken on a life of its own. What remains a constant in this time of rapid change are those connections. The original idea that a group of OSWs could connect and learn from one another and grow through that experience remains at the core of the purpose of the AOSW conference. And as OSWs, connection is central to our day-to-day work. We connect with our patients, their caregivers, and our colleagues. We connect with each other, and through this ability to hold space and create bonds, we promote change for individuals, communities, and systems. At the conference, we will expand our knowledge and relationship with our peers and ourselves. For many in this field, it is these connections that fuel us and ignite our passion for the work we do.
The conference planning committee wants to honor the importance of those connections while appreciating the effort it can take to step away from families and work for a few days. We believe the time away will be well worth it and are excited to offer a comprehensive learning experience. Starting on Tuesday, June 10, we have four preconference sessions available for new OSWs and more veteran social workers wanting to enhance their clinical and therapeutic interventions. The official conference kicks off on Wednesday, June 11. Bryan Miller, LCSW, OSW-C, will welcome us to Atlanta with his opening keynote, “From Spark to Ember: Together We Ignite Hope and Nourish Healing.” Sessions throughout the conference will provide more opportunities to enhance clinical and therapeutic skills, grow in leadership, and expand advocacy and professional growth. We are also looking forward to introducing cutting-edge topics, including the use of AI and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. Our closing keynote is sure to be as enlightening as our opening. On Friday, we welcome Allison Applebaum, Ph.D., FAPOS, for her talk, “Care for the Cancer Caregiver: Lessons Learned from a Caregiving Scientist and Family Caregiver.” View the full schedule here.
Connecting with each other and enjoying great educational opportunities isn’t limited to the conference. Throughout the year, AOSW brings you professional development and CE opportunities via our webinars. These webinars aren’t just for social workers; patient navigators, administrators, human service professionals, and students may also find our webinars helpful. AOSW members attend webinars for free (minus the cost of CE). And if you have an amazing idea for a webinar, please submit a webinar proposal for our Webinar Subcommittee to review!
We look forward to seeing many of you back in person in Atlanta. Take the opportunity to learn, grow, and explore the city. The Atlanta Board of Visitors has created an activities page, Discover Atlanta, including citywide discounts. Register today and join us as we celebrate the work we do and connections we continue to make.
