Earn up to 30 CE credits in 2026 with ESPEC Oncology Training!
ESPEC Oncology is an innovative professional education and training program designed by social workers for social workers for training in primary palliative care. ESPEC-Oncology seeks to enhance oncology social workers’ knowledge, skills, and competence, increase their visibility, and position them for leadership roles within their healthcare teams.
Scholarships are available to cover all expenses for 40 competitively selected applicants. Application deadline: November 15, 2025.
Applications will be reviewed, and participants will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning November 1st, 2025.
Download Detailed Application Instructions
Credit Breakdown:
Part I – Online Recordings (8.0 CE)
Part IA – Foundational Webinars (2.0 CE)
Part II – In-Person Skills Workshop (12.0 CE)
Part III – Monthly Educational Webinars (8.0 CE)
Overall Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this training program, participants will be able to:
- Apply the 8 domains of palliative care to oncology social work practice
- Strengthen clinical skills in palliative care for patients, caregivers, and colleagues
- Use ESPEC Oncology training to promote leadership, advocacy, and practice transformation
Faculty & Leadership
Led by Principal Investigator:
Tara Schapmire, PhD, OSW-C, APHSW-C, FAPOS, FAOSW
With Co-Investigators:
Myra Glajchen, DSW, MSW, BSW, ACSW, APHSW-C
Shirley Otis-Green, MSW, MA, ACSW, LCSW, OSW-CE, FNAP, FAOSW
Brad Zebrack, PhD, MSW, MPH, FAPOS, FAOSW
Barbara Jones, PhD, FAPOS, FAOSW
Continuing Education Credit Provided By:
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW), #1351, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 11/11/2022 – 11/11/2025. Social workers participating in this conference will receive up to xx.xx continuing education credits, which may include up to xx.xx Cultural Competency and xx.xx Ethics continuing education credits.
New York State Education Department’s State Board of Social Work
Association of Oncology Social Work, Inc., SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0320.
Disclaimer: It is the responsibility of the attendee to check with their state board to determine if the ethics and/or cultural competency hours offered meet the regulations of their Board. Certificates of attendance and verification of credit will be issued to those who registered for CEs after completion of the online post-conference evaluations.
Instruction Methodology: Didactic, audio-visuals, demonstrations, experiential exercises, case examples, live interactive Q&A with presenters.
Target Audience: Oncology social workers and other social workers who work with cancer patients and their families.
Educational Levels of Presentations:
Beginner level presentations include an introduction to content area in oncology social work practice. These sessions may include providing information about a particular condition, treatment method, or issue related to oncology social work. Beginner level presentations are appropriate for all, but with specific applicability to BSWs, new MSW graduates or those new to the practice of oncology social work.
Intermediate level presentations include sessions which build on knowledge that practitioners with some experience already have. These sessions focus on skill-building or adding knowledge; possibly with a brief overview of basic information. These sessions are appropriate for mid-career level practitioners as well as more advanced practitioners interested in exposure to new skill sets and research.
Advanced level presentations include sessions which address content for advanced level practitioners who have been working in oncology social work for some time and have a clear understanding of a wide range of concepts, practice, research and administrative issues that impact practice. Covers complexities involved in oncology social work and intervention to address them and influence change.
Course Designations:
- Cultural Competency
- Ethics
- Clinical/General
Completion Requirements: Modules/courses must be completed in their entirety. A posttest is required for recorded content. Participants must score 80% to pass the posttest. Certificates will be awarded at the end of each phase.
Grievance Policy: Grievances regarding conference sessions, content, abstract selection and presentation can also be submitted
to any member of the conference planning committee and are escalated appropriately to the conference chair, director of education, board of directors or home office staff. Grievances are responded to in a timely fashion with the goal of mitigation of the issues brought to the leadership. If a registered participant is unable to attend a meeting after registration, refund requests are processed on a case-by-case basis. If an attendee has a complaint or grievance, it must be submitted in writing by the participant to:
Association of Oncology Social Work
111 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 1412
Chicago, IL 60604 USA
The letter will be reviewed by organizational members consisting of the social worker consultant, and other organizational members based on geographic distribution, experience, professional specialty, etc. The Organization will respond to the attendee in writing.
ADA Accommodations: The Company and its subsidiaries (including, without limitation, the Operating Partnership) are currently in compliance with all presently applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, except for any such non-compliance that could not reasonably be expected, individually or in aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. If you require special assistance to register for an event or access online content, please contact AOSW at info@aosw.org to inform us of your special needs.
Cancellation Policy: We understand that circumstances may change. If you need to cancel your participation in the ESPEC-O program, please submit your cancellation request via email to info@aosw.org.
Find the Supervisor Letter of Support Template Here.
If you have any questions, please contact AOSW Education Manager, Trish Harley at tharley@aosw.org.