AOSW Diversity & Inclusion Statement:
AOSW is committed to building a community that reflects all people affected by cancer and where every member, regardless of their age, race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, religion, etc., feels valued and welcome among all levels of the organization.
Embracing diversity and inclusion is a top priority of AOSW, which empowers social workers to demonstrate integrity, compassion and leadership in the practice of oncology. A 2016 survey of AOSW members identified areas for improvement in our racial and ethnic diversity as reflected below:
| Racial and Ethnic Demographics | Overall Percentage |
Caucasian | 90.36% |
| African American | 4.43% |
| Hispanic Latino or Spanish | 4.17% |
| Asian | 3.91% |
| American Indian or Pacific Islanders | 0.78% |
Total Survey Members: 390 participants
AOSW recognizes that diversity among oncology social workers must keep pace with the increasing ethnic and racial diversity of our patient population and is committed to initiatives designed to increase and strengthen policies promoting diversity and inclusion at all levels of the organization.
AOSW recognizes that diversity among oncology social workers must keep pace with the increasing ethnic and racial diversity of our patient population and is committed to initiatives designed to increase and strengthen policies promoting diversity and inclusion at all levels of the organization.
AOSW Diversity & Inclusion Goals:
AOSW believes in transparency and is thoughtfully working to advance its diversity and inclusion policy. As such it has introduced a multi-prong, longitudinal approach which seeks to advance diversity and inclusion at all levels of the organization and includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Establish a seat at the AOSW leadership table by creating a Diversity & Inclusion Chair position within the Membership Committee to further advance the organization’s commitment to recruitment and retention of racially and ethnically diverse clinicians.
- Identify and create engagement initiatives that help to improve discussion on an inclusive process to sustain recruitment & retention efforts.
- Encourage AOSW membership to volunteer in mentorship and local career-day programs to open up meaningful dialogues and promote oncology social work as a viable area of practice.
Providing high quality, culturally competent cancer care requires a commitment to the exploration of societal factors that contribute to disparities in health care, as well as promotion of health equity and equality. Therefore, any lack of disparity among oncology social workers contributes to health care disparities. As such, AOSW remains focused on increasing recruitment and retention of racially and ethnically diverse members.