By Lisa Capparella, MSS, LCSW, OSW-C, and Chelsea Kroll, MSW, LMSW, OSW-C

Our 38th Annual AOSW Conference is just a few short weeks away, June 15-17, in Raleigh! This year we are looking forward to being back in person and while our conference will look a bit different as we adhere to COVID guidelines, the excitement of being back together is certainly present. For those of you unable to attend in person this year, we will have many of the presentations recorded and available within a few weeks of conference! While we understand having a livestream event is desirable for many members, the financial constraints to doing so prevented us from making this happen.

Our Opening Keynote speaker, Dr. Karen Bullock, PhD, LCSW, will kick us off with a thoughtful presentation of her important work with cancer and healthcare disparities, especially those highlighted during COVID. The theme of addressing health disparities will be interwoven into many presentations at this year’s conference.

Another common theme of this year’s conference is leadership. The Closing Keynote Panel Making the Case: Advocating for Oncology Social Work Services featuring Krista Nelson, Jennifer Bires, Courtney Bitz, Shirley Otis-Green, Brad Zebrack, Barbara Jones, & Vicki Kennedy will surely have you heading back home with visions of growth, rejuvenation and opportunities to further imprint your leadership skills as an oncology social worker.

This year, we have two riveting pre-conference workshops offered on June 14: “Suicide Assessment: Implementing an Educational Program to Improve Suicide Assessment, Intervention and Documentation with Oncology Patients and Families” & “Let's Talk About Sex: Understanding Our Own Biases and Becoming More Comfortable With the Conversation”. These topics are often requested by many of our members and you will surely leave with tangible skills to your clinical practice.

We have extended our early bird registration to May 23. The discounted hotel room rate is also in effect until May 23. We sincerely hope many of you can join us in Raleigh!

Register Now

Other Important AOSW22 Notes

COVID Safety Policy
AOSW has a COVID safety policy in place. You can read all about it on the AOSW Website.

Donate to the AOSW Silent Auction
The AOSW silent auction supports AOSW Awards and Scholarships for future conferences and provides a means for social workers and social work students who would not otherwise have a means to attend these important conferences that are so meaningful in enriching their education and experience. This year, AOSW is hoping to offer virtual experiences as well, including a lunch hour with leadership, one-on-one consultations, or art, cooking, yoga and other lessons. Donations can be set up directly at the AOSW BetterWorld auction site or you can fill out the Silent Auction Donation Form or contact the AOSW Executive Office at info@aosw.org by Friday, May 20.
 
Roommate Matching Program
If you are interested in sharing a room with another AOSW Conference attendee to minimize expenses, please fill out this interest form. Roommates will be paired, based on queue in line and information provided. AOSW staff will send contact information to potential roommates who will be responsible for contacting each other to make appropriate arrangements.

Questions? Contact AOSW at info@aosw.org.