We have a short lull between the excitement of Social Work Month and the start of AOSW’s Annual Conference. Let me catch you up on some of the activities that are going on behind the scenes. We want AOSW to be transparent and accessible to our members, so I will use our Strategic Plan as a framework to help you understand the context and impact of our work.

Goals
Organizational Development
AOSW will exemplify excellence in leadership, governance and knowledge.

Our Membership Director, Eucharia Borden, and the Membership Committee (Holly Adams, Sandra Blackburn, Elizabeth Bornstein, Jane Dabney, Jennifer Dunn and Susan Hedlund) designed a program that will help us develop a future workforce of oncology social workers. Our goals are to expose students to the specialty area of oncology social work and develop a cadre of AOSW members that mirrors the diversity of our patients. One of the first steps in this project is promoting opportunities for a field placement in oncology social work. If you have social work students or would be open to having students, please check that interest box in your online membership profile. The Membership Committee is also working to enhance the field placement supervisors’ section of our website. You can find tips for interviewing prospective students, suggested reading lists and other activities to support the cultivation of our students/future colleagues. If you are willing to share additional resources such as learning contracts, evaluation tools, etc., please contact Eucharia (bordene@mlhs.org).

The AOSW Action Network launched in mid-January as a collaboration of Sarah Conning and Andrea Karoff, our Advocacy and Communications Directors respectively, and their committees. The AOSW Action Network community creates a platform for news and discussions of advocacy interest. View the new Policy Principles on Health Care Access and Insurance. This statement will guide AOSW’s response as the U.S. Congress makes proposals on the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We will add proposed legislation pertinent to the ACA and other health care issues as it becomes available. The AOSW Action Network is a source for keeping up with AOSW’s organizational advocacy as well as learning of opportunities for individual responses.

Professional Development
AOSW will be THE catalyst for the advancement of oncology social work.

The Oncology Care Model (OCM) is driving many organizations to look at best practices and coordination of care. AOSW’s OCM Community provides a platform to upload policies, templates and other resources that will help AOSW members and their institutions efficiently and effectively improve care delivery. Any AOSW member can join this Community.

The Patient-Centered Research Collaborative of Psychosocial Oncology Institute (PCRC) applications are now under review. This grant will bring together 15 pairs of oncology social workers and survivor advocates with social work researchers. The alliance will blend direct practice and research to focus the efforts of researchers on the questions relevant to patients/families and field social workers, and then translate research outcomes into patient care improvements. We look forward to the announcement of the selected participants.

Connectivity
AOSW connects people, organizations and information for the promotion of psychosocial care in oncology.

Our upcoming conference is the annual summit of AOSW connections. We will literally be at the summit with this year’s conference location in Denver. Our theme is “Oncology Social Work: Elevating Compassion, Experience and Vision." It is not too late to register for the conference, being held May 31 – June 2. Our Conference Committee (Chair Meredith Cammarata, Christina Bach, Morgan Gonzales, Joyce Hendershott, Katie McFadien and Jill Randall), under Education Director Chelsea Kroll, has prepared three days of learning, networking and self-care + pre-conference activities. I spent two hours pouring over the conference program and identified sessions that will give me all the ethics CEUs I need for my Texas license. I can also acquire all the oncology-specific CEUs I need to maintain my OSW-C. There is a good balance of information that will serve my patients’ concrete needs, reflective thinking to enhance my clinical skills and emotional self-care that will sustain me in my 24th year as a social worker.

Our Board of Directors, along with the Conference Committee, are excited to welcome you “home.” Whether you have attended all 33 of AOSW’s conferences, are coming for the first time or somewhere in between, you will feel like you found your people. Board members will attend the pre-conference community event on Tuesday night. We hope to see you there too and encourage you to tell us what you value in your professional organization. Let us help you connect with the activities and peer network that impact your concerns.

Members of the Board of Directors will sit together for the opening events on Wednesday to help you identify us. After that, we will be mingling throughout the sessions and the big group events. AOSW’s leadership is open and accessible. You can always reach me at president@aosw.org, or I would be delighted to visit with you at this year’s Annual Conference.

Take care,

Catherine