Policy Initiatives

IGSW realizes that the timely transfer of knowledge and the dissemination of findings is essential to maximize the policy and practice impact of IGSW.  No single approach is used; rather, a number of related approaches are used to best reach current practitioners, educators, and policy-makers.

Our policy and dissemination activities to date are summarized below.

• IGSW has collaborated with the New York Academy of Medicine's Social Work Programs in Education, Practice & Policy and the National Leadership Coalition (NLC), an ad-hoc group of leading social work educators and administrators commited to improving practice and reimbursement options of social workers working in aging.  We have jointly developed a Policy Bulletin that has been published, and hope to publish other reports with NYAM in the months ahead.
• IGSW supported a conference organized by the Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research (IASWR) in December, 2004.  This multidisciplinary conference brought together a group of stakeholders to discuss ways to improve the quality of psychosocial and social work services in U.S. nursing facilities.  IGSW recently published an Issue Brief based on conference findings.
• IGSW continually prepares short pragmatic policy briefs, original articles, and updates on research findings, education and training issues, and best practices.
• We have established cooperative arrangements for disseminating findings and analyses through our existing information networks.
• IGSW has organized targeted efforts to disseminate information and research findings to key researchers, policy-makers and practitioners through presentations at social work organizations, agencies, national conferences and workshops.
• IGSW has developed innovative modes of dissemination and communication (e.g., IGSW website and IGSW News, our e-newsletter).