BUSSW Dean Barbara Jones Convenes Palliative Care Social Work Leaders at National 2025 Summit 

Attendees at Palliative Social Work Summit

As the U.S. healthcare system grapples with rising complexity and unmet needs in serious illness care, palliative care social workers play a vital—yet often overlooked—role in addressing the emotional, social, and systemic challenges patients and families face. 

Shaping the Future: Advancing Palliative Social Work Summit, a national convening held recently on the Boston University Social Work (BUSSW) campus, brought together 25 leaders from 15 national organizations for an inaugural gathering led by BUSSW Dean Barbara Jones. 

The summit, hosted by BUSSW and generously supported by the American Cancer Society and Cambia Health Foundation, convened leaders of national palliative social work organizations including top researchers, clinicians, and advocates to develop a strategy for the future of palliative social work.  Representatives from national social work organizations came together to identify shared priorities, foster cross-organizational collaboration, and generate a collective roadmap to advance the field of palliative social work. Participants engaged in structured dialogue, data-informed discussions, and consensus-building to explore emerging trends, identify areas of innovation, and initiate sustainable partnerships that strengthen the profession’s voice and impact in practice and research. 

“This summit was born out of a need to highlight the leadership of social work in national palliative care conversations,” said Dr. Barbara Jones, dean of BUSSW and lead summit organizer. “The time is now for social workers to amplify our strategic voice in advancing serious illness care in the U.S.”  

 The 2-day gathering featured key action steps: 

  • Launch four national working groups focused on strategic priorities  
  • Make cross-organizational collaboration a national priority  
  • Develop a consensus white paper on the results of the summit 
  • Publish results from a national survey that gathered data on the challenges, innovations, and opportunities facing social workers providing palliative care. The survey captured diverse perspectives on workforce needs, innovative practices, opportunities for organizational collaboration, and emerging trends influencing the future of the field.  

The four working groups will reconvene quarterly to advance action items, culminating in shared deliverables and plans for 2026 including engaging the larger palliative social work community to help continue this national conversation. The summit was designed and led by a planning committee of nationally recognized leaders including:  

  • Barbara Jones, PhD, MSW – Dean, Boston University School of Social Work  
  • Jung Kwak, PhD, MSW – University of Texas at Austin  
  • Vickie Leff, LCSW, APHSW-C – National Consultant & Educator  
  • Arden O’Donnell, PhD, LICSW – BUSSW  
  • Shirley Otis-Green, MSW, MA, LCSW, FNAP – National Educator & Consultant  
  • Myra Glajchen, DSW, MSW, APHSW-C – Education Leader & Researcher 

“This is just the beginning,” said Arden O’Donnell. “We are building the scaffolding for a more visible, impactful, and equitable future for palliative care social work.” 

 Male Presenter in Pink Shirt at Palliative-SW-Summit-2025-1005-650x434.jpeg“Being in this space reminded me what it looks like to lead with compassion, clarity, and purpose. It also reminded me of something just as important: the power of community…We didn’t just talk policy and practice; we built real connection,” added Ja’Bree Harris, public policy & advocacy manager for the National Association of Social Workers.

 

Learn more about Dean Barbara Jones 

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