Submit a Manuscript to the Journal
Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care

For a Special Issue on
The State of Palliative Social Work Across the Globe

Although palliative care is globally recognized, accessibility across the world differs depending upon the region, culture, resources, and professional expertise. The ethos, concepts, and perceived need for palliative care are influenced by factors emerging from a personal, cultural, and structural level. Consequently, recognition of and practice of palliative care social workers varies greatly. This special issue of the Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care endeavors to represent palliative social work from a global perspective. The aim of this issue is to represent the scope of palliative social work practice, including settings and how it is financed, administered, and valued in countries across the world.

A manuscript describing the state of palliative social work in a country should include but is not limited to:

• Overview of Palliative and Hospice Care – brief history of development; level of governmental support; mandatory (if any) guidelines for palliative care teams; community perceptions (cultural beliefs regarding care). Where is it primarily practiced? (home, outpatient clinic, inpatient) Who are the recipients? (Ages, Diagnoses, Settings for care, etc.) How do individuals with serious illness gain access to palliative care?
• Primary mode of palliative/hospice care practice – Is it practiced within a multidisciplinary team? Which professionals are considered integral? Is social work an integral member? Leadership of palliative care practice.
• Role/activities of social workers – primary roles and responsibilities of social workers (give examples). Include: Site of practice (Home, hospital, clinic); specialized programs and projects; leadership roles; educational roles; ethical challenges in performing role; include the perception of social workers in the community.
• Further professional experiences, challenges, ethical dilemmas, service developments, or empirical research focused on improving care and lives of those receiving palliative care and their families may be shared through the manuscripts describing the current state. This may also include if and how practices may have changed as a result of the pandemic. Provide examples of typical and extraordinary palliative social work practice; case studies are encouraged.
• Conclusions: Describe the future directions and recommendations for palliative social work in the country as you are aware. Are any changes in funding (particularly governmental) or practice requirements upcoming? Are there shifts in practice settings or focus (for example, increasing focus on bereavement care)

Sections of the journal appropriate for submissions:

• Reflections: (4-5 pages in length maximum) Personal reflections on what you experienced in your social work practice; reflections on case studies that were particularly challenging and thoughts on outcome; personal reflections regarding ethical dilemmas encountered
• Practice Changes and Innovations (10-12 pages maximum)
• Research manuscripts: (20-25 pages maximum; longer may be considered)

"State of Palliative Social Work" manuscripts should be submitted in the category of ‘Research Articles’ as these will be of longer length than others.

Please note that authors may also share reflections, innovations, practice changes, or research directly related to the practice, administration, and policy involving palliative social work in their countries and demonstrating the current state of practice.

Authors are strongly encouraged to contact Journal Editor-in-Chief, Ellen L. Csikai ([email protected]), with any questions about appropriateness of the topic of a potential submission.

Instructions for AuthorsSubmit an Article