The Center for Aging Policy at The Social Work Leadership Institute, New York Academy of Medicine
The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) proposes to develop a Center for Aging Policy (CAP) to solidify initiatives in public policy to ensure that health and support services for older adults will be enhanced. The creation of the Center will recognize social work as a pivotal agent in the aging experience, and will build on the work of the National Leadership Coalition (NLC), a volunteer group of social work leaders currently convened and led at the New York Academy of Medicine. During its first year planning phase, the CAP strategy includes:
- Develop a long range policy agenda adopted by relevant national and regional organizations to ensure that the social work profession can meet the needs of a rapidly aging population.
- Design a systematic process for coordinating and monitoring the public policy-relevant activities of disparate entities involved in promoting the future of social work with older adults.
- Articulate the evidence, research base for social work practices in serving the elderly and for public policy agendas.
- Develop comprehensive and targeted communication plans to inform and influence consumers, practitioners and policy-makers as to the value and contributions of geriatric social workers.
These strategies, when successfully executed in Phase I, will lay the groundwork for the CAP in Phase II to lead and coordinate public policy advocacy campaigns to ameliorate key barriers to social work's effective role in elder care.
The current policy environment for geriatric social work practice presents a number of barriers to enhancing geriatric social work capacity. These include:
- Fragmented efforts,
- Insufficient focus on geriatric social work,
- Lack of an evidence base,
- Inadequate regulatory framework
Despite important preliminary efforts, the contributions made by social work with older adults is not widely recognized and understood, nor has its effectiveness been consistently measured or documented. Policy makers, established aging-related coalitions and organizations, the public, and other professional groups will expect empirical evidence when asked to support initiatives that impact on economic and social conditions.
NYAM is well positioned to address these issues through the Social Work Public Policy Center. NYAM has, in its current Forward Plan, established a focus on health preservation, disease reduction and delivery of health care for the elderly. NYAM recognizes social work as a key profession that assists older adults in remaining self sufficient and autonomous. The Social Work Leadership Institute (SWLI), established under the direction of Patricia J. Volland, will provide a solid foundation on which to build this next step - a Social Work Public Policy Center to lead efforts in effecting needed changes in public policy.
