Social Work and Aging Resources

 

Alliance for Aging and Research
http://www.agingresearch.org
This nonprofit organization is the nation’s leading citizen advocacy organization for improving health and independence of aging Americans. “The Alliance for Aging and Research advances scientific and medical discoveries to maximize healthy aging, independence and quality of life for older Americans”.

The Alliance for Aging and Research provides:

• Advocacy for programs in research
• Professional and consumer health education
• Public policy information
• New briefs

 

American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP)
http://www.aagponline.org/
AAGP’s mission is “to enhance the knowledge base and standard of practice in geriatric psychiatry through education and research and to advocate for meeting the mental health needs of older Americans”.

AAGP members receive:

• Subscriptions to the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and supplements and Geriatric Psychiatry News
• Professional development through the many educational programs offered on topics like depression, dementia, and psychosis
• Discounts on certain events like the AAGP’s Annual Meeting
• Legislative alerts and updates

 

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
http://www.aarp.org/
AARP is a nonprofit membership organization for people 50 years old and over. The mission is “AARP is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all as we age. We lead positive social change and deliver value to members through information, advocacy and service.”

AARP provides the following to our community:

• Information on issues important to this age group through the AARP website, AARP- The Magazine, Monthly AARP Bulletin, and a Spanish-language newspaper
• Advocacy for consumer and legal issues
• A wide range of special products and services to members
• AARP Programs- AARP Independent Living/Long-term Care/End of Life Issues, AARP Driver Safety Program, AARP Tax-Aide, AARP Senior Community Service Employment Program, and a Volunteer Program.

 

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS)
http://www.americangeriatrics.org/
AGS is a not-for-profit organization which is comprised primarily of geriatric health care professionals like physicians, nurses, researchers, medical educators, pharmacists, social workers, and health care administrators. The mission of AGS is “to improve the health, independence and quality of life of all older people.

AGS provides the following:

• Journal subscriptions to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging, and Clinical Geriatrics
• Advocacy Center
• US Census Data
• Funding Opportunities which are updated monthly

 

American Society on Aging (ASA)
http://www.asaging.org/
The ASA is comprised of an array of professionals who are linked to a common goal: “to support the commitment and enhance the knowledge and skills of those who seek to improve the quality of life of older adults and their families.”

ASA provides the following:

• Educational programs and publications which include innovative models, best practices, and practical ways to apply the information.
• Subscriptions to Generations, Aging Today, and ASA Connection
• Special focus groups
• Continuing Education and Staff Development
• Leadership and Mentoring Programs

 

Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors, Inc. (BPD)
http://www.bpdonline.org/
“BPD is an association of BSW Program Administrators, Faculty, Field Directors, and others dedicated to the promotion of excellence in baccalaureate social work education.”

BPD offers the following:

• Subscription to the Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work
• BPD Update Newsletter
• Conferences
• BPD Listserv

 

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
http://www.cswe.org/
The CSWE is a nonprofit national organization that is recognized as the sole accrediting agency for social work education. “CSWE aims to promote and strengthen the quality of social work education through preparation of competent social work professionals by providing national leadership and a forum for collective action”.

CSWE provides the following:

• Accreditation for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in social work
• Research and faculty development
• Advocating for social work education
• Annual Program Meeting
• Opportunities to serve on CSWE commissions, councils, committees, and task forces
• Monthly abstracts of the 15 most relevant news articles in higher education, diversity, gerontology, and practice.
• Subscriptions to the Journal of Social Work Education, CSWE Focus, and CSWE News Briefs.

 

Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development
http://www.geri.duke.edu/
Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development receives more than $3 million in annual research funding.

Current research includes:

• Dysmobility
• Osteoporosis
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Cancer
• Viruses
• Depression in later life
• Caregiver stress

Services include:

• The Duke Long Term Care Resources Program
• The Duke Family Support Program
• The Geriatric Evaluation and Treatment Clinic
• The Duke Older Americans Resources and Services Program

 

The Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI)
http://www.gswi.org/index.html
The Geriatric Social Work Initiative is supported by the John A. Hartford Foundation and collaborates with social work education programs.

The GSWI includes:

• Faculty Scholars Program
• Doctoral Fellows Program
• Doctoral Fellows Pre-Dissertation Award Program
• Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education
• Information on current issues in research, demographics, and policy
• Funding opportunities
• Educational and consumer resources
• Ripples, the monthly newsletter of GSWI

 

Gero-Ed Center
http://www.Gero-EdCenter.org
The mission of the Gero-Ed Center by the Council on Social Work Education is “to promote graduates’ gerontological competencies in baccalaureate and master’s level social work programs nationwide, in order to enhance the health and well-being of older adults and their families”. The Gero-Ed Center prepares faculty and student leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to enhance the health and well-being of older adults and their families.

The Gero-Ed Center includes:

• Curriculum Development Institute Program
• BSW Experiential Learning Program
• eLearning
• Specialized Gero Content Program
• The Gero-Ed Track at the CSWE Annual Program Meeting
• Textbook Project
• Gero Student Recruitment
• Gero-Ed Forum
• MSW Advanced Curriculum Project
• Teaching Resources

Gerontological Society of America (GSA)
http://www.geron.org/
The GSA is the oldest interdisciplinary organization dedicated to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The mission of the GSA is “to promote the conduct of multi- and interdisciplinary research in aging by expanding the quantity of gerontological research and by increasing its funding resources; to disseminate gerontological research knowledge to researchers, to practitioners, and to decision and opinion makers; and to promote, support, and advocate for aging education, and education and training in higher education”.

The GSA includes:

• Peer-reviewed journals- The Gerontologist, Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences, Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological and Social Sciences, and the Journal of Aging, Humanities, and the Arts.
• A monthly newsletter- Gerontology News
• A four-day Annual Scientific Meeting
• The Public Education Program which provides an Expert Referral Service, press releases, and congressional briefings.
• Projects like the Minority Issues in Aging Project, the Campus Ambassadors Program, and AgeWork.
• GSA Interest Groups

 

Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research (IASWR)
http://www.iaswresearch.org
The IASWR website includes information on technical assistance on applying for research funding, information and resources on evidence-based practice and several publications of interest to the AGE-SW membership, including Evaluating Social Work Services in Nursing Homes: Toward Quality Psychosocial Care and its Measurement.

 

Institute for Geriatric Social Work (IGSW)
at the Boston University School of Social Work
http://www.bu.edu/igsw/
The mission is “IGSW is dedicated to strengthening the workforce for an aging society through educational innovation, workforce change, and research”.

IGSW provides the following:

• Subscriptions to IGSW Issue Briefs, IGSW Bulletins, and an E-Newsletter
• Research that promotes the use of evidence-based practice interventions in social work. Current research topics include Primary Care Intervention and Training Effectiveness
• Policy initiatives

 

John A. Hartford Foundation
http://www.jhartfound.org/
The John A. Hartford Foundation seeks to “enhance and expand the training of doctors, nurses, social workers and other health professionals who care for elders and promote innovations in the integration and delivery of services for all older people” through grantmaking.

The John A. Hartford Foundation includes:

• Funding opportunities: grants, fellowships, & scholarships
• News and event information
• Education and training
• Model development

 

National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
http://www.socialworkers.org/
The NASW is the largest organization of professional social workers. “NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies”.

The NASW includes:

• The Aging Initiative which raises “awareness about the breadth of geriatric social work practice, and increases the numbers of professionally trained and credentialed social workers who serve older adults and their families”. The Aging Initiative includes resources and articles.
• The NASW Code of Ethics
• Chapter organizations
• NASW Governance
• NASW Delegate Assembly
• Publications: NASW Press, NASW News, NASW Press books, Social Work quarterly, Health and Social Work, Children and Schools, Social Work Research, Social Work Abstracts.

 

National Council on Aging
http://www.ncoa.org/
The National Council on Aging is a nonprofit organization which is comprised of more than 14,000 organizations. Organizational members include senior centers, area agencies on aging, adult day service centers, and faith-based service organizations. The mission of the National Council on Aging is “to improve the lives of older Americans”.

Current National Council on Aging programs:

• Access to Benefits Coalition- ensures Medicare beneficiaries with low incomes are educated on available resources for accessing prescription drugs
• BenefitsCheckUp- helps seniors with low incomes find programs that assist with prescriptions, rent, energy bills, and food
• Center for Healthy Aging- for professionals interested in developing healthy aging programs like health promotion, fall prevention, disease prevention, and chronic disease self –management
• Health Education Program- provides consumer educational campaigns
• And many more

National Council on Aging also provides:

• Advocacy
• Research
• Special interest groups
• Publications- NCOA Week, Innovations, and Senior Focus
• An Annual Conference
• Healthy Aging Briefings

 

National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA)
http://www.nhcoa.org/
The National Hispanic Council on Aging is “dedicated to improving the quality of life for the Hispanic/Latino elderly, their families, and their communities”.

The NHCOA’s program priorities include:

• Health promotion and disease prevention
• Financial security and civic engagement
• Policy
• Leadership development
• Education
• Housing

The NHCOA’s policy priorities include:

• Addressing health disparities
• Promoting economic security
• Ensuring availability of affordable & elder accessible housing
• Building stronger communities through technical support and financial assistance to organizations serving Hispanic older adults

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO)
http://www.nhpco.org/
The NHPCO is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is “to lead and mobilize social change for improved care at the end of life”.

The NHPCO offers the following:

• Caring Connections- provides consumer education on topics like advance care planning, hospice and palliative care, caregiving and grief
• Hospice Statistics and Research
• End-of-Life Care Resources
• Publications: Newsline, Newline/Insights, e-NCHPP, Newsbriefs, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
• Hospice Advocacy
• Regulatory and Compliance News

 

National Institute on Aging (NIA)
http://www.nia.nih.gov/
NIA’s mission is “to improve the health and well-being of older Americans through research, and specifically, to:

• Support and conduct high-quality research on:
• Aging processes
• Age-related diseases
• Special problems and needs of the aged
• Train and develop highly skilled research scientists from all population groups
• Develop and maintain state-of-the-art resources to accelerate research progress
• Disseminate information and communicate with the public and interested groups on health and research advances and on new directions for research”.

The NIA offers the following:

• Funding opportunities
• News Briefs
• Article Links

 

Social Work Leadership Institute (SWLI)
http://www.socialworkleadership.org/
“SWLI is a national program working to ensure that America’s older adults receive the care they need to stay in charge of their lives- and that caregivers also get the support they deserve”.

The SWLI provides:

• Policy Advocacy
• Education and Training
• Leadership Development
• Research
• SWLI Evidence Database

 

The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR)
http://www.sswr.org/
The SSWR is dedicated to the advancement of social work research. Members are comprised of faculty in schools of social work, research staff in public or private agencies, and masters/doctoral students.

The SSWR provides:

• An annual SSWR conference
• A SSWR newsletter
• A Subscription to one of the following journals: Research on Social Work Practice orSocial Service Review
• A membership directory
• Advocacy for social work research