Council of Nephrology Social Workers of the National Kidney Foundation
Program Overview
The last decade has brought multiple changes in the delivery of care to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the profile of the nephrology social worker, like other members of the dialysis care team, has changed in response to a new health care climate. The National Kidney Foundation's Council of Nephrology Social Workers Refocusing Nephrology Social Work: An Outcomes Training Program (OTP) consists of 20 training modules that support the expanded nephrology social work role in improving treatment outcomes for patients with CKD.
The Refocusing Nephrology Social Work: An Outcomes Training Program Video Series was recorded during live presentations of several OTP sessions at NKF's Clinical and Professional meetings through 2001. Each OTP module in the video series is a "stand alone" presentation, which facilitates the use of any of these modules for individual, group or local CNSW chapter training. Continuing education unites for each module are available through NKF's CNSW, which has been approved by the Association of Social Work Boards to provide continuing education for social workers. Certificates of completion are available to regular CNSW members. A regular CNSW member is defined as a member who has an MSW and who provides direct and/or indirect ESRD services according to the federal mandate.
Currently available modules include:
- Module 1: Introduction to Outcomes-Driven Nephrology Social Work Practice/Facilitating Adjustments to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) to Improve Treatment Outcomes (PDF* download)
Objective: Participants will understand the concept of disease management and the important role of the nephrology social worker in enhancing positive treatment outcomes related to quality of life, survival, adherence, patient satisfaction with care; identify the three phases of adjustment to progressive chronic kidney disease and the intervention goals of each phase, as well as specific interventions to enhance treatment outcomes. (Currently available on VHS or DVD) - Module 2: Outcomes Driven Nephrology Social Work Practice: Modality Education, Rehabilitation and Documentation (PDF* download)
Objective: Participants will understand the role of the nephrology social worker in enhancing patient outcomes based on KDOQI; utilize quality of life instruments and apply their measurements to the treatment planning process; identify five components of successful rehabilitation; become familiar with internet resources for renal professionals and patients. (Currently available on VHS or DVD) - Module 17: Designing and Delivering Interventions to Improve Adherence - New Continuing Education Program Available Online
Objective: Participants will understand cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic and paradoxical approaches to behavior change and are able to facilitate family and team inclusion in interventions.
Modules coming soon include:
- Module 3: Understanding the Epidemic of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)/Improving Adherence Behavior/Preventing and Reducing Depression/Patient Education About Treatment Options and Modality Selection
Objective: Participants will understand the contributing factors to the epidemic of cardiovascular disease in CKD patients and how adherence behavior relates to CVD outcomes; focus on social work interventions that are directed toward improving adherence behavior; develop screening systems and brief interventions that identify and reduce depression to enhance treatment outcomes in the CKD patient; utilize tools to measure the ongoing effectiveness of social work interventions to improve adherence behavior and reduce depression in the CKD patient. - Module 4: Working in a Corporate Environment/Social Work Case Management Tools
Objective: Participants will develop an effective proposal to improve the delivery of social work services in the environment in which they work; understand the role of the social worker in improving treatment outcomes through the CQI process; identify several options for managing the disruptive patient; apply case management tools to effectively manage multiple tasks, a variety of resources and limited time. - Module 5: Conducting a Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
Objective: Participants will become familiar with in-depth interview techniques to identify biopsychosocial strengths and barriers to treatment outcomes and will be able to formulate an individualized psychosocial care plan to facilitate adaptation to illness. - Module 6: Assessment and Management of the Patient With Altered Mental Status
Objective: Participants will be able to assess and design care plans for CKD patients with dementia, chronic mental illness and substance abuse problems as well as design education and support for caregivers of CKD patients with these issues. - Module 7: Providing Protective Services
Objective: Participants will be able to assess patients and families for abuse and harm to self or others as well as become familiar with issues of conservatorship, guardianship, and termination of treatment. - Module 8: Marital and Family Counseling to Enhance Patient Adaptation to Illness
Objective: Participants will become familiar with psycho-educational and other brief interventions with couples and families including communication training, problem solving and negotiation, and family stress management. - Module 9: Using Biopsychosocial Instruments to Enhance Assessment, Design Effective Interventions and Monitor Treatment Outcomes
Objective: Participants will become familiar with quality of life instruments, depression inventories and mental status exams, and understand how to use these tools to design interventions and monitor outcomes. - Module 10: Providing Case Management Services
Objective: Participants will learn leadership and group facilitation skills to provide case management services on behalf of the multidisciplinary team when psychosocial problems are identified as a primary barrier to effective treatment outcomes. - Module 11: Assessing Cultural Barriers and Designing Effective Care Plans
Objective: Participants will learn to assess and design care plans that accommodate patient and family cultural variables to maximize treatment outcomes. - Module 12: Responding to End-of-Life Issue
Objective: Participants will be able to provide education and support regarding advance directives, termination of treatment and brief, focused bereavement counseling to a patient's surviving family and/or significant other. - Module 13: Delivering Patient Education Interventions that Improve Treatment Outcomes
Objective: Participants will understand the importance of assessing for and adapting materials to meet the patient and family learning styles, educational and literacy level, cultural background, lifestyle and environment. Additionally, participants will understand the importance of providing patient and family psycho-education to lessen the impact of illness-related stresses and will understand the importance of and become familiar with models of CKD education prior to the need for renal replacement therapy. - Module 14: Developing Individualized Plans for Rehabilitation
Objective: Participants will become familiar with current models for rehabilitation of the CKD patient and will be able to design interventions to achieve and measure patient rehabilitation outcomes. - Module 15: Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration and Teaching
Objective: Participants will understand how to recommend collaborative interventions to the treatment team, teach formal classes to staff, lead the multidisciplinary team as case managers when psychosocial barriers impede treatment outcomes, mediate patient-staff conflicts, improve patient satisfaction with care, and assist the treatment team in managing stress and preventing burnout. - Module 16: Interventions that Identify and Reduce Depression
Objective: Participants will be able to enhance early identification of depression and become familiar with the use of psychodynamic and cognitive interventions for brief therapy as well as assess for psychotropic medications and work collaboratively with psychiatrists who prescribe medication for CKD patients. - Module 18: Facilitating Support, Psycho-educational, and Brief Therapy Groups
Objective: Participants will learn how to select appropriate patients and families for group treatment, to collaborate with physicians to secure attendance, to effectively facilitate the stages of a treatment group, to use groups to intervene with substance abuse behavior and to monitor group outcomes. - Module 19: The Nephrology Social Worker's Role in Continuous Quality Improvement
Objective: Participants will understand how to develop social work indicators, to review the efficacy of psychosocial interventions, to utilize practice outcome measurement and to design strategies to improve psychosocial interventions. - Module 20: Putting It All Together: Outcomes-Driven Nephrology Social Work in Practice
Objective: Participants will understand the broad scope of nephrology social work services, learn to market their social work skills and design proposals for administrators. Participants will understand the culture of the corporate environment and the importance of peer support and mentoring.
Each module of the Refocusing Nephrology Social Work: An Outcomes Training Program available on video is designed in a separate program package that includes information on how to offer a successful video presentation. It includes a 1.5 to 2-hour module-specific VHS tape and templates of all necessary tools and materials, including a detailed participant workbook. For more information, please contact the National Kidney Foundation's KLS CME/CE Activities Manager at (800) 622-9010, ext. 163.
How to order
You can printout (PDF* download) an order form, or contact the National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Learning System Project Manager at (800) 622-9010, ext. 163.
