Robyn Golden. Photo courtesy of Rush University.
Robyn Golden, MA, ACSW, LCSW, Director of Population Health and Aging at Rush University Medical Center, explains the importance of advocacy in the current atmosphere.
“The policy and political environment, specifically around health care and social services, is particularly fraught right now due to the uncertainty of federal health care reform and the threat of cutting federal funding for a number of grants that today provide vital social supports and preventive health services to millions of Americans,” she said.
Golden will present a plenary session, The Evolving Role of Social Work in Improving Older Adults’ Health, during the upcoming NASW. Virtual Conference, Aging Through the Social Work Lens. The virtual conference is being livestreamed from NASW’s national office on Wednesday, June 14, and Thursday, June 15.
Changing societal demographics informed NASW’s selection of the 2017 Virtual Conference theme.
By the year 2030, one in five people in the United States will be 65 years or older. The aging of societies is a global reality and the dramatic increase in the number and diversity of older adults escalates the visibility of aging issues. As a result, all social workers, regardless of their area of practice, will need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to serve older adults and their families.
“NASW’s Virtual Conference provides a very timely and critical opportunity for us to come together as a social work community to identify our power and create plans for supporting individuals, families, and communities,” she said.
Golden says she looks forward to “sharing insights on social workers’ roles and impact in working with older adults and their families to improve health and well-being, including opportunities for continued growth as a profession.”
For more information on today’s trending topics related to social work in aging, you won’t want to miss #naswvc2017!
