ESPEC Core
Presented By
A national training program for frontline health social workers to build core primary palliative care skills when caring for people with serious illness.
and
ESPEC Core is a national training program for health social workers to build essential primary palliative care skills. Our evidence-based curriculum integrates the eight domains of palliative care into best social work practice. ESPEC is based on consensus-derived primary palliative care competencies for social workers and the National Consensus Project Guidelines, providing participants with the resources necessary to deliver high-quality care.
Consensus-driven
The training curriculum for the ESPEC Core is built upon the National Consensus Project Guidelines, providing evidence-based skill building for social workers to deliver high-quality primary palliative care. Participants can earn 11.0 Social Work CE credits for the full program completion.
Curriculum Description
Course Overview:
ESPEC is a state-of-the-art curriculum that provides interactive coursework with engaging videos of patient and family encounters, highlighting best social work practices using the eight domains of palliative care as the framework.
Overall Learning Objectives:
-
Identify best practices for front-line health social workers to integrate key palliative care principles into their clinical work.
-
Recognize the knowledge base and practice skills necessary to pursue additional competency in palliative social work.
-
Apply the skills necessary for more effective interprofessional communication and increased visibility in the health social work role.
Training Model
Part I
8.0 Social Work CE
​
Fee: $200
Flexible, asynchronous curriculum featuring eight core domains of palliative care, designed to build foundational expertise in primary palliative social work.
Part II
3.0 Social Work CE
​
Fee: $100
This dynamic live seminar focuses on practical clinical implementation, enhanced communication strategies, and comprehensive psychosocial evaluation techniques. It is open exclusively to graduates of the Part I Self-Study module.
Three training sessions are scheduled for 2027
Option 1: March 27th, 2027 2:00-5:00pm ET
Option 2: September 16th, 2027 2:00-5:00pm ET
Option 3: December 9th, 2027 2:00-5:00pm ET
Part III
Clinical Support
​
Fee: No Cost to Those Who Completed Part I
Ongoing monthly mentorship sessions and community of practice to support the integration of palliative care competencies into daily social work clinical settings.
Deliverables
Instructional Slides
Evidence-based ready to use curriculum slides covering all essential domains of palliative care for social workers.
ESPEC Best Practice Guides
Consensus-derived Guides featuring primary palliative care social work competencies.Â
Instructional Videos
High-quality instructional videos demonstrating clinical skills and communication techniques in
real-world healthcare settings.
Tools & Resources
Practical clinical tools and resources specifically designed for frontline health social workers to use in the inpatient and outpatient settings.
Research & Publications
Access peer-reviewed publications that provide the evidence base for our national training curriculum.
“
The ESPEC Core program provides the foundational skills necessary for frontline health social workers to excel in primary palliative care environments.
— Social Work Professional
“
Hearing how other social workers integrate palliative care gave me the tools—and excitement—to grow this part of my own practice.
— Healthcare Social Worker
Continuing Education Credit Provided By:
University of Louisville Trager Institute (ASWB) Â
Target Audience & Levels
Educating Social Workers in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (ESPEC), [6736], is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the University of Louisville Trager Institute as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: [6/9/2026—6/9/2028]. Social workers completing this course receive 8 .0 total credits, including 5.5 clinical, 1 ethics, and 1.5 cultural competency Continuing Education Credits.
ESPEC in Action: Strategies for Enhanced Practice [6742], is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the University of Louisville Trager Institute as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: [6/2/2026—6/2/2028]. Social workers completing this course receive 3.0 clinical continuing education credits. Disclaimer: It is the responsibility of the attendee to check with their state board to determine if the ethics and/or cultural competency hours offered meet the regulations of their Board. Certificates of attendance and verification of credit will be issued to those who registered for CEs after completion of the online post-tests and course evaluations.
NYS SWK CE Provider Statement:Â MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of Continuing Education for licensed social workers #0242.
​
The training is designed for frontline health social workers and palliative social workers. Educational levels range from Basic to Advanced, covering foundational primary palliative competencies through comprehensive clinical skill application.
ADA Accessibility & Cancellation
The University of Louisville Trager Institute is committed to providing inclusive and accessible learning experiences for all participants. Reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Participants who require accommodations to fully engage in any learning activity are encouraged to contact the Trager Institute as early as possible to discuss their needs. Requests for accommodations may be submitted to especo@louisville.edu.
Grievance Policy & Contact
Participants with questions, concerns, or complaints related to an ASWB ACE continuing education learning activity may submit a written complaint to the University of Louisville Trager Institute at optedu@louisville.edu. All grievances are reviewed in accordance with ASWB ACE requirements, with involvement of the Social Work Consultant and, when applicable, the Interprofessional Curriculum Committee.
NYS SWK CE Provider Statement: MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of Continuing Education for licensed social workers #0242.
Completion Requirements
Modules/courses must be completed in their entirety. A posttest is required for recorded content. Participants must score 80% to pass the posttest (unlimited attempts). Certificates will be awarded at the completion of all modules and the course evaluation via the Learner Management System.
Cancellation Policy
We understand that circumstances may change. If you need to cancel your participation in the ESPEC program, please submit your cancellation request via email to especo@louisville.edu Â
Course Designations
- Cultural Competency
- Ethics
- Clinical/General
especo@louisville.edu