NASW and NASW Foundation Partner to Support Vaccine Decision-making by Social Workers, Clients
NASW and the NASW Foundation have partnered with the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute (HBRT) at The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work as part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded (CDC) initiative—"Connect to End COVID-19”--to support social workers and their clients in informed vaccine decision-making. NASW chapters also are involved.
Watch a one-minute introductory video about the Connect to End COVID-19 initiative:
Or listen to this NASW Social Work Speaks Podcast:
Estimated Length: 16-minutes Summary: Learn about Connect to End COVID-19, NASW's national CDC-funded initiative that helps social workers and their clients to make informed decisions about life-saving vaccines, with guest Anna Mangum, NASW's Deputy Director of Programs. Read the transcript here.
The effort seeks to engage the nation’s more than 700,000 social workers in boosting COVID-19 vaccine confidence, uptake, and access, particularly among populations with low vaccination rates and higher vulnerability to severe forms of infection.
The initiative includes an education campaign for social workers on COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness, barriers to vaccination (e.g., misinformation/disinformation, logistical challenges, psychological, etc.), and the role of social workers in promoting vaccination. It also includes trainings for social workers on facts and myths about the vaccines, as well as training in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT); motivational interviewing; and other evidence-based, culturally competent, public health- and social work-informed methods to help clients process health decisions.
Through reflective listening and other strategies, these methods support and honor the client’s right to make choices about their health, while centering science-based and accurate information.
HBRT also is collaborating with Michigan State University to develop a smartphone mobile application for social workers, which will provide accessible vaccine information, motivational interviewing strategies, screening questions, brief interventions, and effective vaccine messaging for real-time support. In addition, HBRT is partnering with the University of Chicago to develop messaging and evaluation efforts.