Empowering Social Workers in Palliative Care: ESPEC Hawai‘i 2026
A Three-Part Educational Series
November 2025- October 2026
ESPEC Overview
Hui Pohala is pleased to bring ESPEC to the Hawaiian Islands! Educating Social Workers in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (ESPEC) is an innovative, evidence-informed training program designed for social workers, by social workers, to promote the integration of primary palliative care skills into clinical practice. It is designed as a multi-part hybrid program building from the framework of the eight domains of palliative care identified by the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care. Using adult learning principles and developed in concert with instructional designers, the ESPEC curriculum includes interactive exercises, reflective questions, and resources for self-directed learning with engaging videos of patient and family encounters that integrate best social work practices. Please learn more at: ESPEC and the resources below.
Learning Objectives
- Identify best practices for social workers to integrate key primary palliative care principles into their clinical work.
- Recognize the knowledge base and practice skills necessary to pursue additional competence in primary palliative social work.
- Apply the skills necessary for leadership, effective interprofessional communication, collaborative practice, and as ESPEC trainers.
Dates & Locations
ESPEC is a state-of-the art curriculum providing 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. The Hawai‘i ESPEC curriculum consists of three parts. Learners must complete their online Part I before attending Part II. Part II is an in-person “live” event offered on each of the neighbor islands listed below:
| Island | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maui (incl Moloka’i and Lanai attendees) | 10/19/26 (Mon) | 8am-5pm (7:30am registration) | TBD |
| Hawai’i: Hilo (incl Kona attendees) | 10/21/26 (Wed) | 9am-6pm (8:30am registration) | TBD |
| O’ahu (incl Kaua’i attendees) | 10/23/26 (Fri) | 8am-5pm (7:30am registration) | TBD |
Event Organizers
This special Hawai`i ESPEC training opportunity is made possible by the generous support from the following organizations: Hui Pohala, NASW Hawai’i, and the Mits Aoki Legacy Foundation. We are pleased to announce that The Queen’s Health Systems, Always Best Care Senior Services, Borthwick Mortuary, and Malama Ola Health Services have also made generous donations to support this training. We welcome you and your organization to partner with us in making this event possible for social workers across our state. Please learn more at: (ESPEC) Sponsorship Opportunities.
Notable Presenters
The ESPEC program was developed as a partnership between the MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and the Social Work Hospice & Palliative Care Network (SWHPN). We are fortunate to have palliative care practitioners and researchers of ESPEC Ms. Shirley Otis-Green, MSW, MA, ACSW, LCSW, OSW-CE, FNAP, FAOSW and Dr. Myra Glajchen, DSW, MSW, BSW, ACSW, APHSW-C as your instructors. Please read more about the Facilitators.
Training
Part I: ESPEC Core: Self-Directed Online Training
This comprehensive self-paced training integrates the eight domains of palliative care identified by the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care into health social work practice. The training includes videos of patient and family encounters, interactive exercises, reflective questions, and resources for self-directed learning. Completion of Part I is a prerequisite for Part II participation.
Continuing Education Credits: 8.0 total CE hours in the following categories: 2.0 Clinical Social Work; 3.5 Pain and Symptom Management; 1.5 Cross-Cultural; 1.0 Ethics.
CEU verification will be provided to the participant immediately upon completion. Please print this CEU verification and bring to the Part II training.
Special Hawai‘i Participant Fee: Discounted to $125 (usually $150 for NASW Members / $200 for non-members)
Full scholarships are available for the 1st 50 social workers who have completed this training. Please send a copy of your CEU verification to PEACE@HuiPohala.org.
Part II: ESPEC Train-the-Trainer Workshop: Empowering Social Workers in Palliative Care
Learners must complete their online Part I before participating in Part II, which is a live, in-person, instructor-led training, designed to improve confidence and competence in key social work skills, advocacy, and leadership using clinical scenarios and group discussion.
This eight-hour workshop will focus on clinical skill development using the ESPEC Best Practice Guides to deepen high impact skills necessary for the delivery of quality serious illness care. The curriculum will be specifically tailored to the Hawai’i audience, with clinical scenarios reflecting Hawai’i’s diverse settings and populations.
Throughout the training, social work learners will develop knowledge in the application of adult learning principles and practice new skills in teaching and presenting to different audiences. Learners will receive constructive feedback and individualized coaching as they practice teaching using ESPEC content. Learners will leave the workshop with ready-to-use slides and specific implementation plans that lay the foundation for effectively integrating their newly acquired skills into their clinical practice and teaching portfolios.
Continuing Education Credits: 8.0 total CE hours in the general social work category
CEU verification will be emailed to the participant upon completion.
Fee: $125
A limited number of scholarships are available; please contact PEACE@HuiPohala.org.
Part III: ESPEC in Action: Monthly Mentorship
Learners who have completed Part I are invited and encouraged to participate in virtual mentorship sessions. Learners are welcome to participate in either/or/both options: a Hawai’i-exclusive mentorship session offered every other month in 2027 co-facilitated by Shirley and a national mentorship session offered every month facilitated by national ESPEC staff.
Attendees will focus on the implementation of practice skills and challenges facing front-line social workers, including case discussions. For the national session, please refer to the schedule on ESPEC and click on appropriate Zoom links. More information forthcoming for the local Hawai’i sessions.
Fee: No charge to participants who have completed Part I virtual training
Registration
ESPEC Part I Registration
Please enter ESPEC1HI2501 for special Hawai‘i pricing of $125. This code will be entered on the last checkout page. We kindly ask that you do not share this code with others, as it is a special rate negotiated and approved by NASW National for Hawai‘i’s training.
ESPEC Part II Registration
On the day of the live training, please arrive: 7:30-7:45 am (8:30-8:45 am for Hilo) to submit your CEU paper copy. The training starts promptly at 8:00 am (9:00 am for Hilo).
Scholarship
Through a generous donation from Hui Pohala, we are pleased to full scholarships of the ESPEC Part I 8-hour training to the first 50 social workers who provide a verification of the training completion. Here’s how to claim your scholarship:
- Register for the ESPEC Part I training through the link above
- Complete the 8-hour training
- Submit a copy of your CEU verification to PEACE@huipohala.org
Resources
Other Information
Cancellation Policy: Regrettably, refunds will not be issued for any cancellations of live, in-person training. Your registration may be transferred to someone else, who must have also completed the online Part I training session prior to attending the Part II session. CEU verification of the other participant must be provided.
Dress: Professional Casual
Students: Social work students are welcome to complete the Part I online training. Scholarships are available. Please contact PEACE@HuiPohala.org.
Other disciplines: All disciplines are welcome to complete the ESPEC Core Part I 8-hour online training through NASW. Priority for ESPEC Train-the-Trainer will be given to social workers. Other disciplines are welcome to attend Part II, as space allows. Continuing Education hours and scholarships are only available for social workers.
