Social Worker, Hospice House
Hospice of the Western Reserve, Inc
1252 Croyden Road
Lyndhurst
OHUSA
44124
Biographical Sketch: Beth Shapiro, MSSA, LISW-S, ACHP-SW, has been a hospice social worker in an inpatient hospice facility for 10.5 years. She holds a Certificate in End-of-Life Care from Smith College, and is currently working on her PhD in clinical psychology. Ms. Shapiro did her field education work in a psychiatric emergency room and a level one trauma center. Both of her field placements allowed her to hone her crisis intervention skills. Ms. Shapiro has held an adjunct faculty position at Case Western Reserve University, Mandel School of Applied Social Science where she has taught courses on death and dying, and direct practice to social work students completing their master's training. Ms. Shapiro has also served as a field instructor for over 13 years to social work students at both the bachelor's and master's level.
Ms. Shapiro works daily with patients and families on issues related to end-of-life, such as food and fluids, grief and loss, advance care planning, legacy work, family dynamics, discharge planning, and funeral/memorial planning. She engages in crisis intervention, problem-solving, supportive counseling, and cognitive behavioral interventions with patients and families.
Ms. Shapiro also collaborates with members of the IDT and provides ongoing education to IDT members about family dynamics, cultural diversity, patient autonomy and self-determination, decision-making, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing and problem-solving to name a few.
Ms. Shapiro teaches within her agency and out in the community on a regular basis on the following topics in end-of-life care: ethics, palliative sedation, LGBT issues, advance care planning, boundaries, family dynamics, cultural diversity, and hospice 101. Ms. Shapiro was invited to offer her presentation on LGBT issues at end-of-life at the Pennsylvania Hospice Network Annual Meeting in 2009. Ms. Shapiro has also provided presentations at NHPCO's Clinical Conference and OHPCO.