Melissa McCool honored for innovations and leadership in social work

Melissa McCool, LCSW, has received the Joan Upshaw Award at the Society for Social Work Leaders in Health Care Conference for her innovations and leadership in social work. McCool is the developer of Symptom Targeted Intervention..

This award honors an individual who demonstrates the application of entrepreneurship or intrapreneurship principles in their role as a formal or informal leader in social work in health care, including identifying and starting new ventures, increasing the efficacy and efficiency of social work interventions, generating new social work products and services and advocating for the profession of social work.

Award criteria

Award recipients must demonstrate a commitment to diversity in their role as a leader in social work in health care, including strengthening efforts targeted at increasing diversity within social work in health care and employing practice interventions that promote cultural humility. The individual must demonstrate the following characteristics:

Innovative application of new thinking and practice in the arena of health care social work leadership

A commitment to promoting and advocating for social work in their role as a formal or informal leader in social work in health care, including growing practice opportunities for social workers

Enhance the public image of social work, and increase access to social work services for vulnerable populations

Demonstrate a mentorship for emerging social work leaders in health care

Offer opportunities for growth and development for social workers in their role as formal or informal leader in social work in health care