Will Social Workers Be Replaced By Robots?

This 2-part online workshop Co-Sponsored by the NYAM Social Work Section and Informatics Workgroup will examine the potential benefits and dangers of artificial intelligence from the world perspective of social workers in health care. The workshop will be held in two sessions.

Session 1: 

Monday, October 21, 2024 @ 5:30pm
This session will feature Dr. Lauri Goldkind, Professor at the Fordham Graduate School of Social Service, and Dr. Laura Specter Sullivan, Associate Professor in Philosophy at Fordham University, who will provide an overview of the current and potential use of AI in the helping professions, including social work, psychology, psychiatry, and family counseling.

Session 2: 

Monday, October 28, 2024 @ 5:30pm
This session will be a panel discussion among experienced healthcare workers on the implications of AI for social workers and other healthcare professionals. We would like to invite you to lead this panel discussion, drawing on your expertise to guide the conversation and encourage participation from attendees.

Panelists: 

Maria Basso Lipani, VP at Mount Sinai,
Elizabeth Kerr, SW Manager, California
Jennifer Schwartz-Crawford, Aging Services, Westchester County

Moderator: 

Keith Richard Weiner, PhD, RN, NI-BC, Associate Director, Molloy University

Speaker Bios:

Lauri Goldkind, PhD, is a professor at Fordham University and the Editor of the Journal of Technology in Human Services. Her current research includes two strands: artificial intelligence in social work practice and data ecosystems in nonprofits.  She holds an M.S.W. from SUNY Stony Brook and a PhD from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University. She can be reached at goldkind@fordham.edu.

Laura Specker Sullivan, PhD, is a specialist in interdisciplinary and cross-cultural ethics in science, technology, and medicine. She is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University.

As Vice President of Care Management and Population Health, Maria Basso Lipani leads a team of dedicated, mission-driven social workers, nurses, and care coordinators that are aligned to Mount Sinai’s Clinically Integrated Network. The MSHP Care Management Team aims to find and assist patients at high risk for avoidable utilization. Care Managers meet patients in their homes, at their providers’ offices, and telephonically. 

In her 17 years at Mount Sinai, Ms. Basso Lipani has designed and led several initiatives to improve the experience of illness and care for vulnerable and underserved populations. Her team received multiple years of outcomes-based funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to support social work-led hospital transitions of care, and she has co-authored several publications and presented at numerous conferences on this body of work. Ms. Basso Lipani is a licensed clinical social worker in New York and California. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, she ran bereavement groups for widows and widowers of 9/11 and provided social work services to chronically and terminally ill patients at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco.

Elizabeth Kerr is a dynamic leader in the field of social work, serving as social work manager at El Camino Health in Mountain View California where she spearheads initiatives in psychosocial care. With a Master’s degree in Social Work from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada and advanced training as a Leadership Fellow from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work.  Elizabeth has built a distinguished career as an oncology and palliative care social worker. Her expertise is further demonstrated through her collaborations with Stanford University on oncology research (BOOM heart study with Dr. Alice Fan, Financial Toxicity with Dr. Parikh) and her frequent presentations as national conferences. As a board member of the Northern California American Case Management Association (ACMA), she remains at the forefront of advancing social work practices and improving patient outcomes. 

Jennifer Schwartz-Crawford, LMSW, ASW-G, CDP is a Program Administrator (Aging) at the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services. She assists in the administration and development of Telehealth Intervention Programs for Seniors (TIPS) Wrap-Around Services and Livable Communities Programs. Ms. Schwartz-Crawford came to the department as a second-year graduate student while pursuing her Master of Social Work. She was hired as a consultant upon her graduation in 2014, before becoming an employee of the county. As one of her many roles, she is certified as a SIFI (Seminar in Field Instruction) allowing her to mentor and supervise social work students. In addition, she currently serves on Family Services of Westchester’s Junior Board and is a founding member of the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Young Professionals Alzheimer’s Council.

Keith Richard Weiner PhD, RN, NI is a cybersecurity professional, researcher, and professor with 25 years of informatics experience including over a decade in information security leadership positions.

He chairs the advisor board of Metropolitan College of New York and the Informatics Group for the New York Academy of Medicine where he is a fellow.

In addition to contributing to several award-winning books and publications, Keith continually offers presentations at both research and industry association conferences. He has also served on an editorial board and contributed as a peer reviewer for several journals.

In his spare time, Keith plays several musical instruments, produces music videos, and is constantly exploring new technologies.