CALL FOR ABSTRACTS — 140th APHA Annual Meeting

Theme: Prevention and Wellness Across the Lifespan

Social Work

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, February 15, 2012

All individuals whose papers have been accepted for presentation MUST become Individual members of APHA and must register for the Annual Meeting in order to make their presentation. Submissions may be for poster, oral, or panel formats. Please note the desired format on the abstract form. Very few open timeslots will be available for consideration as a panel session. Panel session proposals must be submitted along with each individual presentation abstract. This complete package gives the reviewers more substance from which to judge the overall merits of the panel. Note: It is NOT possible for the program planner to change a poster session to an oral session or an oral session to a poster session. Written Abstracts of 250 words or less should be submitted. Submitted abstracts must include at least three specific learning objectives that focus on public health social work. Learning objectives are to be submitted along with the abstract for each presentation. Referral to web pages or URL's may not be used for abstracts. Always refer to your abstract by the assigned number for any and all inquiries. Below are suggested topics:

• Behavioral health issues across the lifespan
  
• Best practice strategies for prevention and wellness
  
• Community interventions in prevention
  
• Health care reform and its impact on social work practice
  
• Healthy aging
  
• Immigrant health
  
• Levels of prevention: primary, secondary, and tertiary
  
• Promoting and integrating healthy minds and healthy bodies across the lifespan
  
• Promoting intergenerational health and wellness
  
• Social Work education around prevention and wellness
  
• Strengthening access to care for at-risk populations
  

Poster Sessions: (60 minutes)

Poster presentations are visual/graphic displays of an author’s research. Presenting authors should arrive a few minutes early to set up their posters and should remain at their poster during the entire session. No more than 10 poster boards will be assigned to a poster session.

Oral/Panel Sessions: (90 minutes)

There are two types of oral presentations:

• Contributed Research Paper sessions: Five to six persons per session will present their research orally. Time will be allocated for a brief question and answer period at the end of all presentations.
• Panel Sessions: These are generally solicited sessions. The presenters must show expertise on pre-selected topics. The proposed session must open with a brief introduction of the speakers, followed by each panelist’s presentation. Time will be allocated for a brief question and answer period and the session generally concludes with a summation by the moderator. Each panel submission must contact the Program Planner prior to submission. Panel sessions are special and must contain the following:

1. An overall session abstract, which includes a rationale for the session, the proposed paper titles, author(s), order of presentation, and length of time for each person;
2. Clearly label the overall session abstract as “PANEL SESSION ABSTRACT – PROPOSED SESSION TITLE”. You must insert the title of the panel session on the electronic submission page form when entering your proposal;
3. The proposed moderator and discussant (if applicable);
4. Be sure that each individual proposed presentation submits a separate abstract under the same restricted “category” (session title), otherwise they may become lost in the shuffle; and
5. Place contact information (phone and e-mail) for the person in charge of the session directly on the overall session abstract for easy contact.