AOSW Connections

The world of oncology treatment is changing right before our eyes. The advances in treatment, the sheer increase in survivorship numbers, the shift to more cancers being treated as a chronic illness, the increase in caregiver burden are some examples of these changes.

The Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) is seeking a new Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology (JPO) who will be officially responsible for the Journal from September 1, 2015 through December 31, 2020.
 

Whether you were there in person or joined the 2015 AOSW 31st Annual Conference from Seattle via webcast, I hope that you are energized and applying the take home messages of the presentations which embraced our theme of "Leading with Skill and Passion: Oncology Social Workers at the Forefront of Cancer Care.”

Recently, I made the transition from pediatric social work to adult oncology social work. When I tell people that I used to work in pediatrics they raise their eyebrows and smile indulgently, as if a pediatric hospital is a magical land of brightly colored walls and stuffed animals. While pediatrics and adult medicine differ, I feel that adult medicine can take a few tips from the realm of pediatrics.

There have been postings on Social Work Oncology Network (SWON) recently considering whom oncology social workers report to, and how to establish a base of support to ensure that our practice standards can be maintained. I was asked to describe how we have done so in our setting.

What began as ambivalence emerged into enlightenment. In the beginning, the academic woods of research seemed quite dim with overcast and fright. However, my love for learning and desire to be involved in research that would both stretch me as an individual and professional outweighed the fear. Therefore, I ventured into the woods, eager to gain a new perspective of a very challenging and rewarding specialty area in social work. It became a personal goal to learn from this research experience so the knowledge acquired could transcend my perception of this illness.

When Your Life is Touched by Cancer, by author Bob Riter, is a publication that promises guidance to oncology patients, family members and professional caregivers. There are similar books available, but this 132-page gem has much to set it apart from the others.  

Why did you become an oncology social worker?
I never had a plan to become an oncology social worker. I went to social work school to be “a therapist;” at that point I really had only the vaguest idea of what I wanted to do. I was working at the same time, doing my MSW studies at night, so I needed a convenient placement. I was lucky enough to get a placement where I worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Roz Kleban was my supervisor and I was at the breast center. At first, I didn’t like it. I had to untangle a lot of countertransference issues associated with deaths in my family from breast cancer. But once I started to really understand the work, the complexities and intensity of it, and connect to people, I felt like I was helping them. All of a sudden everything clicked in place and I was hooked for the first time. I experienced passion about my work. It is strange work that we do, as we know very well every time someone asks, “What do you do?”—and they run in the other direction. But we all know the work we do is really a privilege and completely life-affirming.

If you have ever been a board member of a nonprofit organization, you already know that the financial health of the organization is extremely important. It is a major mechanism for how the organization gets things done and reaches its goals. Financial discussions and planning, as in our own personal lives, can be daunting—even overwhelming.

Where do you currently work?
I am the sole oncology social worker at the Montana Cancer Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital. The center is an outpatient department of the hospital and our clinic sees around 800 new radiation and medical oncology patients a year. I am fortunate enough to cover both departments.
 

Greetings, AOSW members! As the Director-at-Large, I am responsible for the states in the Eastern Region, and I am also the liaison for AOSW’s Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

I picked up the book Zen Cancer Wisdom: Tips for Making Each Day Better by Daju Suzanne Friedman (2014). I was searching for a new perspective on psychosocial oncology that might be of assistance to the clients with whom I work. I discovered a book that is not only helpful for those with a cancer diagnosis, but also for their caregivers (both personal and professional) and the general population. Friedman was an immigration defense litigation attorney, an acupuncturist, herbalist, doctor of medical qigong therapy, and a Zen priest. She was once a cancer survivor and passed away peacefully at home in March 2014.