AOSW Connections

I’d like to begin this column by congratulating our newly elected Board members—President-elect Tara Schapmire, PhD, CSW, CCM, OSW-C, Education Chair Chelsea Kroll, MSW, LGSW, OSW-C, and Director-at-Large Jane Dabney, LISW-S, OSW-C. It takes courage to put yourself out there and run for any office, let alone one that is amongst colleagues and friends. To all who ran, thank you for your ongoing commitment to, and support of, AOSW.

Progress is not automatic. The world grows better because people wish that it should, and take the right steps to make it better. — Jane Addams

Everyone’s experience with a brain tumor is different, but there are many common themes and issues that are similar for patients and their caregivers. Caregiving needs are often complicated by neurocognitive, behavior and personality changes. Some patients experience memory loss, visual impairments, attention deficits and may have difficulty processing information. For example, a patient with a brain tumor may not be able to be responsible for their own medication management due to issues with memory and no concept of time. This can create conflict between the patients and their caregivers, as the loss of independence is a common concern. Often there are lower levels of quality of life for this patient population and their caregivers compared to other types of cancers. Caregivers often receive little support as “the focus is on the patient, the emotional aspects of caregiving often go unnoticed and unsupported” (Schubart, Kinzie & Farace, 2008, p. 70).

Since the advent of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) under Medicare, health care has become increasingly regulated. Competition for health care dollars drives the focus on throughput. Health care organizations have flattened their structures, collapsing social work departments into care coordination departments. Departments have been decentralized and later merged with Utilization Review Nurses, and then Nurse Case Managers. Social workers often work alongside nurses, and may also report directly to nursing leadership. The social work voice at the level of hospital administration may be more likely to represent Case Management, with emphasis on the discharge role.
 

Our Spirituality SIG members enjoyed meaningful time of connection at the 2016 AOSW Annual Conference. We shared a mutual perception that the space for and acceptance of the role of spirituality in health care practice has seemed to grow significantly in the past few years. This was evident within our own group, with an upward trend in the number of presentations relating to spirituality.

At first glance, it may appear that oncology social work and public health research are not at all related. To greatly simplify, the former is primarily concerned with the psychosocial and health concerns of individuals and small groups, while the latter’s primary focus is the health and well-being of populations of people. Of course, social workers are trained to start where the client is, but how broadly do we interpret that imperative? How many of us were educated well on the psychological aspects of mental health, but not as well on the sociological aspects of health, illness and wellness? It’s true that over the decades, the education and practice of social work clinicians and the public health practitioners have grown apart, but if we trace the origins of both medical social work and public health, we will find that we share grandparents.

We are thrilled to announce the addition of a new SIG Co-coordinator, Meghan Fitzgibbons, MSW, LGSW. Meghan works for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Mayland, as a Patient Navigator for young adult active duty and military dependents facing cancer.

Hilary Cohen, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, CTS, DVC(111)
Winship Cancer Institute
Atlanta, Georgia

No it’s not a misprint. CaRE is Cancer Rehab and Exercise, a joint venture of the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute (Lancaster General Health/Penn Medicine) and the YMCAs of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

One of my favorite aspects of being part of AOSW is the endless supply of inspiration that comes from our members. The work we do is challenging and uplifting and creative and painful and deep. As an avid SWON reader, I love reading about the challenges we face and the successes we have as a result of the support and encouragement from our colleagues. I see the Kudos column as an extension of our SWON community. It is a way for us to share our hard work and, I hope, to remember to acknowledge the depth of knowledge and skills that is circulating among our members.