Clinical Social Worker

MFS Investments; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, located in Boston, seeks a skilled Clinical Social Worker, LICSW II, to provide biopsychosocial assessments and short-term interventions for cancer patients and families. You will join a multidisciplinary team delivering both in-person and telehealth psychosocial care across the cancer trajectory.

The role emphasizes crisis response, bereavement support, and collaboration with diverse care partners.

Qualifications

• MSW required with LICSW licensure or eligibility.
• 4 years of social work practice; oncology setting preferred.
• Experience with crisis response and bereavement support.
• Ability to work independently within a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Conduct biopsychosocial assessments and provide short-term interventions.
• Deliver crisis response, individual, couples, family, and group work.
• Coordinate psychosocial services and consult with the care team.
• Facilitate advanced care planning conversations and bereavement support.
• Maintain documentation in the EMR and participate in program development.

Skills

Biopsychosocial assessment

Crisis intervention

Individual therapy

Couples therapy

Family therapy

Group interventions

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Cultural humility/diversity

Clinical documentation

Telehealth/virtual care

Education

Master of Social Work

Tools

EMR

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY:
As a member of the multidisciplinary oncology team, and under minimal supervision, the Clinical Social Worker, LICSW II, provides highly skilled patient and family centered care through clinical psychosocial assessment and intervention, including crisis response, individual, couples, family, and group interventions, and short-term bereavement support.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides biopsychosocial assessment and intervention, crisis intervention, coordination of psychosocial services, and consultation, to reduce cancer-related distress and improve quality of life for patients, families, and caregivers across the trajectory of cancer care; this includes those patients seen for screening for high risk of developing cancer and/or a diagnosis of cancer through to end of life and/or survivorship in collaboration with community mental health partners.
• Assesses adaptation of families and caregivers to patient's illness and ensures maximum participation of patients/families/caregivers in the continuum of care process.
• Provides clinical interventions that are focused on cancer-related distress, are evidence based, goal oriented, strengths based, and short-term and episodic in nature to ensure patient equity and accessibility to social work interventions; modalities include individual, family, and group work.
• Identifies and addresses high-risk psychosocial factors as well as psychosocial strengths of patients/families/caregivers that impact health status, coping and adjustment (e.g., suicidal or homicidal risk, domestic violence, disabled, child or elder abuse and neglect, physical, developmental or intellectual disabilities, serious mental health conditions, etc.).
• Responsible for facilitating complex serious illness and goals of care conversations to ensure shared treatment decision-making and effective patient-physician communication.
• Responsible for identifying and communicating systemic inequities, their impact on patients, families, caregivers, and the community at large and providing recommendations for systemic change.
• Responsible for demonstrating commitment to diversity and equity efforts, including advocacy and self-education to advance knowledge base of the needs and concerns of underserved and marginalized populations.
• Communicates clinical assessment and recommendations and provides consultation and support to interdisciplinary health care team.
• Initiates collaboration with interdisciplinary team to manage psychosocial barriers that limit patients'/families'/caregivers' ability to access and/or engage in recommended medical care.
• Provides education/consultation regarding impact of cancer on patients and families/caregivers to community, and provides consultation, education, and program development (e.g., support groups, psychoeducational forums, etc.) within the disease-based or service-based team and in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team.
• Responsible for evidence-based facilitation of patient and/or family and/or caregiver support programs or groups.
• Provides in-person and/or telehealth services to patients and families/caregivers; method of communication (i.e., in person/phone/Zoom video) is based on clinical assessment.
• Provides clinical coverage in other social workers' absence(s).

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Highly skilled in knowledge of interventions for patients with psychosocial needs inclusive of mental health, behavioral health, emotional, relational, and other social needs.
• Highly skilled in various behavioral health interventions related to common issues and needs across the oncology continuum of care.
• Highly skilled in knowledge of interdisciplinary teamwork and team dynamics, scope of key partnerships and interprofessional roles.
• Highly skilled in knowledge of social work clinical psychosocial care concepts, practices, and policies with demonstrated ability to use them in varied situations.
• Highly skilled ability to facilitate understanding and resolution of problems related to patient/family/caregiver interpersonal conflict, mental health and/or substance use concerns or disorders.
• Highly skilled ability to provide guidance/ consultation to the team around complex patient management, including ethical issues.
• Highly skilled ability to facilitate patient and family/caregiver participation in oncology care, and to recommend and contribute to team and/or family/caregiver meetings.
• Highly skilled ability to make clinical decisions guided by experience, policies, consultation, and evidence-based practice.
• Highly skilled in actively facilitating team meetings related to care planning in the setting of disruptive/challenging patient/family/caregiver/support person behavior.
• Highly skilled in ability to understand and communicate information to interdisciplinary team, patients, families, caregivers, and community partners (e.g., agencies, professional organizations, etc.).
• Highly skilled in ability to be sensitive, responsive to, and advocate for the needs of diverse populations in the setting of serious illness; including but not limited to diversity in gender identity, age, culture, race, religion, socioeconomic status, abilities, and sexual orientation.
• Highly skilled ability to adjust to change within a fast-paced working environment and to be a role model for LCSW and LICSW I roles.
• Highly skilled ability to integrate professional ethical principles (e.g., confidentiality, boundaries) and adhere to relevant professional, departmental, and organizational standards for patient and family care.
• Highly skilled ability to write clear and complete biopsychosocial assessments, progress notes, and other forms of documentation in the EMR, keeping with Divisional and Institutional policies.
• Strong adherence to Social Work Division practice and administrative standards and policies (e.g., HIPAA, high-risk sign out, scheduling).

MINIMUM JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Education:

Master of Social Work

Minimum Experience:

4 years social work practice required; health care setting preferred with at least 2 years in an oncology setting or with oncology patients (other social work experience may substitute).