Senior Social Worker, Per Diem

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 46,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute seeks a Senior Social Worker, Per Diem, LICSW to deliver advanced psychosocial assessment and intervention for patients and families facing cancer. This role includes crisis response and short-term bereavement support within a multidisciplinary oncology team.

The position emphasizes collaboration with care teams, equity-focused advocacy, and provision of in-person and telehealth services across the care continuum.

Qualifications

• Advanced psychosocial assessment and intervention for patients and families.
• Crisis intervention and bereavement support.
• In-person and telehealth service delivery across care settings.

Responsibilities

• Provide biopsychosocial assessment and intervention to reduce cancer-related distress.
• Coordinate psychosocial services and consult with care teams.
• Lead complex illness conversations and goals of care discussions.
• Mentor/train new social workers and support staff.

Skills

Biopsychosocial assessment

Crisis intervention

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Group/family therapy

Bereavement support

Telehealth delivery

Advocacy for equity

Job description

As a member of the multidisciplinary oncology team, the Senior Social Worker, Per Diem, LICSW, provides an advanced level of 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.
• Responsible for completing an assessment that evaluates both the internal and external factors that impact the adaptation of families and caregivers to patient's illness and ensures maximum participation of patients/families/ caregivers in the continuum of care process.
• Provides highly skilled 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 providing consultation and support to interdisciplinary health care team.
• Initiates and leads collaboration with interdisciplinary team to manage psychosocial barriers that limit patients'/families'/caregivers' ability to access and/or engage in recommended medical care.
• Provides advanced education/ consultation regarding impact of cancer on patients and families/caregivers to community, and provides advanced 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; responsible for training/mentoring of others in this area.
• 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).
• At request of leadership, professionally represents the discipline of social work, the division of social work and POPC to internal and external stakeholders.
• Responsible for clinical training of newly hired social workers in both individual and group settings.
• Responsible for being highly engaged and leading annual divisional strategic planning and implementation.
• Responsible for identifying, implementing and mentoring in a specific area of clinical and/or leadership expertise to positively contribute to the needs of the division.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

Advanced knowledge of interventions for patients with psychosocial needs inclusive of mental health, behavioral health, emotional, relational, and other social needs.

Advanced knowledge of various behavioral health interventions related to common issues an