Advance care planning: Conversations worth having
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Social Work
The Department of Social Work has licensed clinical social workers who work directly with patients and caregivers as part of the multidisciplinary team. They are available to help patients and caregivers cope with the impact and changes that result from a diagnosis of cancer.
Services are free, can be provided in person or over the phone, and do not require a referral from a physician or medical team.
You may want to speak with your social work counselor if you have questions or concerns about:
- feeling overwhelmed
- adjusting to your diagnosis
- how your life is changing
- advance care planning
- not feeling safe at home
- the financial impact of your illness/treatment
- intimacy, sexuality and relationships
- talking to your children about your diagnosis
- transitions in care
Counseling
A cancer diagnosis can mean increased distress for patients and their loved ones. Highly skilled and professionally trained in counseling, clinical social workers provide short-term counseling free of charge to patients and caregivers.
Counseling services include:
- Adjustment to diagnosis and treatment
- Coping with life changes
- Relaxation and mindfulness
- Advance care planning
- Crisis intervention
- Grief and loss
- Sexuality and intimacy
- Relationship safety
- Talking to children/teens whose parents have cancer
CLIMB: Children's Lives Include Moments of Bravery
KIWI: Kids Inquire, We Inform - Couples/family
- Support groups
Advance Care Planning
Advance care planning is a process that helps you express your values, goals and wishes as they relate to your health care. The process involves:
- Thinking about what is important to you
- Discussing your values and goals
- Recording this information
- Requesting that your medical team and your medical power of attorney honor your goals and wishes
- Reviewing this information periodically
Social work counselors provide support and assistance to patients and/or caregivers in several aspects of advance care planning including:
- Communication with team
- Treatment decisions
- Advance directives
- Legacy planning
Resource Linkage
MD Anderson clinical social workers serve as a liaison between patients, the health care system and the community. Based on your specific needs, your social worker will help identify appropriate resources, including:
- Community resources (including housing, transportation, and other practical concerns)
- Financial counseling
- Employment
- Health insurance
- Safety (abuse, neglect, exploitation)
Memorial Service
Social Work conducts one annual adult memorial service for families, friends, hospital staff and the community to commemorate the lives of those they have lost.
For more information, call 713-792-6195.
Training for Graduate Students
The Social Work Internship program offers field placement opportunities to second-year Master of Social Work students. The program provides the highest quality hands-on learning experience, preparing students to enter the social work profession with confidence in their skills and knowledge.
Students pursuing the MSW degree
MD Anderson has both inpatient and outpatient social work settings. Opportunities for enhancing clinical, documentation, and interpersonal skills as a social work practitioner are available in both areas.
MD Anderson also offers practicum opportunities in Social Work administration. These students carry a limited clinical caseload and are involved in areas including program evaluation, policy and procedure development and review, and/or grant location and writing.
All students are required to participate in a departmental orientation program, and are then assigned to the service of their Field Instructor. Students are required to be in the field three days a week for two semesters for a consecutive placement, or five days a week for one semester for a block placement. During their experience, students participate in an interdisciplinary team approach to care, including patient teaching, planning conferences and chart rounds with physicians, nurses and other team members.
Staff development presentations are offered within the Social Work department. Students are expected to present at one staff development meeting. Weekly brown bag presentations on various topics are offered, and there are other opportunities to attend continuing education presentations within the institution.
Students seeking this placement should be independent and able to function with some degree of autonomy once established within their service. We promote the choosing of a learning experience, which would move students toward realizing their professional educational goals.
The Clara B. Smith Training Center
The Clara B. Smith Training Center was established in honor of Clara Blackford Smith of Denison, Texas. Mrs. Smith was a longtime friend and benefactor of the Social Work department, frequently contributing financial support for indigent patients and training institutes for Social Workers throughout Texas.
The grant provides funds for student stipends for second-year Master of Social Work (MSW) or Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) students who either are in a health care specialization or have a strong interest in health care social work.
Social Work in Cancerwise
Whether you're a patient or a caregiver, cancer treatment is
stressful. But our social work counselors can help.
At MD
Anderson, each patient is assigned to a social work counselor. These
licensed clinical social workers help patients, their family and
friends cope with cancer. They also can help you deal with
psychological or social concerns you face during and after
treatment.
Here are a few ways our social work counselors
can help.
- Navigate MD Anderson. When you first arrive at MD Anderson, it can be confusing to learning how things work and whom to contact for certain concerns. Our social work counselors can help guide and connect you to the right group of people, whether it's your medical team, Patient Travel Services, Case Management or the Business Center.
- Identify financial resources. Our social work counselors can help with locating and accessing financial resources for cancer treatment. This includes programs for dealing with employment concerns during cancer, home care, local lodging and transportation.
- Offer counseling and support groups. Our social work counselors provide short-term counseling free of charge. They can help you cope with your diagnosis, grief and loss, or changes in your life and relationships. They also can help you find a support group that's right for you. MD Anderson offers more than 600 hours of support group time each year. If you don't live in Houston, our social work counselors can help you find a support group close to home.
- Provide counseling for your friends and family. Social workers aren't just here for our patients. In fact, sometimes they spend even more time with caregivers and loved ones. Social work counselors help caregivers with a variety of things, from coping with the patients' diagnosis to making time for themselves to coordinating a support network. Social work counselors also can guide you through talking to children about cancer and cancer treatment.
- Assist with advance care planning. Advance care planning is the process of communicating information about a patient's diagnosis, treatment options, life goals, values and wishes. The only way to ensure that you have a voice in your future care is to talk with your loved ones and complete the legal documents that make your values and wishes known. Our social work counselors are here to walk you through the process and answer your questions.
Contact MD Anderson's Department of Social Work at 713-792-6195,
or tell your nurse or doctor that you would like speak with a social
work counselor.
Stress is the body’s physical, emotional, and psychological response to any demand. Unfortunately, it’s a part of daily life, especially for cancer patients and caregivers.
But if you don’t actively manage your stress, it can become chronic and adversely affect your health and cancer treatment.
Fortunately, relaxation techniques can help you cope with everyday stress. Meditation is one basic technique that is easy to learn and easy to do.
Meditation can help cope with stress
Meditation is the practice of focusing on what’s going on in the present moment with no judgment and lots of acceptance. It frees us from stress of the past and future by bringing the present moment into focus. When we focus on the present, we are better able to identify what we are feeling, sensing and thinking.
Some people think that meditation requires sitting on a mat in a completely quiet room with absolutely no thoughts running through your head. For some people, that is possible. But for the majority of us, that just isn’t realistic. That’s OK because:
- You don’t need to be on a mat. You can be anywhere.
- You don’t need complete silence -- although the fewer distractions, the better.
- Thoughts are always going to be running through your head. Acknowledge them, tell them you will come back to them later, and refocus on your breath and body. Don’t let it discourage you.
As you practice focusing on the present, your sense of awareness both of yourself and of the world around you will also grow. Among other benefits, people who practice medication report that they become more aware of small everyday miracles and the beauty of life.
How to meditate
If you’re interested in trying meditation, follow these five steps.
- Breathe. Simply remembering to breathe consciously in the moment. Take some full, deep breaths. Completely fill your lungs, expand your abdomen, let it out and then do it all again. This is known as belly breathing, and it can help bring your heart rate down to a resting rate.
- Relax. Consciously relax every single muscle in your body, one by one. Your deep belly breathing will support this process. Conscious relaxation helps to break up tightness and resistance in the body and mind.
- Feel. Focus inward, on your body, on all of the sensations you are feeling. Ask yourself, “Where in my body is the feeling or sensation coming from? What does the sensation feel like? Are there any patterns that I recognize?”
- Observe. This is the part where you step outside of yourself and just stand at the center of experience. You just observe without any judgment of what you see or feel. As you become absorbed in being the observer, you allow yourself the freedom to observe your experience from the outside.
- Allow. Now you take everything you have done, and let go. Let go of control and allow life to happen. Jump into the river of life, and let it carry you where you need to go.
No matter what relaxation technique you use, all of them require practice. Some of these concepts are new and take time to absorb, so be patient with yourself.
Make time for meditation every day
Most stress experts recommend setting aside at least 10 to 20 minutes a day for relaxation. If that sounds daunting, remember that you can spread your 10-20 minutes of meditation throughout the day and incorporate them into your daily schedule. Practice:
- In the shower
- On the bus during your commute
- At your desk while eating lunch
- While waiting in the clinic
Next time you’re confronted with a difficult emotional moment, give meditation a try. You’ll be glad that you did.
Get help at MD Anderson
If you are a patient at MD Anderson, our
Social Work Counselors can introduce you to
progressive relaxation techniques, including meditation. We also offer
counseling and support groups at no cost to patients and
caregivers.
For more information on relaxation, counseling, or support groups, contact the Department of Social Work at 713-792-6195, or tell your nurse or doctor that you would like speak with a Social Work Counselor.
A cancer support group is a safe place to share your experiences and connect with others facing the same challenges. It gives you the space to connect with others dealing with cancer, talk openly about your feelings, receive practical advice, share resources and contacts, better understand and be able to describe your experience and develop coping skills.
Studies have shown that support groups can reduce isolation, anxiety and stress. They can also improve mood, self-image and the ability to cope.
With all of these benefits, you’d think that attending a cancer support group would be a no-brainer. But some people find the idea a little intimidating. And that’s totally normal. It can be nerve-wracking to put yourself in new situations, introduce yourself to new people and especially to face experiences you haven’t been able to process yet.
Decide what you’re looking for in a cancer support group
To get the most out of a cancer support group, it’s important to find the right one for you. Here are a few questions to answer before attending one:
- What type of support are you looking for? Some support groups are more social in nature. Their purpose is to connect people with shared experiences in a casual environment. Other support groups are more talk-therapy based, and focus on helping group members process their experiences.
- Who are you wanting to get support from? Some support groups are geared towards patients and/or caregivers dealing with a specific diagnosis, while others are open to all diagnoses. There are also support groups that are for both patients and caregivers, patients only, caregivers only, young adults, kids of patients and patients with metastatic cancer.
- What setting works best for you? Many hospitals and cities offer in-person support groups, but not all of them do. If meeting in person isn’t an option for you, consider an online group. Those may be in the form of a message board, a chat room or even a phone app. You may even consider joining myCancerConnection , MD Anderson’s one-on-one support program for patients and caregivers.
- If you are being treated away from home, what location are you most likely to attend a group in? If you spend most of your time at home, it might be best to find a group close to where you live. If you spend most of your time in Houston or another city for treatment, it might be more convenient to find a group close to that city or hospital.
How to find a support group
Once you have an idea of what you’re looking for, here are a few ways to find a cancer support group:
- Ask your social work counselor. All MD Anderson patients have an assigned social work counselor who can help with all sorts of things, including selecting a support group. In fact, we social work counselors facilitate many of our support groups. If you’ve never met with your MD Anderson social work counselor before, ask someone on your care team to put you in touch.
- Go online. You can find a list of cancer support groups on MD Anderson’s website, or use the American Cancer Society’s online search tool to find programs and services in your area.
- Ask around. Sometimes other patients and caregivers can be especially helpful when it comes to finding support groups and other valuable resources.
Be open-minded
Before you attend your first --- or even second or third – cancer support group session, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Get the scoop from the facilitator. If possible, contact the group facilitator in advance to ask any questions and get a better understanding of how group works. Knowing what to expect will help you feel more comfortable and prepared.
- Attend the same group at least three times. Every group is different and every group meeting is different, so go to the group at least three times before you decide it isn’t a good fit. You might be surprised at how the group grows on you over time.
- Keep an open mind. The other group members may be different from you, and sometimes that’s actually a really good thing. The group may really need your perspective, experience, knowledge, etc. and you could really benefit from theirs. Everyone is unique and has a unique contribution.
- Don’t be afraid to try again. If the first group isn’t a good fit for you, try another one! Every group is so different, so it’s important to keep trying until you find one that provides the support and comfort you seek.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.