Clinical Oncology Social Worker

Clinical Oncology Social Worker

Join to apply for the Clinical Oncology Social Worker role at Oregon Health & Science University.

Base pay range: $42.32/hr - $58.12/hr the pay will be based on skills and experience.

The Oncology Clinical Social Worker may support patients who have experienced a cancer diagnosis and their support people inpatient at OHSU Hospital. Social workers in this role will support adult cancer patients under the care of a physician at the Knight Cancer Institute and may fluctuate between inpatient and outpatient services. The OCSW will complete assessments, provide resources, and offer emotional/behavioral support for patients receiving medical oncology services and their support people.

The OCSW may attend care rounds, care conferences, or other disease-specific team meetings as appropriate. Individuals will be expected to cross‑cover for each other for planned and unplanned absences within the work unit. Individuals may meet with patients and their support people in hospital rooms, consult rooms, virtually, or by telephone.

The Oncology Clinical Social Worker (OCSW) is a mental/behavioral health clinician who operates as a core member of a multi‑disciplinary oncology team. The OCSW offers social work intervention through direct treatment and/or coordination of needed services to patients and/or their families experiencing psychosocial adjustment difficulties associated with illness, injury, disability, and related hospitalization. Interventions may include biopsychosocial assessment, brief supportive counseling, care coordination, information/resource referrals, crisis intervention, and patient/support person advocacy.

The primary goal of the intervention is to assist patients in achieving maximum physical and psychosocial functioning, using evidence‑based interventions targeted at improving health and well‑being for a variety of patients. The OCSW also provides mental health support for patients’ support persons as they navigate adjustment to the patient’s illness, advanced care planning, palliative care needs, and other difficult decisions related to cancer diagnosis/care, also providing grief/bereavement support when appropriate.

• Conduct psychosocial evaluations of patients/support persons to identify needs and areas of support, including but not limited to: adjustment to cancer diagnosis, care coordination, mental health status, barriers to treatment process, substance use, child or elder abuse/neglect, intimate partner violence concerns, financial concerns, and resource needs.
• The OCSW may participate in treatment team meetings or care conferences as the behavioral health clinician to support treatment planning.

• Refer patient/support person(s) to resources within and outside the hospital for assistance (e.g., financial, housing, transportation, insurance, prescription assistance).
• Act as an advocate for patients within the medical setting and the community.
• Maintain knowledge of community resources for oncology patients.
• May interact with the oncology social work specialist for assistance.

• Provide brief short‑term, evidence‑based clinical behavioral health interventions to patients and/or their support persons in health care settings.
• Coordinate transition to long‑term counseling support in the community for patients requiring long‑term follow‑up.
• Provide counseling to reinforce patients’ strengths and assist them in coping with a cancer diagnosis.
• Counsel patients to assist them in decisions related to treatment options and educate patients regarding anticipated social or emotional impacts of treatment.
• May participate in urgent situations by providing crisis intervention services to patients and/or their support persons.
• May also conduct group work including support group facilitation to patients, caregivers, and/or staff.

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of patient care activities in an efficient manner per department policies and workflows to ensure continuity of care.

• A Master’s Social Work (MSW) required.
• Certificate of Clinical Social…