Last year, Marjorie’s whole world fell apart when her mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Shortly after that, her sister-in-law was also unexpectedly diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. After losing both relatives, Marjorie sought out grief counseling, which is where she first heard of CancerCare. She called the Hopeline, and was connected with Kathy Nugent, LCSW, an oncology social worker in CancerCare’s New Jersey office. Through her individual counseling, Marjorie was able to process the grief she was feeling, as well as talk through the mental and physical toll of caregiving.

Each academic year, CancerCare welcomes students for a second-year field placement, who have an interest in the field of oncology social work. The internship program offers students an opportunity to expand their knowledge of the physical, emotional and spiritual impact of cancer on a person’s life. As part of National Social Work Month, we asked our current interns what skills they have gained while interning at CancerCare and what their favorite part of interning here was.

“The most rewarding aspect of my job is knowing that my clients are heard. It fills me with joy knowing I am making a difference in their lives by listening and empowering them every step of the way.”

March is Social Work Month! This is Part V of our “Celebrating Social Workers” Blog Series. CancerCare’s Social Worker, Lauren Chatalian, LMSW, shares her thoughts on the importance of oncology social workers for people living with cancer.

“Our role is to provide a safe space for children and teens to talk about their feelings and teach them coping strategies that might help during this difficult time”

March is Social Work Month! This is Part III of our “Celebrating Social Workers” Blog Series. CancerCare’s Director of Regional Programs, Kathy Nugent, LCSW, shares her thoughts on the importance of oncology social workers for individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one to cancer.

March is Social Work Month! CancerCare’s Director of Clinical Programs, William Goeren, OSW-C, LCSW-R, shares his thoughts on the importance of oncology social workers for LGBT individuals affect by cancer.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a breast cancer subtype, which is found in 10-20% of all breast cancer diagnoses each year. The name originates from tumors found in the breast that are estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative. In other words, TNBC tumors do not exhibit any of these three receptors. Although these tumors do not respond to receptor-specific treatments, they are typically responsive to chemotherapy.

March is Social Work Month! This is Part I of our “Celebrating Social Workers” Blog Series. CancerCare’s Clinical Supervisor, Sarah Kelly, LCSW, shares her thoughts on the importance of oncology social workers for older adults affected by cancer.

For the past three years, Mildre Gonzalez, of Norwalk, Conn., has played a vital role in educating the Latino community in Connecticut about cancer. As CancerCare’s Latino Outreach Worker, Mildre travels throughout the state to host workshops, provide wigs and prostheses to people undergoing cancer treatment, and spread the word about CancerCare’s free services.