Many people affected by cancer attended a free educational event on April 8, 2025, at Detroit's Third New Hope Baptist Church, hosted by the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute's Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE).
The event, Beyond the Diagnosis: Cancer and Disability Benefits, was held in partnership with the church and the Detroit Community Care Network (DCCN) and featured speakers from Wayne State University’s (WSU) Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer (LAPC) clinic.
The program covered important information about potentially available benefits, including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and short- and long-term disability through an employer.
“Cancer and cancer treatment can keep people out of work for weeks or months,” said Theresa Hastert, Ph.D., MPP, Population Studies and Disparities Research Program member at Karmanos, associate professor in the Department of Oncology at WSU, and an expert on the financial burden cancer can put on families. Hastert is the principal investigator for Michigan Community Outreach to Address Financial Toxicity (MI-COST), a partnership funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. MI-COST provides educational opportunities to help people navigate the financial impact of cancer.
She recommends events like Beyond the Diagnosis: Cancer and Disability Benefits to help those affected directly by cancer, as patients or caregivers navigate those burdens.
“Lost income is one of the most common financial concerns people with cancer face. Understanding disability benefits is one of the best ways to help people with cancer replace lost income during and after cancer treatment,” Hastert said.
Guest presenters for the event, which was also presented virtually via Zoom, included:
- Kathryn M. Smolinski, MSW, LMSW, JD, FAOSW, director, Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer, WSU Law School. Smolinski worked as an oncology social worker for 20 years before going to law school, and LAPC grew out of a fellowship she began as a third-year law student.
- Min Jian Huang, clinical programs staff attorney, WSU Law School. Huang has worked on public benefits, family law, estate planning, and landlord-tenant/real estate property law. At WSU, he was focused on immigration law and business law with an emphasis on social entrepreneurship.
- Nicholas Rossio, a graduate fellow at WSU Law School, said that working with LAPC helps him connect with the purpose of law school: making a real difference in someone's life.
Rossio and Huang started the event with information on state disability assistance, SSDI and SSI. Smolinski continued by helping attendees understand disability benefits that are available through some employers. The event wrapped up with a question-and-answer session.
LAPC is a medical-legal partnership between WSU Law School and Karmanos Cancer Institute through its Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE). Established in 2012, the group offers free legal services to low-income Karmanos patients and legal education to the Karmanos community. It also provides WSU Law School students the opportunity to, under the supervision of licensed attorneys, gain experience in real-life legal issues. Since 2020, LAPC has helped hundreds of cancer patients with legal matters covering insurance, housing, employee benefits, life planning, and public benefits.
Detroit Community Care Network is a faith-based organization that grew out of efforts by Third New Hope on Detroit’s west side. The group set out to support the church’s neighboring community and congregation with basic needs, including food, shelter and employment. However, DCCN’s success spread, and it quickly grew to encompass six member churches, all to support the health and well-being of the nearby communities. Today, DCCN includes Third New Hope and El Bethel Church in Redford, Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church in Westland, and in Detroit, Second Ebenezer Church, Oak Grove AME and Church of the Messiah Detroit.
COE monitors the cancer burden in Karmanos’ 46-county catchment area, which includes 16 Michigan cancer treatment centers. The office works to foster open communication between the communities Karmanos serves and the researchers conducting important work to improve cancer outcomes for the people in those communities. COE takes cancer prevention and support efforts to communities through educational presentations like Beyond the Diagnosis: Cancer and Disability Benefits, as well as screenings and other events. It also gives community members a look behind the research with programs like the Building Your Capacity training series, which prepares participants to partner with Karmanos scientists on cancer research projects.
If you missed this event but would like to learn more about COE’s other education events and regular community outreach, visit their webinar library for videos of previous presentations.