Social Work & Case Management Services

How We Can Help

For patients with a new cancer diagnosis, an oncology social worker can:

• Provide emotional support in dealing with a new diagnosis
• Help with decision making and advance care planning
• Make referrals to community resources
• Present suggestions for helping patients and their families achieve and regain a sense of control in their lives.

For patients with advanced disease, the oncology social worker can:

• Help provide decision making around end-of-life issues
• Provide ongoing support, comfort and resources for patients and their families

Social work services include:

• Adjustment to illness/crisis counseling and support
• Support groups/educational workshops
• Information and referrals to community resources and programs (i.e., transportation, housing, financial, legal, Medicaid/Medicare, SSI/SSD)
• Assistance with decision making and problem solving (i.e., advance care planning, guardianship, placements)
• Advocacy

Care management services include:

Care Management Specialists (CMS) are registered nurses (RNs) who work hand-in-hand with patients, their families, caregivers, medical staff and the community. A CMS makes certain that an appropriate plan of care is developed to meet the homecare needs of Karmanos patients. Most times, a CMS works with a social worker to address complex patient care needs. 

• Communicating and collaborating with your multidisciplinary team to address specialized and/or complicated patient care needs
• Coordinating and facilitating home care, IV infusion and durable medical equipment needs of patients when referred by a member of the multidisciplinary team
• Working with insurance companies to solidify plans to meet the patient’s homecare needs
• Educating patients, families and caregivers regarding the importance of following the plan of care

For more information about Karmanos’ Care Management Services, please call 1-800-KARMANOS, or email [email protected].