Clinical Social Worker, Program Specialist

• Provides biopsychosocial assessment and intervention, crisis intervention, coordination of psychosocial services, and consultation, to reduce cancer-related distress and improve quality of life for patients, families and caregivers across the trajectory of cancer care; this includes those patients seen for screening for high risk of developing cancer and/or a diagnosis of cancer through to end of life and/or survivorship in collaboration with community mental health partners.
• Assesses adaptation of families and caregivers to patient’s illness and ensures maximum participation of patients/families/caregivers in the continuum of care process. 
• Provides clinical interventions that are focused on cancer-related distress, are evidence based, goal oriented, strengths based, and short-term and episodic in nature to ensure patient equity and accessibility to social work interventions; modalities include individual, family, and group work.
• Identifies and addresses high-risk psychosocial factors as well as psychosocial strengths of patients/families/caregivers that impact health status, coping and adjustment (e.g., suicidal, or homicidal risk, domestic violence, disabled, child or elder abuse and neglect, physical, developmental, or intellectual disabilities, serious mental health conditions, etc.) 
• Responsible for facilitating complex serious illness and goals of care conversations to ensure shared treatment decision-making and effective patient-physician/health care team communication.
• Responsible for identifying and communicating systemic inequities, their impact on patients, families, caregivers, and the community at large. and providing recommendations for systemic change.
• Responsible for demonstrating commitment to diversity and equity efforts, including advocacy and self-education to advance knowledge base of the needs and concerns of underserved and marginalized populations.
• Communicates clinical assessment and recommendations and provides consultation and support to interdisciplinary health care team.
• Initiates collaboration with interdisciplinary team to manage psychosocial barriers that limit patients/families’/caregivers’ ability to access and/or engage in recommended medical care.
• Provides education/consultation regarding impact of cancer on patients and families/caregivers to community, and provides consultation, education, and program development (e.g., support groups, psychoeducational forums, etc.) within the disease-based or service-based team and in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team.
• Co-facilitates evidence-based patient and/or family and/or caregiver support programs or groups.
• Provides in-person and/or telehealth services to patients and families/caregivers; method of communication (i.e., in person/phone/Zoom video) is based on clinical assessment.
• Provides clinical coverage in other social workers’ absence(s). 

Program Specialist: In collaboration with the Programmatic Manager:

• Develops and implements program components (ex: projects, conferences, trainings, educational resources, groups, or other forums) that address goals and expectations of the program stakeholders.
• Engages interdisciplinary stakeholders in program planning and development using the values, benefits, outcomes model of engagement.
• Engages in ongoing programmatic evaluation and continuous quality improvement with internal and external participants and stakeholders.
• Conducts exploratory reviews, benchmarking with peer institutions to support program development and implementation.
• Develops project plans that includes micro-, mezzo-, and macro-level interventions.
• Addresses and implements response to health care disparities in the program
• Facilitates ongoing and episodic meetings with stakeholders, relevant clinical staff, and/or donors to ensure and sustain continuous quality improvement.
• Participates in group supervision with Program Specialist Social Work Manager and Social Work Division program specialist social workers for program updates, collaborative brainstorming, and skill development.
• Prepares and/or contributes to endeavors such as contributing to articles for peer-reviewed journals or contributing to or participating in presentations for professional forums, and/or internal and external stakeholders.
• Utilizes a concurrent program development model (implementing program components in small iterations)
• Ensures program is feasible, sustainable, replicable, and functionally integrated in disease center or institutional infrastructure and operational processes.
• Collects quantitative and qualitative process and outcome data throughout the continuum of programmatic development and evaluation phases.
• Ensures program is strategically aligned with Division, Department, and Institutional goals
• Responsible for improving, expanding, and increasing comprehensiveness of the program throughout all stages of program development including maintenance phase.

Minimum Education:

• Master of Social Work

Minimum Experience: 

• 1 year MSW internship in social work practice. 

License/Certification/Registration:

• LCSW in MA (and state specific based on location).

Preferred Requirements: 

• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred. 
• Health care setting preferred.
• Experience in program development preferred

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Knowledge of interventions for patients with psychosocial needs inclusive of mental health, behavioral health, emotional, relational, and other social needs.  
• Knowledge of various behavioral health interventions related to common issues and needs across the oncology continuum of care.
• Knowledge of interdisciplinary teamwork and team dynamics, scope of key partnerships and interprofessional roles. 
• Knowledge of social work clinical psychosocial care concepts, practices, and policies with demonstrated ability to use them in varied situations; may require clinical consultation to plan and implement in complex situations.
• Ability to facilitate understanding and resolution of problems related to patient/family/caregiver interpersonal conflict, mental health and/or substance use concerns or disorders. 
• Ability to provide guidance/ consultation to the team around complex patient management, including ethical issues; may require clinical consultation to plan and implement in complex situations.
• Ability to facilitate patient, family/caregiver participation in oncology care, with ability to recommend and contribute to team and/or family/caregiver meetings. 
• Ability to make clinical decisions guided by experience, policies, consultation, and evidence-based practice. 
• Ability to actively participate in team meetings related to care planning in the setting of disruptive/challenging patient/family/caregiver/support person behavior. 
• Ability to be self-directed while remaining open to feedback and collaboration with Division leadership.
• Ability to incorporate feedback into actionable behaviors for clinical growth and professional development.
• Ability to understand and communicate information to interdisciplinary team, patients, families, caregivers, and community partners (e.g., agencies, professional organizations, etc.). 
• Ability to be sensitive, responsive to, and advocate for the needs of diverse populations in the setting of serious illness; including but not limited to diversity in gender identity, age, culture race, religion, socioeconomic status, abilities, and sexual orientation. 
• Ability to adjust to change within a fast-paced working environment.
• Ability to integrate professional ethical principles (e.g., confidentiality, boundaries) and adhere to relevant professional, departmental, and organizational standards for patient and family care.
• Ability to write clear and complete biopsychosocial assessments, progress notes, and other forms of documentation in the EMR, keeping with Divisional and Institutional policies.
• Adheres to Social Work Division practice and administrative standards and policies (e.g., HIPAA, high-risk sign out, scheduling).
• Knowledge of program-specific and/or population-specific research and models that are best practice for program development.
• Ability to assess needs of specific to the program target population(s).
• Ability to develop and/or identify resources in response to program needs and/or gaps.
• Ability to develop programmatic goals and utilize organizational and communication skills to address problems and overcome barriers or setbacks.
• Ability to think strategically and ensure program goals are aligned with Division, Department, and Institutional goals.
• Ability to work effectively with stakeholders and build strong collaborative relationships to ensure program is functionally integrated in disease center and/or institutional infrastructure and operational processes.
• In concert with Programmatic Manager, ability to manage resources thoughtfully and with commitment to achieving program goals.
• Proficiency in using Excel, PowerPoint, and/or data gathering programs (i.e., REDCap, Quickbase).
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and accuracy, and ability to follow goals and bring them to completion.
• Ability to analyze and interpret qualitative and quantitative data.
• Ability to communicate program strengths, challenges, outcomes, and vision both internally and externally.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the stages of programmatic development and how to create clear goals that match each stage while integrating continuous quality improvement.

Pay Transparency Statement

The hiring range is based on market pay structures, with individual salaries determined by factors such as business needs, market conditions, internal equity, and based on the candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.

For union positions, the pay range is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)

$75,100 - $87,900

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong.  As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty and staff.  Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

EEOC Poster