Care Through Connection and Collaboration

Social workers are the largest provider of mental health services, yet in the medical system, their strengths and skills as advocates are often utilized in discharge planning and resource connection. With competing responsibilities, the availability of social workers to engage with seriously ill patients and provide ongoing supportive counseling may be limited.

In this session, social worker Catherine Kane LSW, APHSW-C, and nurse practitioner Rachel Klinedinst, DNP, CRNP, ACHPN, will present a case to illustrate the skillset held by palliative care social workers within the context of interdisciplinary palliative care. Through presentation and discussion of this case, they will highlight the value of a palliative care social worker and their impact on patient and family care.