Supportive and concrete services for teenage oncology patients

The social worker involved with the Adolescent Unit at Roswell Park Memorial Institute offers two types of services--concrete and supportive. The concrete services include referrals to community agencies and assistance with transportation, discharge plans, and financial aid. The supportive services include counseling with patients, parents, spouses, and significant others. Helping the young patients deal with diagnoses, treatments, and possible death are major focal points of the social workers' involvement. Leading the patient and the family to an understanding of the changes they are experiencing and assisting them in their adjustment are tasks the social worker frequently faces. At Roswell Park Memorial Institute, the composition the staff assigned to the Adolescent Unit, the unit's physical layout, the family suppers, the availability of peer support for both patients and parents, and the concentrated team approach all contribute to the accomplishment of social work goals for teenage oncology patients and their families.