Social Work services are an integral component of Stony Brook’s team approach to cancer care. Professional social workers are experts in the psychosocial care for patients with cancer and their families. Available to both inpatients and outpatients, social workers can assess patient and family needs and help with individual and family counseling, coping with a cancer diagnosis, navigating benefit and entitlement programs, providing resources, facilitating support groups, continuum of care planning, and referrals and education.
Stony Brook social workers not only collaborate with members of the multispecialty cancer teams and provide one-on-one patient care, but they also facilitate cancer support groups. Support groups are active for breast, prostate, lymphoma, gynecological, and upper GI cancer patients and survivors. A cancer education series also is facilitated by social workers. The Stony Brook Oncology Social Work team can be reached at (631) 444-2552.