Building Community-Based Short-Term Psychosocial Counseling Capacity for Cancer Patients and Their Families

Abstract

Research studies show that 30% of cancer patients experience significant disease-related psychosocial distress, which is often under-recognized and undertreated. To satisfy the need for increased capacity to deliver accessible, affordable, community-based psychosocial counseling for cancer patients and their families, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation developed the Individual Cancer Assistance Network (ICAN) demonstration project. Results of a 3-phase evaluation in diverse community settings in Florida show that ICAN effectively provided “cancer sensitivity” training for social workers preparing them to deliver short-term individualized psychosocial counseling, on a sliding-fee scale, to cancer patients and their families, and to market it effectively to oncologists and the community.

Key Words:

• Counseling
• oncology
• psychosocial
• social work