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. 2022;75(2):258-265.
doi: 10.1080/0312407x.2021.1904265. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Training Oncology Social Workers: Lessons From the USA

Cindy Davis  1 , Karen Kayser  2 , Tamara Cadet  3
Affiliations

Training Oncology Social Workers: Lessons From the USA

Cindy Davis et al. Aust Soc Work. 2022.

Abstract

There are over one million people in Australia who are either living with or have lived with cancer, and approximately 145,000 new cancer cases are expected this year (AIHW, 2019). Oncology social workers are essential members of the health care team in meeting the needs of cancer patients and their families; however, the training and specialisation of social work professionals in the field of oncology is less developed in Australia compared to other western countries. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine the strategies implemented in the USA to develop and train oncology social workers and to assess the utility of these strategies in the Australian context. This paper will address the current state of oncology social work in both the USA and Australia, educational models of training oncology social workers, and the research capacity of oncology social workers. The feasibility of adapting some of these key strategies for training oncology social workers in the Australian context will be discussed.

Keywords: Australia; Cancer; Education; Oncology; Social Work; Training.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure Statement No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

References

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    1. Association of Oncology Social Workers (AOSW). (2020). Research. https://aosw.org/publications-media/projects-partnerships/
    1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). (2019). Cancer in Australia 2019. Cancer series no.119. Cat. no. CAN 123. AIHW. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-in-australia-2019/contents...
    1. Christ G, Messner C, & Behar L (Eds.). (2015). Handbook of oncology social work: Psychosocial care for people with cancer. Oxford University Press.

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