Clinical Social Worker

• Provides biopsychosocial assessment and intervention, crisis intervention, coordination of psychosocial services, and consultation, to reduce cancer-related distress and improve quality of life for patients, families, and caregivers across the trajectory of cancer care; this includes those patients seen for screening for high risk of developing cancer and/or a diagnosis of cancer through to end of life and/or survivorship in collaboration with community mental health partners. 

• Assesses adaptation of families and caregivers to patient’s illness and ensures maximum participation of patients/families/caregivers in the continuum of care process.   

• Provides clinical interventions that are focused on cancer-related distress, are evidence based, goal oriented, strengths based, and short-term and episodic in nature to ensure patient equity and accessibility to social work interventions; modalities include individual, family, and group work.  

• Identifies and addresses high-risk psychosocial factors as well as psychosocial strengths of patients/families/caregivers that impact health status, coping and adjustment (e.g., suicidal, or homicidal risk, domestic violence, disabled, child or elder abuse and neglect, physical, developmental or intellectual disabilities, serious mental health conditions, etc.)   

• Initiates collaboration with interdisciplinary team to manage psychosocial barriers that limit patients’/families’/caregivers’ ability to access and/or engage in recommended medical care.  

The responsibilities listed above are a general overview of the Social Worker role at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. This list is not intended to be inclusive of all duties and responsibilities. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.  

Minimum Requirements 

• Master’s Degree in Social Work from accredited program 

• Massachusetts license (LCSW) 

• Minimum Experience for LCSW: 1-year MSW internship experience in social work practice.   

Preferred Requirements 

• LICSW license preferred 

• Minimum Experience for LICSW: 2 years social work practice as an LCSW; health care setting preferred. 

• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required for both LCSW and LICSW roles 

• Knowledge of interventions for patients with psychosocial needs inclusive of mental health, behavioral health, emotional, relational, and other social needs.    

• Knowledge of interdisciplinary teamwork and team dynamics, scope of key partnerships and interprofessional roles.   

• Ability to facilitate understanding and resolution of problems related to patient/family/caregiver interpersonal conflict, mental health and/or substance use concerns or disorders.   

• Ability to provide guidance/ consultation to the team around complex patient management, including ethical issues; may require clinical consultation to plan and implement in complex situations. 

• Ability to be sensitive, responsive to, and advocate for the needs of diverse populations in the setting of serious illness; including but not limited to diversity in gender identity, age, culture, race, religion, socioeconomic status, abilities, and sexual orientation.   

• Adheres to Social Work Division practice and administrative standards and policies (e.g., HIPAA, high-risk sign out, scheduling). 

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong.  As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty and staff.  Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.  

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law. 

EEOC Poster