Episode 6. How Social Workers Help Patients with Cancer?
This episode talks about with two social workers, Erin Schwartz and Rachel Dornhelm, who work at the UCSF Cancer Center.
Specifically we discuss:
What do social workers help patients with?
Transportation: uber wheelchair rides, paratransit free rides
DMV disability placards, local lodging discounts
Navigating Employment
Mental health resources
Advanced Care planning
How to find a support group?
Erin Schwartz, LCSW, MSW &
Rachel Dornhelm, MSW
Erin Schwartz is a chief clinical social worker for the UCSF oncology social work team. She cares for patients and their families as they navigate treatment following a cancer diagnosis. She advocates for patients, supports their physical and emotional well-being, and helps them cope with the impact of their diagnosis on daily life. Erin earned her master's degree in social work at the University of Michigan. Before she came to UCSF, she was a social worker for patients on dialysis treatment and at several nonprofit agencies for seniors and people with disabilities. She began her career at UCSF working with patients hospitalized for cancer surgery, then transitioned to working with those receiving outpatient care for cancer.
Rachel Dornhelm is a clinical social worker at the UCSF Cancer Center. She has worked across several clinics at the Cancer Center, spending most of her time in the Hematology Oncology Clinic and Head and Neck Oncology Clinic. She supports patients as they navigate through new diagnoses, recurrence, and life in remission. Rachel received her master's degree in social work at UC Berkeley. Prior to social work she spent 15 years working as a public radio reporter, building skills in intensive listening and strong communication. Both are key to the work she does now.