HISTORICAL CONTEXT; SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE: SETTING-SPECIFIC; SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE: SCREENING, ASSESSMENT & INTERVENTION; POPULATION-SPECIFIC PRACTICE; COLLABORATIONS IN PALLIATIVE CARE; PALLIATIVE SOCIAL WORK: REGIONAL VOICES FROM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE; ETHICS; PROFESSIONAL ISSUES; EPILOGUE: LESSONS LEARNED; APPENDIX: INDEX OF PATIENT NARRATIVES; INDEX

"In this important new resource, over 130 authors explore palliative social work across diagnoses, clinical settings, and in different countries and cultures. The chapters integrate theory, evidence and best practices to help readers capture and fully appreciate the breadth and depth of the patient and family experience... It validates the opportunities for palliative social work to influence the systems, institutions and teams that serve patients and families. The rich narratives, scope of topics and focus on collaboration across disciplines makes this Textbook an important resource for all of us who share in the care for this very special population of patients and their loved ones." --Diane E. Meier, MD, FACP, Director, Center to Advance Palliative Care; Director, Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine "This is an impressive book... It covers the field of palliative social work and helps set the standard. It will be invaluable for anyone training in palliative social work, but I think it will also be a useful reference for other members of the palliative care family, be they doctors or nurses or other allied health professionals, to gain a better understanding of what palliative social work is all about. And, yes, I think this volume does deserve a place next to the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine and Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing on the shelf in the palliative care library." -- Dr. Roger Woodruff, International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care News "Oxford Textbook of Palliative Social Work represents a complex approach regarding the psycho-social care of the patient and family and constitutes a useful tool, because of the important information provided. It is an indispensable resource for all social workers who share in the care for this very special population of patients and their loved ones; it's a beautiful and valuable compendium of knowledge about theoretical and practical issues for social workers which help beginners as well as experienced specialists in their practice." -- Journal of Palliative Care "Palliative Social Work is the third in a series of textbooks about palliative care published by Oxford, with the first two addressing medicine and nursing. The textbook structure means that each chapter includes key concepts, and in most chapters are case studies, learning exercises and additional resources, and websites. Some use diagrams to describe interdisciplinary and interorganizational relationships. There is also a good attempt to introduce diverse cultures, religions, identities, a range of modalities including group work in certain facilities, and support groups." -- Social Work in Health Care "The Oxford Textbook of Palliative Social Work is an excellent resource for all clinicians who have the privilege of caring for seriously ill patients and their families. We recommend it as a necessary resource for every palliative care and hospice team, and we suggest it as an important reference for all social workers and social work trainees practicing in health care. Additionally, the book provides valuable information for leaders of health care systems and for policy makers who are preparing to face the challenge of creating large-scale interventions to meet the needs of this patient population." -- Alicia Marini Bloom, M.S.W., L.S.W. and Joseph B. Straton, M.D., MSCE, VITAS Innovative Hospice Care, Journal of Palliative Medicine "This comprehensive collection comprises 84 chapters across eight sections written by more than 130 contributors... This is probably the first book of its kind that manages to capture and honour the essence of contemporary palliative care social work." -- Mortality "The Oxford Textbook of Palliative Social Work is the definitive sourcebook for social work in palliative care... the book's breadth and depth are impressive. This textbook ably illustrates the important contributions social workers make to the well-being of individuals, their families and caregivers, as well as to the palliative care team. Both seasoned social workers and those new to the field will find here a wealth of information to strengthen their understanding and practice of palliative social work." -- Journal of Pain and Symptom Management "...an extraordinarily informative book... a useful teaching tool, as well as a reference book for all professionals dealing with palliative care. This book is well written, the authors making great effort to introduce each chapter clearly with the key concepts. The titles of some of the chapters are captivating, grabbing the reader's attention instantly. Once the reader begins reading, he or she realizes how thoroughly the topic is discussed."--Surgical Oncology "The Oxford Textbook of Palliative Social Work is a comprehensive overview, useful for students, interns, and those new to palliative social work...The author balanced identification of the problem zones in medical care that social workers must know in dealing with patients and families, and in assisting other team members dealing with death and dying in the ED. In [Chapter 17] the section on specific manifestations of mental health risk was an excellent overview...this in-depth chapter offered me many thought-provoking insights about aspects of spirituality interventions. The authors effectively highlight how the similarity of approaches of both disciplines can enhance patient care or compromise patient care. The authors also skillfully articulate how organizations and interpersonal and team (process) factors influence collaborative effectiveness." --Roeliena L. VanZanten, MSW, Ellen Levine, Association of Oncology Social Work "I highly recommend [Chapter 64] as it illuminates important issues of cultural awareness, which would be useful for any medical social worker. [Chapter 68] offers many case examples to grapple with these differences in a thought-provoking manner; it will stimulate much thought for the clinical setting. The chapter is written from a solid social work perspective, yet should be accessible for nonsocial work colleagues. Practitioners at all stages of their careers will benefit from returning to [Chapter 69] again and again, whether in the field of palliative care or in other areas of social work practice. [Chapters 71 &72] do a fine job describing the important, unique contributions social workers bring to discussions and decision-making in these complex situations." --Renee S. Katz, Roeliena L. VanZanten, Linda Cooper, Association of Oncology Social Work

Selling point: Illuminate the critical issues common in clinical practice Selling point: Celebrates the clinician's creative expression of the human experience implicit in palliative and end-of-life care Selling point: Offers guidance on providing culturally sensitive, biopsychosocial-spiritual care for patients and families Selling point: Informs and enriches the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care recommended by the National Consensus Project and the corresponding National Quality Forum Preferred Practices Selling point: Offers views of the joys and challenges of interdisciplinary work

Terry Altilio, MSW, ACSW, LCSW is Coordinator of Social Work for the Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. In addition to direct work with patients and families, she has published and lectured on topics such as pain management, ethics, palliative care, and psychosocial issues in end of life. She received a Project on Death in America Social Work Leadership award to establish a social work post graduate fellowship and the Social Work Network in End-of-Life and Palliative Care, an e-mail discussion group that currently networks over 500 social workers. In 2003, she received the Social Worker of the Year award from the Association of Oncology Social Work and is a Mayday Pain and Society Fellow. Shirley Otis-Green, MSW, ACSW, LCSW, OSW-C is a licensed clinical social worker and Senior Research Specialist in Nursing Research and Education at the City of Hope in Duarte, California. Her clinical work, research, presentations and publications focus on transdisciplinary palliative care and integrated symptom management with a special emphasis on underserved populations. Shirley is the Principal Investigator of two National Cancer Institute-funded grants. She received a Social Work Leadership Award from the Project on Death in America and is a Mayday Pain and Society Fellow. Shirley received her Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Hawaii and is currently enrolled in a doctoral program in palliative care at Lancaster University in Great Britain.

Selling point: Illuminate the critical issues common in clinical practice Selling point: Celebrates the clinician's creative expression of the human experience implicit in palliative and end-of-life care Selling point: Offers guidance on providing culturally sensitive, biopsychosocial-spiritual care for patients and families Selling point: Informs and enriches the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care recommended by the National Consensus Project and the corresponding National Quality Forum Preferred Practices Selling point: Offers views of the joys and challenges of interdisciplinary work