The Hematology Division has designated professional social worker services. Our social workers are available to provide counseling and guidance, crisis intervention and referrals to community services and support groups. The hematology social workers have expertise in understanding the impact of sickle cell disease on patients and their families. Social work services are available to patients, families, and couples.
Our social work team can help you with:
- Impact of illness on work, school, and finances
- Impact of illness on your family
- Conflict between patient and family
- Depression and anxiety
- Concerns about drug and alcohol use
- Finding supportive resources in your local community
- Concerns about safety in personal relationships
State Law requires that any conversations you have with a licensed social worker are confidential and privileged. This means that in most instances your hospital social worker is not permitted to disclose information obtained from you to anyone other than your health care team without your consent. However, there are exceptions to this general rule, and a social worker may be required to disclose otherwise confidential communication in some situations. Examples include situations in which: there is question of child abuse or neglect; there are reasons to believe the client will harm himself or others; certain legal proceedings exist which involve the client; and there are specific orders from a judge. If you have questions about confidentiality and its limitations, your social worker will be glad to discuss this further.
