Trauma-Informed Agency Assessment: Roswell Park Cancer Institute
A cancer diagnosis can be very traumatic and disrupt an individual’s life in a number of ways. There are many challenges that tend to arise for most individuals with cancer, such as altered interpersonal relationships, a struggle for independence, disruption in achievements, body image issues, and existential issues. However, because cancer can affect anyone, the ways individuals with cancer experience their journeys vary based on their developmental stage, intrapersonal style, and interpersonal style (Holland & Rowland, 1999).
Relationships are always altered in some way after a cancer diagnosis (Fujinami, Otis-Green, Klein, Sidhu, & Ferrell, 2012; Holland & Rowland, 1999). Fear of abandantment is common among individuals with cancer. Many individuals fear that they will be abandoned by their family and friends if their experience becomes too stressful for others to deal with. Many also struggle with the fear of abandoning family and friends upon their death. Having to rely on family or close friends as caretakers can cause an individual to lose …show more content…
Supervision is critical for social workers who work in oncology settings because they face unique problems due to constant exposure to death, dying, physical mutilation, and pain. Social workers in oncology settings are at a great risk for strong countertransference, somatic reactions, and feelings of helplessness and frustration (Sormanti, 1994). The Psychosocial Oncology department at RPCI has acknowledged that many of their experiences are unique to the oncology setting and may cause interns to find it difficult to find peers they relate to or get support from peers in other placements. Because of this, interns in the Psychosocial Oncology department of RPCI meet weekly for trauma-informed peer
A cancer diagnosis can be very traumatic and disrupt an individual’s life in a number of ways. There are many challenges that tend to arise for most individuals with cancer, such as altered interpersonal relationships, a struggle for independence, disruption in achievements, body image issues, and existential issues. However, because cancer can affect anyone, the ways individuals with cancer experience their journeys vary based on their developmental stage, intrapersonal style, and interpersonal style (Holland & Rowland, 1999).
Relationships are always altered in some way after a cancer diagnosis (Fujinami, Otis-Green, Klein, Sidhu, & Ferrell, 2012; Holland & Rowland, 1999). Fear of abandantment is common among individuals with cancer. Many individuals fear that they will be abandoned by their family and friends if their experience becomes too stressful for others to deal with. Many also struggle with the fear of abandoning family and friends upon their death. Having to rely on family or close friends as caretakers can cause an individual to lose …show more content…
Supervision is critical for social workers who work in oncology settings because they face unique problems due to constant exposure to death, dying, physical mutilation, and pain. Social workers in oncology settings are at a great risk for strong countertransference, somatic reactions, and feelings of helplessness and frustration (Sormanti, 1994). The Psychosocial Oncology department at RPCI has acknowledged that many of their experiences are unique to the oncology setting and may cause interns to find it difficult to find peers they relate to or get support from peers in other placements. Because of this, interns in the Psychosocial Oncology department of RPCI meet weekly for trauma-informed peer