Shirley Otis-Green
Founder and Consultant of Collaborative Caring
Shirley’s career is dedicated to enhancing excellence in the delivery of contextualized care to address the symptoms and stress of serious illness. Her education, research and consultation efforts focus on quality-of-life, palliative care and transformational leadership. As Principal Investigator on studies with over $3.5 million in external funding, her work has been disseminated through more than 100 publications and 500 professional presentations. She is a California Health Care Foundation Leadership Fellow, a Fellow of both the Association of Oncology Social Work and National Academies of Practice and is a National Association of Social Workers Pioneer. Shirley was among the first to receive an international, interprofessional Master of Arts in Health Research/Palliative Care from Lancaster University in Great Britain, and is co-editor of the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Social Work.
Shirley Otis-Green, MSW, MA, ACSW, LCSW, OSW-CE, FNAP, FAOSW
Palliative Care Consulting
Quality care is person-centered, family-focused and culturally congruent. The integration of palliative care principles (attention to the physical, psychological, social and spiritual concerns of the patient and family) offers an evidence-informed strategy to achieve the highest level of person-centered care. This “whole-person” perspective allows for the customized individualization of care recommended by regulatory bodies and third party-payers.
Why Palliative Care?
The field of palliative care provides a good home for such a professional. Palliative care is still an emerging practice. Its development and expansion sprang from the passions of visionary leaders who cared so deeply about the challenges facing seriously ill patients that they dared to create change in how the very delivery of care was provided.
These leaders challenged the status quo and created new systems of care that sought to flatten the medical hierarchy. They recognized that the multidimensional aspects of suffering associated with a serious illness required an interprofessional team approach with a myriad of skilled experts who are each passionately committed to addressing the physical, psychological, social and spiritual domains that make up a patient’s quality of life.
Palliative care understands that people are more than their disease and that interventions must be contextualized to meaningfully address the values, concerns and priorities of each individual served. And the field of palliative care matures, we’re expanding from the hospital into patient’s homes and communities.
Social Work in Palliative Care
Structure and Process of Care
Embedded in this domain is support for social workers to be recognized as core members of the interprofessional palliative care team. We bring collaborative communication skills that are vital for effective team cohesion and the provision of coordinated care. We also have a role in supporting the team in building resilience and offering reminders of the importance of self-care.
Physical Aspects of Care
Social workers can assist the team in screening for symptom burden and provide a plethora of interventions to assist in the management of physical distress and functional impairment, as well as provide education related to concerns about the myths and misperceptions associated with many pain management strategies.
Psychological and Psychiatric Aspects of Care
Social workers are the largest providers of mental health services in the US and have a responsibility to take a leadership role in creating screening and support services for patients and their loved ones. Social workers can normalize the common concerns associated with a serious illness and assist in addressing the distress that may result. Social workers are often called to support their colleagues as they cope with the psychological impact of this emotionally charged work.
Social Aspects of Care
Social workers have a critical role in reminding the healthcare team that the diagnosis and treatment of a serious illness impacts more than just the patient. Social workers bring a systems perspective to their work and an ability to contextualize the concerns of patients and their care partners. We can assist the team in better understanding complex family dynamics and ensure that the needs of family caregivers are not overlooked.
Spiritual, Religious and Existential Aspects of Care
In concert with our chaplain colleagues, social workers are well positioned to support patients and families in exploring concerns about meaning and purpose and can be mindful of the spiritual and existential impact that this work may have on our colleagues and team members.
Cultural Aspects of Care
Social workers often find themselves in the role of “culture brokers” who assist the team in better understanding the cultural nuances of the diverse patient populations that we serve. We may find ourselves reminding others that “culture” is more than race and ethnicity, and that a comprehensive assessment conducted with cultural humility is needed to better understand a patient’s specific needs and concerns, paying special attention to health literacy, language sensitivity, disenfranchisement and resource limitations. Social workers are acutely aware of how the unintended impact of unconscious biases can permeate the delivery of healthcare.
Care of the Patient Nearing the End of Life
Social workers play an important role when a patient is facing end of life. We can assist in legacy building and provide additional support and education to the patients and families by offering anticipatory guidance and exploring an individual’s values and preferences to aid in advance care planning and bereavement.
Ethical and Legal Aspects of Care
Social workers are guided by principles of social justice and recognize that too often diversity is associated with disparities in care and limited access to quality care. We can act as the conscience of our institutions to address gaps in service. We are positioned to see areas of unmet need and ethically called to address the impact of the wide range of social determinants influencing our patient’s health and wellbeing.
Get in touch.
shirley@collaborativecaring.net
10153 ½ Riverside Drive, Suite 305 Toluca Lake, CA 91602