Family Reach is honored to work with dedicated social workers at over 200 hospitals nationwide. This remarkable group ensures that families undergoing financial hardship are connected to Family Reach and receive the assistance they need to get back on their feet. This week, we are featuring Claudia, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker from Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Alleviating the burden
Claudia first heard about Family Reach in 2016 through one of our LCSWs. She wasted no time submitting referrals for two struggling families. After spending many years working with families battling cancer, she recognizes that the financial burden of cancer is a serious problem.
“It is an ever-present, growing issue affecting the oncology families we serve,” she says. “I have noticed that managing financial difficulties has come to the forefront of my interventions with them.”
Claudia notes that the main financial concerns for families are housing, transportation, food insecurity and other bills such as utilities and car payments. When families are suffering financially, she looks to Family Reach for support.
“Many of the community resources you encounter as a social worker do not cover needs such as car payments the way Family Reach does,” says Claudia. “They fill this critical gap, and they do so quickly. Family Reach gets the families the support they need, when they need it.”
Creating positive change
Not only is Claudia a dedicated member of the Family Reach network, she’s also been making strides in her own community. She is playing a vital role in creating a resource specialist position at CHOC with the help of Joe Chabot, member of our Medical Advisory Board and pediatric resource specialist at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. This is an important project for Claudia.
“Hospitals need to conduct better needs assessments to ensure that they are meeting the standards for psychosocial care of children with cancer and their families, including assessment of financial burden,” says Claudia. “Without this, the needs of patients will not be met.”
Thank you, Claudia, for advocating on behalf of families struggling with the financial burden of cancer. Family Reach is proud to have you on our team!
