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part of physicians about the terminal nature of a particular patient (Stark,
Dudzinski, & White, 2013). Clearly, the choice must remain with the competent
adult to make their own decisions.
Following this section, Brooks writes about the importance of “being
present with the dying.” She had written movingly of Olivia in our first edi-
tion, and demonstrated how hospice care provided compassionate care so that
Olivia could die with dignity and independence. In order for social workers
and other caregivers to be present with their dying clients, the professional
caregiver’s grief response should be recognized and respected. Brooks here
writes about the need for hospice administrators to promote “the opportunity
for clinicians to be reflective and self-aware” and to be validated for the grief
experienced in their work with dying patients and their families.
Readings
The Ever-Changing Landscape for Hospice Social Workers
Michelle Brooks
Michelle Brooks, MSS, LCSW is the associate director of psychosocial services at
Penn Wissahickon Hospice & Penn Homecare in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The
focus of Michelle’s social work career has been end of life care and bereavement.
Currently she functions as a practice leader and administrator for both the hospice
and homecare agencies associated with the Penn Medicine health system. In this role,
she is most interested in the social issues that influence care decisions, patient/family
success in the face of terminal and chronic health events, and supporting the staff in
an ever-changing health care climate. Robert Neimeyer, Ken Doka, Judith McCoyd,
and Carolyn Walter have been major influences on her social work practice and
leadership role.
Providing care at the end of life has been at the heart of my social work practice.
My practice has taken me to the bedside of the dying, into the homes of the
bereaved, and currently I am the practice leader and administrator of a midsize
nonprofit hospice. As an administrator, my role is to oversee the practice of the
15 MSW level staff members as well as the practice of chaplains, bereavement
counselors, volunteers, and a music therapist. Working with patients and fam-
ilies at the end of life is both challenging and meaningful for practitioners.
Clinicians working in a hospice setting have a very personal connection to
their work, what many refer to the work as a “calling” (Berzoff, 2008). For
many, the work is significant not only to their professional identity but also to
their personal identity (Berzoff, 2008).
Recently, I surveyed the social workers at my agency inquiring about
what drew them to the work. The common theme in the responses was the
deep meaning their work held for them; several connected it to their own
experience of loss, and a few indicated that it was their own death anxiety
that led them to working with the dying. In response to a question about the
challenges in their daily practice, many talked about the difficulty of working
