Building community-based short-term psychosocial counseling capacity for cancer patients and their families: the Individual Cancer Assistance Network (ICAN) model.
Research studies show that 30% of cancer patients experience significant disease-related psychosocial distress, which is often under-recognized and undertreated. To satisfy the need for increased capacity to deliver accessible, affordable, community-based psychosocial counseling for cancer patients and their families, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation developed the Individual Cancer Assistance Network (ICAN) demonstration project. Results of a 3-phase evaluation in diverse community settings in Florida show that ICAN effectively provided "cancer sensitivity"; training for social workers preparing them to deliver short-term individualized psychosocial counseling, on a sliding fee scale, to cancer patients and their families, and to market it effectively to oncologists and the community.
Blum
Diane
D
Cancer Care, Inc., 275 7th Ave, New York, NY, 10001, USA. dblum@cancercare.org
Clark
Elizabeth
E
Jacobsen
Paul
P
Holland
Jimmie
J
Monahan
Mary Jo
MJ
Doykos Duquette
Patricia
P
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D003376:Counseling; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief; D012949:Social Work, Psychiatric