APOS PSYCHOSOCIAL
POCKET GUIDE

Professional Development and Related Organizations

Author(s): Sharla Wells-Di Gregorio, PhD, Krista Nelson, LCSW, Sheila Lahijani, MD
Editor(s): Jesse Fann, MD, Joseph Greer, PhD

In this section, we review five organizations that provide resources, training, and special interest groups to further enhance your training and development in psychosocial oncology. First we introduce the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS), the primary multidisciplinary organization devoted to psychosocial oncology practice, research and education. Second we provide a brief overview of the Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW), the largest professional organization devoted to psychosocial care of oncology patients. Next, we introduce the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), a national organization devoted to serving professionals working in community cancer settings. Fourth we review resources offered via the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (ACLP), which focuses on psychiatric care for patients with complex illness, including cancer. Finally, we provide information on the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), a professional organization focused on advancing hospice and palliative medicine and improving care of patients with serious illness. These organizations share many overlapping goals, but provide unique resources and training opportunities. We hope that this section will be helpful as you further your training and development in psychosocial oncology.

APOS Introduction

The American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS LINK) was formed in 1986 to bring together professionals focused on the psychosocial aspects of cancer. This includes psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, nurses, and chaplains, but also includes other members of the oncology team. APOS is the primary multidisciplinary organization in the United States dedicated to research, education, and patient care focused on the psychological, behavioral, cognitive, physical symptom, sexual, and social challenges of cancer. The mission of the APOS is to advance the science and practice of psychosocial oncology. The vision of the APOS is a nation in which all people affected by cancer have access to quality psychosocial care to optimize health outcomes.

APOS Resources

Education.  The APOS is creating an educational platform, the Psychosocial Oncology Virtual Academy, which will be available to individuals, groups, and institutions whose goal is to learn more about evidence-based psychosocial care for cancer patients and caregivers.  The PSO Virtual Academy will include three domains: 1) Program Development, 2) PSO Knowledge and Skills, and 3) Professional Development which will cover the topics below. The Program and Professional Development resources will be available in 2023 for cancer institutions interested in developing programs and providing professional development and resilience building opportunities for their teams. Our goal is to design and disseminate the psychosocial oncology core curriculum (https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5791) to train a diverse workforce to provide evidence-based, precision psychosocial oncology care for patients and caregivers focused on the right care for the right patient at the right time. In collaboration with the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), the APOS Board plans to disseminate this curriculum to mental health providers in underserved communities as well as cancer institutions with limited psychosocial resources to achieve a more diverse and representative workforce.

Table 1.  Content included in the APOS Psychosocial Oncology Virtual Academy

Click here to view table as PDF

• The APOS annual meeting is held in March each year including pre-conference workshops, symposia, oral presentations, and poster sessions.
• Additional learning opportunities include APOS’ annual webinar and workshop series designed to enhance psychosocial knowledge and skills (LINK).
• Members can access articles published in Psycho-Oncology, as a benefit of membership. Articles focus on the psychological, social, behavioral, and ethical aspects of cancer. as a benefit of membership.
• The APOS has a very active Special Interest Group (SIG) community with multiple specialty groups.
  • Bereavement
  • Cancer Caregiving
  • Virtual Health
  • Health Equity and Cultural Diversity
  • Integrative Health
  • Pediatrics/AYA
  • Psychiatric Oncology
  • Sexual & Reproductive Health
  • Spirituality
  • Transplantation and Cellular Therapies
• Members of APOS have led the development and dissemination of several evidence-based psychosocial interventions including an intervention to enhance cognitive function post-chemotherapy (https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1133) as well as interventions to improve sleep (https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2005.09.548), reduce anxiety (https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2011.39.5632), and address meaning and purpose for patients with advanced disease (https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2011.36.2517).
• Several guidelines and recommendations produced by the APOS in collaboration with other cancer-focused organziations may also be useful to enhance psychosocial oncology care at your institution:
• Implementing screening for distress – APOS, AOSW, ONS Joint Position Statement (https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.28750)
• Addressing distress management challenges – APOS & AOSW Consensus Panel (https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21672)
• Framework for planning the delivery of psychosocial oncology services – APOS Task Force (https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5409)

APOS Summary

To become a member of APOS or learn more about organizational resources and networking opportunities, please visit our website or contact APOS at info@apos-society.org.

References

Wells‐Di Gregorio S, Deshields T, Flowers SR, Taylor N, Robbins MA, Johnson R, Dwyer M, Siston A, Cooley ME, Kayser K. Development of a psychosocial oncology core curriculum for multidisciplinary education and training: Initial content validation using the modified Delphi Method. Psycho‐Oncology. 2022 Jan;31(1):130-8.

Pirl WF, Fann JR, Greer JA, Braun I, Deshields T, Fulcher C, Harvey E, Holland J, Kennedy V, Lazenby M, Wagner L. Recommendations for the implementation of distress screening programs in cancer centers: report from the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS), Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW), and Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) joint task force. Cancer. 2014 Oct 1;120(19):2946-54.

Deshields TL, Wells‐Di Gregorio S, Flowers SR, Irwin KE, Nipp R, Padgett L, Zebrack B. Addressing distress management challenges: Recommendations from the consensus panel of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society and the Association of Oncology Social Work. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians. 2021 Sep;71(5):407-36.

Pirl WF, Greer JA, Gregorio SW, Deshields T, Irwin S, Fasciano K, Wiener L, Courtnage T, Padgett LS, Fann JR. Framework for planning the delivery of psychosocial oncology services: an American Psychosocial Oncology Society task force report. Psycho‐Oncology. 2020 Dec;29(12):1982-7.

AOSW Introduction

The Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) is a non-profit international organization dedicated to the enhancement of psychosocial services to people with cancer, their families, and caregivers. Created in 1984 by social workers interested in oncology, AOSW has become the world’s largest professional organization entirely dedicated to the psychosocial care of people affected by cancer.

AOSW membership is comprised of an international set of professionals and students who practice in hospitals, cancer centers, home care agencies, hospice, community-based oncology practices, community programs, patient advocacy organizations, educational institutions, and other settings.

The mission of AOSW is to advance excellence in the psychosocial care of persons with cancer, their families, and caregivers through networking, education, advocacy, research and resource development.

The vision of AOSW a global society in which oncology care meets the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of all people affected by cancer.

• AOSW supports public policies that recognize the social determinants of healthand policies that ensure all people have access to decent housing, nutritious food, safe public spaces, reliable transportation, and education.
• Research

AOSW is committed to advancing the field of psychosocial oncology. One of the ways we do this is by informing practice, policy, and education through research. AOSW’s research initiatives address clinical outcomes, policy changes and theoretical approaches that impact practitioners as well as patients and caregivers. The AOSW Research Committee is charged with providing independent peer review of the applicability of IRB-approved protocols to the greater AOSW membership.

• Advocacy

AOSW envisions a global society in which oncology care meets the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of all people affected by cancer. We advocate for institutional and public policies that support this vision, including policies that address the needs of people affected by cancer and policies that advance the profession and practice of social work in oncology. Advocacy is a core facet of social work practice, a professional responsibility outlined in our code of ethics. AOSW equips and supports our members in their advocacy efforts at the micro, meso, and macro levels of practice. AOSW supports public policies that recognize and dismantle systemic racial injustices that cause persistent health disparities.

• Education

Patients, their families, and caregivers look to oncology social workers for useful, up-to-date information that can help them face the challenges ahead of them. AOSW offers relevant, sensitive training by leading minds in the field through annual conferences and webinars for those who work with people impacted by cancer. AOSW offers Special Interest groups and mentorship for social workers to expand their expertise.

AOSW Resources

• AOSW offers many publications and a list serv for members as an invaluable resource to connect with colleagues and their expertise around the country. AOSW also offers a page for Patients and Caregivers that allows them to locate an oncology social worker.
• Conferences & Webinars
• Special Interest Groups and Resources
• Advocacy
• Oncology Social Work Standards of Practice

AOSW Summary

• The scope of practice in oncology social work, as identified in the AOSW Standards of Practice, includes:
• Services to cancer survivors, families and caregivers through clinical practice providing comprehensive psychosocial services and programs through all phases of the cancer experience
• Services to institutions and agenciesto increase their knowledge of the psychosocial, social, cultural and spiritual factors that impact coping with cancer and its effects, and to insure provision of quality psychosocial programs and care
• Services to the communitythrough education, consultation, research and volunteering to utilize, promote or strengthen the community services, programs and resources available to meet the needs of cancer survivors
• Services to the professionto support the appropriate orientation, supervision, and evaluation of clinical social workers in oncology; participate in and promote student training and professional education in oncology social work; and advance knowledge through clinical and other research

The Association of Oncology Social Work offers a community to oncology social workers to collaborate on research, resources, advocacy, and access and contribute to education on behalf of those with cancer, their families, and community.  AOSW has numerous expert-led webinars that would be of value to anyone on the cancer team who work with patients and families anywhere along the cancer treatment trajectory.

References

• AOSW, 2022, 5.1.22, [aosw.org]

ACCC Introduction

The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) serves as the leading advocacy and education organization for the multidisciplinary cancer care team. More than 23,000 cancer care professionals from over 2,000 hospitals and practices nationwide are affiliated with ACCC. It is estimated that 65 percent of the nation’s cancer patients are treated by a member of ACCC. Providing a national forum for addressing issues that affect community cancer programs, ACCC is recognized as the premier provider of resources for the entire oncology care team.

ACCC provides a multitude of resources and learning opportunities for providers of the healthcare team. ACCC has webinars, podcasts, a journal, and robust web resources available to its membership. There are resources related to operations, care delivery, DEI, treatment advances and innovations to name a few.

ACCC Resources

Education

• ACCC is committed to supporting cancer care institutions operations by creating business case’s for hiring new staff. These business case briefs aim to show how critical supportive care team members are to improving the quality of care, enhancing the patient experience, supporting their colleagues, and reducing costs, and how-to’s that focus on building and funding navigation and psychosocial programs.
• ACCC has collected best practices in a multitude of areas of care delivery including a program of Guided Patient Support: Helping Patients Navigate the Clinical, Psychosocial, and Financial Aspects of Cancer Care , and showing value of distress screening programs. 
• ACCC has a multitude of continuing education activities, blogs, webinars, Oncology Issues (journal), and eLearning opportunities for the entire cancer care team.
• ACCC is at the forefront of innovation and sharing the best practices in the field with Telehealth and Apps to improve the patient and care teams experience. These innovations range from creating an entire psychosocial program to a virtual format, to using a mobile app to ease patient cost-of-care conversations.
• ACCC has the most comprehensive tool to support continuous learning to cancer care staff who deliver financial advocacy services with their Financial Advocacy Playbook, and Patient Assistance & Reimbursement Guide.

Advocacy

• ACCC has a legislative action center which can help health care team members better understand how policy and legislation impact cancer care.
• ACCC keeps the cancer community up to date on issues related to access to care, reimbursement reform and alternative payment models.

Conferences

ACCC Summary

ACCC is a leader in the cancer care community, that brings together stakeholders and the entire cancer care team to create comprehensive solutions that positively impact the patient experience and patient outcomes. ACCC is recognized as a collaborative and diverse organization that leverages the robust knowledge of its multidisciplinary membership to provide indispensable resources. Members of ACCC learn through education opportunities the most innovative programs and learn lessons from other members through their innovator awards program.

Resources:

References

Association of Community Cancer Centers, 2022, 5.1.2022, [accc-cancer.org]

ACLP Introduction

The Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (ACLP) is a professional organization for psychiatrists who provide care for patients with complex medical conditions through direct consultation and/or as members of interdisciplinary teams by collaborating with medical or surgical colleagues. The mission of ACLP is to advance integrated psychiatric care for the medically ill, including patients with cancer, through education, research, and advocacy. The vision of ACLP is to optimize health through medical and psychiatric care. ACLP is comprised of many members practicing in a range of inpatient and outpatient cancer settings and spearheading educational programs and research in psycho-oncology.

• ACLP welcomes new members from every country, from medical students to senior leaders in the field of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. New members can attend annual meeting in November and volunteer for committee activity.
• ACLP is comprised of several committees geared toward education, training, steering, and evidence-based practice. Committee members actively develop and publish guidelines and position statements for clinical practice.
• ACLP is committed to the education and mentorship of trainees. Medical students, residents, and fellows can access an online curriculum and obtain guidance on career development.

ACLP Resources

• Resources for members span from live learning materials to quarterly annotations of recent journal articles and guidelines for scientific writing.
• Recent annotations have focused on improving access to supportive care services in patients with cancer (3).
• The annual meeting includes oral papers and posters, preconference courses, workshops, and symposia.
• Content areas focus on the key subspecialty areas, such as psycho-oncology and palliative medicine. ACLP members can access the Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (JACLP) online.
• Recent examples of publications include findings from screening for depression and suicidal ideation in patients with cancer; and a review of neuropsychiatric symptoms after brain tumor resection; and barriers to distress screening (1,4).
• ACLP has special interest groups (SIGs) dedicated to bringing together professionals to discuss clinical care, teaching, and research in subspecialty areas, including psycho-oncology and palliative medicine. The psycho-oncology and palliative medicine SIG provides networking, mentoring, and collaborative support to ACLP members throughout the year. SIG members also collaborate in research activities and publish manuscripts such as case reports, case series, literature reviews, and original research (1,2).

ACLP Summary

There are many opportunities for collaboration and interdisciplinary care of patients with cancer. One significant example is the collaborative care model, which has been widely studied in oncology to improve access to psychiatric care and contribute to better outcomes (5). Members of ACLP may practice at your institution and can collaborate with you on the development of psychiatric services for patients with cancer. For further information, please visit the member directory to identify potential collaborators.

References

1. Walker, J., Magill, N., Rosenstein, D. L., Frost, C., & Sharpe, M. (2021). Suicidal thoughts in patients with cancer and comorbid major depression: findings from a depression screening program. Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry.
2. Simpson SA, et al. (2020). Updates in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry: 2019. Psychosomatics, 61(5), 450-455.
3. White VM, et al. (2021). Improving access to cancer information and supportive care services: A systematic review of mechanisms applied to link people with cancer to psychosocial supportive care services. Psycho‐Oncology, 30(10), 1603-1625.
4. Keng, A., Stewart, D. E., & Sheehan, K. A. (2021). Neuropsychiatric Symptoms After Brain Tumor Resection in Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review. Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry.
5. Fann JR, et al. (2012). Integrating psychosocial care into cancer services. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 30(11), 1178-1186.

AAHPM Introduction

AAHPM is the professional organization for professionals working in hospice and palliative medicine including physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, chaplains and other health providers. Palliative care focuses on improving a patient’s quality of life by managing pain and other distressing symptoms of a serious illness. Palliative care should be provided along with other medical treatments. Hospice is palliative care for patients with terminal illness. Hospice care can be provided in patients’ homes, hospice centers, hospitals, long-term care facilities, or wherever a patient resides. Since 1988, the organization has dedicated itself to improving care of patients with serious medical illness. The core mission of AAHPM is to advance hospice and palliative medicine through enhancing learning, cultivating knowledge and innovation, strengthening workforce and advocating for public policy to achieve their vision. The core vision of the Academy is to improve access to high-quality hospice and palliative care.  AAHPM values include respect for person- and family-centered care; quality; diversity, equity and inclusion; collaboration; responsiveness; and creative and ethical leadership.

AAHPM Resources

Annual Assembly (http://aahpm.org/meetings/assembly) The AAHPM annual assembly typically occurs in February or March each year with call for abstracts in late summer or early fall.

Learning Center (https://learn.aahpm.org/course-catalog-list) provides a series of educational activities that are available for purchase for CE and for program development.

Mentor Match (http://aahpm.org/membership/mentor-match) provides AAHPM members an opportunity to connect with mentors to guide your practice or address professional questions related to HPM practice.

Research Scholars Program (http://aahpm.org/education/research) This is a competitive program which supports attendance of the Annual Kathleen M. Foley Palliative Care Retreat and Research Symposium, a terrific opportunity for learning more about palliative research and networking with other researchers in this field.

AAHPM offers a variety of Special Interest Groups (http://aahpm.org/membership/communities#SIGs) including groups focused on cancer, early career, ICU, psychosocial and mental health issues, integrative medicine, and global issues.

The primary journal is Journal of Pain and Symptom Management (http://aahpm.org/publications/jpsm), a monthly, peer-reviewed scientific journal focused on best practices in working with patients with serious or life-threatening illness.

AAHPM Summary

AAHPM provides education, resources, advocacy and training essential to building skills for working with cancer patients with advanced disease. AAHPM also emphasizes the importance of resilience and well-being with numerous resources, including video presentations, to support the healthcare providers who care for patients with advanced illness (http://aahpm.org/career/resilience-and-well-being).  AAHPM’s website is very informative and provides valuable guidance for career opportunities, clinical training, leadership development, and information on board certification. Additionally, AAHPM offers an educational website on the value of palliative and hospice care for patients and caregivers (https://palliativedoctors.org/).