Duke Eye Center appreciates the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to care and management of patients and families with hereditary eye conditions.

Particularly, the coordination of genetic counseling services and social work interventions prove to be invaluable resources for aiding individuals and their families in dealing with and adjusting to the psychological impact of a genetic diagnosis.

As providers of quality patient care, we have the benefit of direct access to a licensed clinical social worker dedicated to our facility and working with patients and their families in a multitude of capacities.

What Is Genetic Counseling?

Genetic counseling is traditionally defined as “the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease” (National Society of Genetic Counselors.  J Genet Couns 2006; 15:77-83).

Our genetic counselor gathers and interprets medical and family history information to better assess how a condition may have arisen in the family and the risk of recurrence for other family members. They educate families about the genetics of a condition, its inheritance pattern in the family, genetic testing options available both clinically and on a research basis, and ongoing laboratory research or clinical treatment trials for the condition.

Providing this information equips individuals and empowers them with the knowledge necessary to make decisions that are appropriate for their personal and family circumstances.

Our genetic counselor helps the effected individual and their family to identify resources for dealing with the ramifications of what it means to have a genetic diagnosis in everyday life.

What Is Social Work?

Social work practice demands knowledge of human behavior and development, as well as of social, economic, and cultural institutions. Through training, social workers acquire skills in developing relationships, identifying and accessing services, assessing patient and family needs, and facilitating change (National Association of Social Workers, http://www.helpstartshere.org/professional-standards).

In their clinical practice, social workers gain experience in dealing with individuals in various crisis situations. They view the individual patient as a part of a larger family system in his or her total environment.

The majority of social work professionals, including those functioning in a health care setting, have a limited background in genetics. While it would be inappropriate for social workers, particularly without specialized training, to assume the role as genetic counselor, social workers possess the knowledge, experience, and counseling skills that put them in the unique position to help individuals and families with genetic conditions.

Genetic Counselors and Social Workers: Collaborating to Provide Better Care

Historically, the profession of social work has recognized the importance of genetic conditions in relation to social work practice and education for the last almost 50 years.

The social work practice community has made efforts to clarify the role of social work in genetics through the conception of practice updates and policy statements regarding the ethical and practical issues in genetic testing and research.

As social workers are often on the front line as providers of psychosocial services to individuals and families with genetic conditions, their understanding of the ethical, legal, and psychological implications of a genetic diagnosis and the ramifications of genetic testing and research becomes imperative.

The effectiveness of genetic counseling is enhanced by the utilization of professional social workers. The social worker aids the genetic counselor in obtaining information about family relationships, appreciating social and emotional difficulties in the patient and/or the family, recognizing the physical and social needs of the patient and/or family, planning follow-up and therapeutic interventions, and initiating necessary referrals for available resources.

By working together as a team, our genetic counselor and social worker provide a support system for the patient and the family in a time of crisis. Through counseling, education, therapy, and resource identification, the team can aid the family in reaching their mutual goal of functioning well independently.