Josh Ozer ’24MSW works primarily with patients with prostate cancer, but also bladder, kidney, and testicular cancers.
In this outpatient setting, he provides one-on-one counseling to patients as well as psychosocial support to their families and caregivers.
“Our role is to work with patients to cope with and manage the challenges and needs that come with receiving treatment for serious illness,” he says.
Ozer reports that the work is highly specialized and interdisciplinary, requiring knowledge of increasingly complex medical histories and treatment options. Against the reality of sometimes difficult prognoses, he notes, “social work can be a really rich resource to identify and address societal stigmas around illness and end of life.”
Advantages of Simmons for Social Work
Ozer came to Simmons as a career-changer. He had become interested in counseling and coaching through several HR roles at Bain & Company and through his volunteer work.
Particularly drawn to palliative and end-of-life care, Ozer chose Simmons’ School of Social Work for its Certificate in Health Care & Social Work and its location “in the shadow of all these great institutions in the Longwood Area.”
On top of that, he appreciated the flexibility to start in January and the immersive three-days-per-week internship schedule. This mix of advantages, he believed, “would prepare me to move into the health-care field after graduation.”
Gaining Skills In and Out of the Classroom
In addition to targeted coursework, Ozer found the emphasis on class discussion and simulation especially beneficial.
“There were a lot of opportunities to practice skills and analyze cases and fieldwork challenges with my classmates,” he reports. “We held each other accountable for
bringing that discussion to our learning experience.”
Ozer also participated in opportunities for collaborative casework with students from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and the Communication Sciences and Disorders Graduate Program at Emerson College.
During his first internship, he conducted home visits in Southwest Boston to address mental health concerns and other needs for ETHOS, a community-based support program for older adults. His second placement was in Adult Social Work at Dana-Farber, where he provided counseling and case management in several clinics.
In both positions, Ozer had the space to learn while simultaneously making contributions to care. The Simmons program, he says, “taught not just mental health diagnosis but a much more holistic understanding of what’s going on for a person, family, or system.”
Why a Career in Social Work is Meaningful
“Our work can help patients and families see their strengths and all the ways that they’re already coping with often extremely challenging circumstances,” Ozer says.
“These are clearly moments of truth in people’s lives. A supportive social worker can make a big difference in this deep, and often under-discussed, part of our human experience,” he says.