Social Work Patient Care Services

Throughout the course of cancer treatment, many patients need assistance in areas other than their medical care. Cancer Care Northwest is the only cancer treatment center in the Inland Northwest with a full time, dedicated clinical social worker to assist patients during their healing journey.

Our licensed clinical social worker, Melanie Frederick, offers a wide range of assistance to our patients at both our North and South office locations. Here are just a few of the critical services Melanie and our Social Work Department can provide:

Counseling for individuals, groups and families. This includes counseling concerning decision-making, coping skills, communication and life transitions. Support groups are also an integral part of our support activity
In-home and hospital visits
Information and guidance concerning various community resources such as housing and transportation assistance
Education about what to expect and how to prepare for your doctor, chemotherapy and radiation appointments at Cancer Care Northwest
Information, referral and education about financial, medical and legal issues. This includes Medicaid, Social Security, patient assistance programs, medical power of attorney, advanced directives and Hospice.

Melanie Frederick
MSW
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

A member of the Cancer Care Northwest team since June of 2000, Melanie moved to Spokane from Anchorage, Alaska in 1999 and spent a year working for Hospice before joining the practice. A native of Texas, she is from a military family and lived in many different places during her childhood.

Melanie has an undergraduate degree in Social Sciences from the University of Northwest Florida, and received a Masters degree in Social Work from Florida State University. She has spent over 25 years in the field of clinical social work, gaining extensive experience in mental health and substance abuse. Throughout her career, Melanie has been involved with many professional organizations. While working in Alaska, she served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Social Workers and remains very active in the group here in Washington State. She is also involved with the local chapter of the Breast Health Network.

Along with her husband Bob, Melanie lives on a hobby farm north of Spokane, which allows her to pursue her passions for gardening and animals. Melanie is a compassionate and dedicated advocate for all of her clients, and we are proud to have her as a vital member of our team. If you have any questions or need assistance from Melanie, call her at 228-1409.

Bobbi Hamilton
MSW

Bobbi is the newest addition to the Cancer Care Northwest Social Work team. She received a BA in Psychology from Seattle University in 2002 where she won the Gafney Award for the highest GPA in the psychology department for the class of 2002.

Bobbi began her counseling career in the chemical dependency field, but realized her need for greater education. She then attended Eastern Washington University where she obtained her Masters degree in Social Work. She began her internship at Cancer Care Northwest in April of 2005, and in August of 2006, she was hired as a permanent employee.

Bobbi facilitates support groups, matches community resources to client needs, and provides individual and family therapy. One of her primary goals at Cancer Care Northwest is to expand the I Thrive supportive care program within the social work department. Currently, she is researching the newest information on nutrition, physical activity, relaxation techniques, coping skills and motivational techniques and how these subjects pertain to fighting cancer and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This information is passed on to the client through many different avenues, including the Self Care Connection Support Group.

Bobbi started her career in the business world. With a background in computers and the stock market, she brings a creative ability to develop, build, and expand systems. She has lived in Spokane for two years and looks forward to getting to know the people who make up this wonderful community.

Tess Taft
MSW
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

Tess Taft is a medical psychotherapist who has provided counseling to cancer patients and their loved ones in hospitals, cancer clinics, homes and hospice settings for 30 years. She has taught college students and medical residents in New York and Washington state classes in Death and Dying, Complementary Medicine, Family Systems and Family Therapy, Working With Troubled Families, and The Soul of Therapy, to help them better understand the profound emotional and spiritual impact of life threatening disease.

Tess currently provides counseling and Interactive Guided Imagery, as a certified specialist, to patients at Cancer Care Northwest who are in treatment, coping with chronic pain, or facing surgery, and supervises the clinical work of area social workers. She is committed to serving people whose life-threatening diagnosis (or that of a love) has propelled them on a journey inside themselves to find emotional and spiritual healing and wholeness.