Patient and Caregiver Emotional Support

Managing your illness, treatment and transition to life after transplant can take a toll on your emotional health. Our team of social workers offers free one-on-one support for you and your loved ones.

NMDP^SM PACES provides an opportunity to get individual telephone-based support from one of our licensed social workers during difficult times. We provide patients and caregivers support in navigating the transplant journey.

The NMDP PACES program is offered in English and Spanish and can help you:

• Identify emotional, social and practical problems around illness and blood stem cell transplant (also known as BMT, blood or marrow transplant, and bone marrow transplant)
• Improve your coping skills and quality of life
• Find resources that may help you

You choose how and when you want us to support you. Options for support include:

• Regular phone calls with a social worker in our 8-session counseling program
• Check-in calls with a social worker for brief emotional support
• One-time conversations to discuss options for support at NMDP^SM and within your local community
• Resources that may help you

• Patients who have had a BMT, or plan to get a BMT
• Patients living with sickle cell disease who are considering transplant as a treatment option
• Patients receiving CAR-T cell therapy
• Caregivers and family members of eligible patients
• Bereaved caregivers or family members of transplant recipients

Specific topics will be different for everyone, depending on what you need. Topics may include:

• Adjusting to challenges that arise as a result of your diagnosis or treatment
• Developing coping strategies and managing emotions, such as distress or sadness
• Improving communication with the health care team and family members
• Finding reliable mental health-related information and community resources
• Preparing for treatments, transplant and hospitalizations
• Adjusting to the role of a caregiver

Our PACES staff offer support in both Spanish and English. All social workers are licensed and hold a Master of Social Work degree and have a background in various medical practices. This allows them to understand the complexities that come with transplant and provide the emotional support you and your loved ones need.