As members of the ACHHH care team, our social workers offer their unique skills helping patients and families hope with illness and the challenges of caregiving at home. Medical social workers assist patients and their families when social, emotional or economic factors interfere with the patient's medical condition, treatment plan or rate of recovery. Areas in which our social workers may assist the patient to their family may include learning to cope with the effects of the patient's illness, referral to additional community resources, planning for long-term care, assisting patients with advance directives or advocating for the patient who needs financial assistance.