This textbook on palliative social work is a companion volume to the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine and the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing. To that end, this chapter will accomplish the following:

♦It is important to assess and understand the coping strategies used by palliative care patients and their families to develop culturally appropriate interventions.

♦Family is an integral part of the patient's treatment process and family members are the primary caregivers of the patients; thus assessment includes considering relevant biopsychosocial-spiritual and family factors.

♦Interventions commonly provided in India for palliative care are casework (supportive therapy, psychoeducation, and individual counseling), group work (family therapy and support groups), and psychosocial rehabilitation (home/hospice care, referrals, resource counseling, welfare measures).

♦It is essential to identify barriers to effective palliative care at the macro level to ensure that all individuals experience the highest quality of life throughout the continuum of illness.