SOCIAL WORK

Katie Crafton, MSW, LCSW

ONCOLOGY SOCIAL WORKER

Katie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 12 years of experience in the social work field. She received her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and then went on to complete her Masters of Social Work at California State University, Fresno. She has worked in Public Child Welfare and more recently in the hospital setting as a medical social worker.

As a part of her time in both child welfare and the hospital setting, Katie worked alongside families facing cancer diagnoses and treatment. Helping families understand how to best support the patient as well as identifying avenues to support patients’ mental and emotional health has been a rewarding part of working in this field.

Katie has long been passionate about the oncology profession with the hope of one day working alongside cancer patients and their families. Following a breast cancer diagnosis with one of her close friends in her early 30’s, Katie has been particularly motivated to learn how to better serve this patient population. She considers it an honor to work with patients to encourage them, connect them with meaningful resources, and ultimately partner with them as they make decisions about their treatment.

Brianda Lemus, MSW, ASW

ONCOLOGY SOCIAL WORKER

Brianda is an Associate Clinical Social Worker with five years of experience. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Stanislaus and completed her Masters of Social Work at California State University, Fresno. She discovered her passion for medical social work while completing her internship in an Oncology Department in the Central Valley. Brianda most recently worked in a mental health setting working alongside urban and rural communities assisting with psychosocial and mental health needs. In addition, Brianda has also provided services to Spanish speaking communities.

As both a recipient and provider of medical social work services Brianda is passionate about supporting patients and their families through the process of diagnosis and treatment. As an Oncology Social Worker, Brianda will continue to provide information on resources, medical and insurance coverage, and other services needed to support patients and their families on how to navigate cancer diagnoses. Brianda is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the outstanding team at Mission Hope Cancer Center and work alongside the community of Santa Maria and surrounding areas.