Katherine Mortimer Email and Phone Number

Working with graduate students from the University of Denver’s School of Social Work. Supervising graduate students through their internships. Teaching a seminar course aligning with students concentration year internships.

My role is primarily directed towards newly diagnosed patients with blood cancer or hematological disorders. As one of the clinical outpatient social workers, I provide education on what to expect through the treatment process from an emotional perspective. I establish a therapeutic relationship with these patients, and their families, and follow them throughout their treatment. I build a rapport and am able to address practical issues such as transportation and housing, assistance in obtaining medical leave or disability. I work within a multidisciplinary team, including physicians, RNs and mid-level providers.

Conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments and evaluation for heart/lung transplantation and MCS (mechanical circulatory support). Participate and offer recommendations in bi-weekly selection committee meetings for lung transplantation and heart transplantation. Meet monthly with multidisciplinary team for MCS (mechanical circulatory support) program to discuss current patients and programmatic updates. Engage in grief and illness counseling and crisis intervention with patients and families. Helping patients and families adjust to hospital admission; possible role changes; exploring emotional and social responses to illness and treatment. Provide community resources and referral services to patients and their families. Coordinating patient discharge and continuity of care planning. Lead quarterly support group for heart/lung transplantation patients, both on the waiting list and post-transplantation, to promote community support and education.

Worked on the General Medical Floor, assisting primarily homeless, dialysis dependent and chronically ill patients. Actively engaged in the discharge planning process, working with MD's, case managers, nurses, patients and families. Assisted in connecting patients with support needed in order to safely leave the hospital. Conducted thorough psychosocial assessments to ensure patient's needs were met. Contributed to daily rounding along with multidisiplinary team.

Responsible for running all programs of Foundation. Catered to patients that have suffered from tumor, trauma or infection to an extremity. In charge of PR for Foundation- go out and meet with medical professionals at clinics/hospitals/medical centers to discuss programs and events of Foundation. Build partnerships to achieve the mission of the Foundation and meet annual goals and objectives. Assisted in coordinating fundraising events and managed relationships with sponsors, donors, and volunteers. Successfully worked across cross-functional teams. Managed and facilitated partnerships with medical practices and other non-profit organizations. Point person for the creation, coordination and execution of the annual Foundation calendar. Actively updated all website content. Grant writer, who maintained grants and wrote new grants for patient assistance.

-Participate on a multidisciplinary team for discharge planning of high-risk patients for linkage to available services in community.-Work with families and patients conducting needs assessments and crisis intervention.-Contribute to bi-weekly patient rounds meetings with multidisciplinary staff.-Follow-up with referrals by researching and visiting local agencies.-Developed new protocol for on-call status of social workers, while working on-call every other month.-Collaborate with multidisciplinary team establishing linkages to available pre-natal and post-partum services in community.-Participate as an active member in the hospital’s Mission Committee and Employee Assistance Committee.-Research and create documents tracking delays in discharge for administrators to use in statistical reviews.

-Provided individual psychotherapy for survivors of sexual assault.-Developed treatment plans in collaboration with clients.-Performed intake assessments and case-managed clients.-Contributed case-specific information at weekly staff meetings.-Organized and coordinated agency fundraising project with community restaurants.

-Performed psycho-social assessments for inpatient adults on Oncology and Cardiac units.-Researched and assembled a community resource guide for hospital social workers.-Participated in Ethics Committee on behalf of social work clinicians.-Developed discharge treatment plans for patients with interdisciplinary team

-Wrote USAID grant and received funds for community sanitization efforts.-Coordinated construction process through USAID grant architect and building crew to create twelve school restrooms.-Supervised ten local Nepali workers from beginning to completion of USAID project.-Collaborated with other volunteers to teach HIV/AIDS prevention education to adults and children in numerous Nepali communities.-Created and facilitated a support group for female prostitutes and IV drug users.-Taught English as a Second Language (ESL) to Nepali children and adults.-Developed individualized lesson plans for specific grade levels at two local schools.-Acquired intense cultural training, language fluency, and teaching preparation during Nepali emersion education.-Contributed as part of a team to raise scholarship money for young Nepali women