National LGBT Cancer Network: People

Thomas J. Pier

• Thomas J. Pier, MSW, LCSW is an oncology social worker at the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA. He facilitates the lung cancer support program and works with people with cancer and their loved ones throughout the continuum of the illness and into survivorship.
• Tom has been working in cancer care and end of life care for over 15 years. He is a graduate of the College of St. Thomas, and received his Master of Social Work degree from New Mexico State University.
• Tom is a licensed clinical social worker in California and New Mexico, and a member of the Association of Oncology Social Work and the National Association of Social Workers. He will present at the AOSW Conference 2008 in Louisville, KY, a workshop entitled "Difficult Conversations: Opening Communication about End of Life Decision-making".
• Tom is active in clinical education and supervision of future oncology mental health clinicians including MSW, MFT, psychology and chaplaincy interns and has worked with UCLA, USC, Pepperdine, Columbia, Florida State, Cal State Long Beach, New Mexico Highlands University and the Academy for Jewish Religion.
• In addition to oncology, Tom has an interest in healthcare ethics with current membership on the UCLA Ethics Committee and having served on several other hospital and hospice ethics committees over the years. He received his Certificate in Healthcare Ethics from the inaugural class at the University of New Mexico in 2000.