Leslie Duket, LCSW, OSW-C. My career at Sutter began in 1996 as a second year MSW intern
at Sutter Hospice, Sacramento. After completing my Master’s in Social Work in 1997, I became
a per diem social worker for both Sutter Hospice and the Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento
Social Work department. Once a full time position opened up at Sutter Hospice, Sacramento in
1999, I jumped at the opportunity. There, I provided support and guidance to patients and
family members surrounding end of life issues, as well as helped facilitate Bereavement
support groups. In September, 2003, I passed the LCSW exam and obtained my license. In
2004, I stepped into the role of out patient counselor at Sutter Cancer Center, Sacramento
where I have provided counseling services to patients and their family members surrounding
the diagnosis, treatment and survivorship of cancer. In this role, I have facilitated both a
Cancer Caregiver support group and a Cancer Patient support group. I have also partnered
with the Art Therapy program to provide a Parent support group for the parents of children that
attend the Children’s Art Therapy support. I truly enjoy the opportunity to collaborate with other
departments to better serve our patients and family members affected by cancer; whether that
has been to bring music therapy to our support group members, working with our inpatient
oncology social worker to provide a bridge of support to our oncology palliative care patients
or joining forces with Social Work colleagues to start a networking group for other Oncology
Social Workers to share ideas and get support. I have also had the privilege of supervising
Social Work interns and serving as the California representative for the Association of
Oncology Social Work. In 2017, after years of being inspired by Sutter Medical Center’s facility
dog program in the Child Life department, I wrote a proposal to extend the facility dog program
to the Sutter Cancer Center. When the proposal was approved, I completed the application and
training process with Canine Companions for Independence and in September of 2019, I
welcomed Facility dog, Juvy into my practice.