Welcome! I’m glad you’re here in my little corner of the Internet.

My name is Katy de Oliveira and I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I’m also a mom (to a small human and to a very geriatric dog) and a military spouse. I’m the daughter of a government teacher and a Vietnam Veteran and the sister of a science teacher and a librarian.

I have a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and decided to work toward a Master of Social Work when my Grandmother was going through major health challenges in her early 90s. I saw the difficult decisions my Dad and my Uncle had to make with and eventually for her. I also watched my Grandmother fight to maintain her independence every step of the way: while trying to age in place at home, while (reluctantly) accepting extra help from in-home caregivers, during the one week she spent at an assisted living facility before she called a cab to take her home, and even during her short time on in-home hospice care. I knew then that I wanted to work in healthcare and with older adults in particular. Years later, I watched my Mom and my Uncle go on a similar journey with my other Grandmother.

Many amazing doctors, nurses, and other allied health professionals care for people along their medical journeys, but the social workers are the ones who get to sit down and listen to their stories, their fears, and their hopes for the future. The social workers are the ones who look at things from a big picture, bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective and provide clinical support and advocacy along the way. Being a social worker is more than a job for me — it’s a vocation.

I have worked in a variety of different settings in my 15 years in social work. While studying at the School of Social Worker at Loyola University Chicago (Go Ramblers!), my internships were in community mental health for seniors and outpatient oncology. I then moved to San Diego and worked as a program director for a grassroots senior civic organization, as a geriatric care manager, as the program director for an Adult Day Healthcare Center, and as a supervisor then manager of case management at a major insurance company in San Diego and Imperial counties. I then spent several years as a hospice social worker at Sharp HospiceCare before returning to where it all started: in outpatient oncology, this time at Scripps Cancer Center — where I worked closely with the neuro-oncology multidisciplinary team. I’m excited to be able to combine all of these deeply meaningful experiences into one practice.

In addition to all my years in healthcare, I’ve also spent the last 13 years in the military community. My husband is an active duty Chief Electronics Technician in the US Navy and has spent time in Surface Warfare as well as many years in Naval Special Warfare, all stationed out of San Diego. We’ve been together for four deployments and all the pre- and post-deployment work-up cycles in between. I have deep respect for the sacrifices members of the military make to protect our country, and I also know firsthand the sacrifices their families make behind the scenes.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time outdoors and devouring audiobooks while working on a paint-by-number or crochet project.