Medical social workers help their clients work through the emotional and psychosocial elements of dealing with acute, chronic, or terminal illnesses. As a medical social worker, your responsibilities and duties include providing individual, group, and family counseling, discussing healthcare and treatment options with your clients, and determining paths to take to manage their issues. Medical social workers who assist people with terminal illnesses also help with end of life planning, such as life insurance, medical bills, and funeral arrangements in addition to offering coping mechanisms and therapy.