Kaitlin Schmucker, LCSW

Kaitlin is a licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience supporting patients and families across medical, outpatient, and community mental health settings. She brings a collaborative, compassionate approach to care, grounded in strong clinical skills and a deep respect for each individual’s lived experience. Kaitlin has worked within interdisciplinary medical teams throughout her career, providing psychosocial assessments, counseling, care coordination, and resource linkage for patients navigating serious illness, life transitions, and complex health systems.

Before joining UC Davis Health, Kaitlin served as a Region Lead Social Worker with DaVita Dialysis, where she supported patients adjusting to chronic illness while also mentoring and training social workers across multiple clinics. Her background includes psychotherapy with children, adults, and families, program development, outcomes evaluation, and group facilitation. Kaitlin draws from evidence-based modalities and is always centering care around dignity, connection, and patient goals.

Kaitlin is especially passionate about work that honors quality of life and the emotional well-being of both patients and caregivers. She values teamwork, thoughtful communication, and advocacy, and believes that compassionate presence is as important as clinical expertise. Outside of her clinical work, she enjoys community involvement and creative collaboration and brings that same sense of engagement and humanity into her role with the Palliative Care team.”