MSW, LCSW
Behavioral Health Therapist
I find it very rewarding to help people cope with their journey with cancer, because it gives me the opportunity to help not only the patient but his or her whole family.
Byron A. Melgar, MSW, LCSW, is a Behavioral Health Therapist at City of Hope® Cancer Center Chicago, where he works closely with patients and their loved ones to provide individual and family therapy. He also focuses much of his work on supporting the mental and emotional health of patients undergoing cancer treatment and the family members providing care and support for their loved ones.
“My goal is to provide both patients and family members with the emotional support they need to help them go through their cancer journey,” Melgar says. “At the end, it’s the time you spend with your loved ones that’s important.”
Over a 30-year career, Melgar has worked in a wide range of roles, including positions as a substance abuse counselor, a social worker and case manager for medical facilities and a counselor for unhoused individuals with mental health issues.
Melgar completed his undergraduate studies at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, then went on to earn his master’s in social work at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. He’s also a licensed pharmacy technician who holds a certification in delivering first aid and a certificate of leadership from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.
Married for over three decades, Melgar enjoys spending time with his three sons, helping navigate their futures. He also enjoys listening to music and serving his community.