Care Manager - Inpatient - PRN

Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital•Grand Rapids, MI

About The Position

Mary Free Bed is seeking an experienced Social Worker for a PRN inpatient Care Manager resource position. The role provides flexible, as-needed coverage with no guaranteed hours and pays $43 per hour. The Care Manager provides care management services to patients and families throughout the rehabilitation process, supporting optimal functioning and effective transitions from inpatient care to community-based services. The position maintains current clinical practice through continuing education, research, and program development. Mary Free Bed is a not-for-profit, nationally accredited rehabilitation hospital offering inpatient, outpatient, sub-acute rehabilitation, orthotics and prosthetics, and home and community programs. Its mission is restoring hope and freedom through rehabilitation. The organization describes its culture as focused on patient care, clinical variety, family culture, trust, and a proud tradition of service. The position requires a current professional license in the area of practice from the State of Michigan. A current Social Worker license is required for the stated applicant profile; limited-license candidates may be considered if supervision is not required. The role requires a qualifying degree in nursing, social work, counseling, or an equivalent accredited care-management degree, along with three years of care-manager experience in a health care setting. Acute rehabilitation experience is preferred. The Care Manager also supports program operations, staff orientation and training, and student internships as appropriate. The role requires collaboration with patients, families, rehabilitation teams, external providers, case managers, and funding sources, while maintaining confidentiality and promoting patient advocacy and self-determination.

Requirements

A qualifying degree as a Registered Nurse, a Master of Social Work, or a Master of Counseling from an accredited school; equivalent degrees are accepted if granted by an accredited care-management school.
Current professional license from the State of Michigan in the area of practice. The posting specifies a current Social Worker license for applicants; limited-license candidates may be considered if supervision is not required.
Three years of experience as a care manager in a health care setting.
Competence in an identified area of clinical expertise.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to express oneself clearly, concisely, and professionally.
Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with interdisciplinary team members and families.
Excellent time-management and organizational skills.
Ability to function in a self-directed manner.
Ability to make sound, collaborative decisions within short timeframes.
Analytical and strong problem-solving skills.
Ability to work effectively and efficiently under tight deadlines, high volumes, and multiple interruptions.
Ability to demonstrate knowledge of growth and development across the lifespan and assess and interpret information relevant to age-specific patient needs.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in acute rehabilitation.
Experience in interdisciplinary team management.

Responsibilities

Provide care management services to patients and families throughout the rehabilitation process.
Conduct initial psychosocial assessments of patient and family functioning, adjustment to disability, health literacy, and coping skills.
Educate patients and families to facilitate adjustment, problem solving, and the development and implementation of discharge or transition plans.
Communicate with patients and families or other supports to encourage participation in developing and carrying out the plan of care.
Serve as an internal case manager and liaise with external case managers, providers, and funding sources to support patient satisfaction, quality, and cost-effective outcomes.
Coordinate transitions from inpatient care to community-based services, including outpatient rehabilitation, home care, hospice, school, vocational rehabilitation, and counseling.
Oversee patient follow-up to support durable outcomes.
Document patient and family status, progress, and discharge status through initial evaluations, progress notes, and discharge summaries according to established time standards.
Identify complex discharge and transition needs early and help patients and families obtain resources, including non-covered medications, home modifications, and non-funded equipment.
Help ensure access to needed follow-up primary care and medications at discharge, including assistance locating funding when needed to reduce the likelihood of rehospitalization.
Educate patients and families about evidence-based practices for complex or chronic disease management across the continuum of care.
Communicate patient and family needs, preferences, resources, funding issues, and transition status to the rehabilitation team.
Participate actively in inpatient team conferences and represent the needs, preferences, and resources of patients and families.
Identify when family conferences are needed and facilitate them to align patient and family preferences with rehabilitation goals and interventions.
Act as a patient advocate and maintain patient confidentiality.
Educate patients, families, and health care team members about treatment options, community resources, insurance benefits, psychosocial concerns, and case management.
Promote patient self-advocacy, choice, and self-determination, and educate patients and families about appropriate use of health care services.
Support quality of care and cost effectiveness on a case-by-case basis.
Provide discipline-specific coverage within the Mary Free Bed System as requested.
Participate in orientation and training of new staff and supervise student internships as appropriate.
Support program operations as assigned.
Demonstrate excellent customer service and standards of behavior; encourage, coach, and monitor these standards in team members.
Promote teamwork and direct communication with co-workers, and handle confidential information discreetly and sensitively.
Identify quality-improvement problems and seek solutions; support patient and family satisfaction and departmental customer-service monitoring and reporting.
Demonstrate age-specific knowledge and skills necessary to assess and provide appropriate care to patients across the lifespan.