About the position
This role focuses on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of patients and can provide services if necessary. In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Social Work duties: Provides social work assistance to patients and families relating to illness, disease, hospitalization and life events in all areas of service as a member of multi-disciplinary team and in liaison with community resources. Responsibilities also include identification, assessment, and coordination of cases and anticipation of needs related to illness, hospitalization, finances, education, and home/community service. A professional individual contributor role that may direct the work of other lower level professionals or manage processes and programs. The majority of time is spent overseeing the design, implementation or delivery of processes, programs and policies using specialized knowledge and skills typically acquired through advanced education. An entry level role that applies broad theoretical job knowledge typically obtained through advanced education. May require the following proficiency: work is closely supervised, problems faced are not typically difficult or complex, and explains facts, policies and practices related to job area.
Responsibilities
- Provide psychosocial assessment of the individual and family, including limitations, deficits and strengths in their current situation and environment, as well as functional level.
- Conduct a psychiatric social work assessment according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
- Develop treatment plans with appropriate and competent interventions.
- Responsible for psychosocial assessment and intervention in crisis situations that often involve issues of suicide, homicide, family violence, elder or child abuse.
- Clinically assess the patient's needs for long-term care, evaluate the home and family situation, help the patient and family to develop an in-home care plan, explore alternatives to in-home care and arrange for placement if necessary.
- Provide treatment, therapy, psycho-education and/or counseling utilizing individual, family or group modalities.
- Provide information, referral and creative resource acquisition for specific individual and family needs both within the Hospital and in the community as indicated.
- Assist patients/families to understand psychosocial factors impeding their maximal utilization of hospital and community resources.
- Collaborate with and provide psychosocial consultation to the health care team to promote a smooth, coordinated plan of care.
- Aid the team in understanding and integrating the significance of psychosocial factors in relation to patient's illness, treatment and recovery.
- Identify psychosocial issues that may impede progress.
- Make recommendations to the team regarding patient/family care and management.
- Assist health care team to assist patient/family level of understanding to make informed decisions.
- Provide medical social services to the patient’s family member or caregiver on a short-term basis when necessary.
- Treat patients and families with dignity and respect at all times.
- Provide outreach, case finding/screening for high-risk issues that may impact on patient's progress.
- Assist with discharge planning issues to ensure continuity of care.
- Consult, collaborate and communicate with a wide range of social, governmental and legal agencies.
- Serve as a patient/family advocate with a variety of systems both internally and externally as required.
- Ensure clinical documentation is complete and according to departmental standards.
- Initiate policy and program development in specific service area or team.
- Engage in regularly scheduled meetings, programs and activities of the Department.
- Participate in social work professional education, supervision and teaching activities.
- Maintain collaborative, team relationships with peers and colleagues.
- Conduct quality improvement activities and research regarding service delivery and effectiveness of interventions.
- Conduct or participate in professional organizations, grant writing, teaching, public presentations, seminars and workshops.
- Ensure compliance within guidelines set forth by regulatory agencies.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in Social Work.
- Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW).
