Hospice Social Worker

Compassus•Round Rock, TX

14d

About The Position

The Hospice Social Worker provides preventive, educational, evaluative, and treatment services to meet the psychosocial needs of patients and families and help them improve, restore, and maintain their maximum level of coping. The role uses community resources and the interdisciplinary team (IDT) to support this work. The Social Worker explains hospice services and Medicare benefits, provides psychosocial counseling and support, completes initial and ongoing psychosocial assessments, helps coordinate care with the IDT, and maintains current care plans and timely documentation. The role also addresses concerns such as finances, insurance, living arrangements, caregiver stress, grief, and community resources; facilitates long-term-care placement when warranted; participates in facility care-planning meetings; and supports advance planning. Candidates must meet the applicable education, healthcare experience, and state licensure requirements. The role involves routine clinical work in healthcare settings, including exposure to bodily fluids and infectious diseases, and use of standard medical equipment and tools. Physical demands include regular standing and walking, manual dexterity, and lifting or moving objects up to 50 pounds. Adaptations can be made to accommodate team members with disabilities.

Requirements

Master of Social Work (MSW) from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited program and at least 1 year of healthcare experience.
Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field and 1 year of healthcare experience may be considered in locations where an MSW is available to supervise.
Hold state licensure as required and applicable in the state of practice; Texas examples listed are LBSW, LMSW, LCSW, or LICSW.
Ability to perform basic arithmetic, including calculations involving rates, ratios, and percentages.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations.
Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals; strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from leaders, team members, investors, and external parties.
Ability to understand, read, write, and speak English.
Ability to articulate and embrace the hospice philosophy.
Ability to perform the role’s physical and clinical-setting demands, with adaptations available for team members with disabilities.

Responsibilities

Explain hospice services and Medicare benefits to patients and families; obtain informed consent and election-of-benefits documents as requested.
Submit appropriate documentation and paperwork to facilities after patient visits, in a timely manner according to company policy.
Participate in the interdisciplinary team (IDT), including development and implementation of the plan of care.
Provide psychosocial support and counseling to patients and families, and support use of external counseling resources as appropriate to their needs and the scope of practice.
Help identify when intervention from other IDT members is needed.
Communicate patient and family needs effectively to the IDT.
Collaborate with the IDT to coordinate psychosocial care and support and ensure care appropriateness, continuity, and quality.
Maintain comprehensive, up-to-date care plans reflecting patients’ current problems, goals, and interventions.
Respect families’ environments and belief systems and provide nondiscriminatory care.
Complete initial and ongoing psychosocial assessments and address concerns related to finances, insurance, living arrangements or long-term-care placement, caregiver stress, pre-bereavement and anticipatory grief, and community resources.
Facilitate long-term-care placement when warranted and monitor the patient’s adjustment.
Participate in care-planning meetings at long-term-care facilities.
Support and facilitate advance planning, including living will and power-of-attorney documents, funeral arrangements, memorial services, and body or organ donation.
Perform other duties as assigned.