Lead Social Services Consultant

Esperanza Health Center•Philadelphia, PA

6d•$21 - $24•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Social Services Consultant performs all of the same functions as a Social Services Consultant (SSC), and also fulfills an important leadership role within the team. As valued members of our care team, SSCs meet directly with patients in person or over the phone, to address patient needs. SSCs assist patients in signing up for medical insurance, and help to link them to many needed services in the community (including transportation assistance, food assistance, and referrals for help with utility bills, legal issues, etc.). SSCs work closely with the medical, behavioral and community health departments to serve our patients in a collaborative and holistic way. This innovative model of care is designed to reduce barriers and maximize access to services for those in our community. The Lead Social Services Consultant additionally provides overall leadership to the Social Services team, working closely with the supervisor to provide mentorship and training to other SSCs, and to identify and implement opportunities to improve service delivery.

Requirements

Must possess High School diploma
Must be able to communicate in fluent English and fluent Spanish
Must have at least two years social services or related experience.
Must be able to obtain/maintain any required federal and state certifications as an Affordable care Act Certified Application Counselor and certification through AACO
Demonstrated knowledge of health care and related systems, churches and community organizations, especially those with focus on the Latino community
Demonstrated interpersonal skills and cultural competence, including interacting respectfully and politely, even with those who are impolite
Demonstrated ability to remain calm in a chaotic situation
Demonstrated ability to work on teams, handle multiple details and priorities, and organize/process details
Possess a solid record re confidentiality and demonstrate trustworthiness, honesty in all transactions
Possess positive character and professional references
Ability to travel to and work at all EHC sites as assigned

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree, preferred (degree in social work or related human services field).

Responsibilities

Responsible for a caseload of patients assigned by supervisor
Facilitate patient access to resources to address ancillary issues within medical context
Respond quickly to urgent/emergent needs
Plan and execute appropriate patient follow-up, including special emphasis for patients involved with HIV or other care management at EHC.
Demonstrate appropriate professional boundaries with patients
End patient appointments on time with both kindness and firmness
Assume tasks that are within scope of SSM role only
Maintain patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and EHC standards outlined in the EHC Employee Handbook
Proactively pursue health insurance options for uninsured patients, completing, recording and submitting all education, assistance, and enrollment efforts.
Follow up to assist patients who have applied for insurance but are experiencing barriers to obtaining insurance.
Meet HIV testing and counseling guidelines as established by EHC instructor
Be available for testing as assigned
Demonstrate effective teamwork skills
Actively participate in Care Team Conference, being prepared to discuss patients
Document patient records within 24 hours of contact with or on behalf of patients, including face-to-face, phone, or collateral contact; HIV testing and counseling, referrals
Complete all required HIV or other specialized documents according to timelines provided
Monitor outstanding referrals in a timely manner, documenting same
Be available to represent EHC at community and EHC events
Initiate or participate in internal efforts which focus on a specific area of patient need, potentially collaborating with EHC clinicians, Behavioral Health Consultants, other staff
Function as a liaison with agencies to increase occasions for integration of services
Meet with community organizations to network and learn new resources
Travel to local medical facilities, such as hospitals, to deliver checks or other documents needed to facilitate patient care.
Provide spiritual intervention: share scriptures and hope and salvation in Jesus Christ, pray with patients, refer patients to churches and EHC Chaplains
Serve all patients in a Christ-like manner, even spiritually disinterested patients, with respect, humility, love, and self-control.
Participate in the development and identification of resources for patients and others
Disseminate resource information to staff and patients which may benefit patients
Obtain/maintain any required federal and state certification as an Affordable Care Act Certified Application Counselor within timeline and deadlines
Obtain HIV counseling certification through AACO as scheduled by supervisor or designee
Obtain/maintain fingerprinting and clearances as required under PA Act 7 within timeline
Participate actively and productively in individual and group supervision as scheduled
Commensurate with experience and skills, identify and resolve problems without unusual need for supervisory input
Attend training as assigned to expand expertise regarding patient needs and resources
Learn about social service trends and effectively prepare to meet anticipated changes
Participate in devotions, prayer meeting, all staff meeting and trainings, and retreats regularly
Adhere to the standards and rules of conduct as set forth in the EHC Employee Handbook
Suggest improvements to EHC and work to help implement improvement
Complete other duties as assigned