Licensed Social Worker - FT Days

Three Crosses Regional Hospital•Las Cruces, NM

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Three Crosses Regional Hospital is seeking a Licensed Social Worker committed to clinical excellence and building a patient-centered culture. This role, under the supervision of the Manager of Case Management, focuses on meeting the psychosocial needs of patients, assisting them in utilizing medical care and community resources to achieve optimal health. The Social Worker will conduct psychosocial assessments, coordinate care, provide discharge planning, offer crisis intervention, navigate resources, and support transitions of care for patients in the Emergency Department. The position requires adherence to high ethical standards and full support of the hospital's mission, vision, and values. The ideal candidate will be dedicated to patient safety and well-being within a high-reliability hospital environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree Social Work (BSW)
Current licensure as a LBSW Social Worker (bachelor level), LMSW Social Worker (master level), or LISW (Licensed Independent Social Worker) from the New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners.
BLS certification
Pass Fit Test
Meet all Employee Health Requirement
Demonstrates critical-thinking, time-management, assessment, and problem-solving skills.
Knowledge of care coordination, discharge planning, transitions of care, and community-resource navigation.
Knowledge of psychosocial assessment and social determinants of health.
Knowledge of SBIRT principles, brief intervention, motivational interviewing, and substance-use treatment and recovery resources.
Knowledge of behavioral health and crisis-intervention principles appropriate to the scope of the position.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced Emergency Department environment and prioritize multiple patient needs.
Excellent verbal and written communication, including timely and accurate documentation.
Excellent relationship management with patients, families, physicians, nursing, care providers, community agencies, and interdisciplinary team members.
Ability to organize and prioritize tasks.
Demonstrates patient-centered, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and professional communication.
Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries and patient confidentiality.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW)
2 years’ experience in an acute healthcare setting or case management experience
Experience with electronic and case management documentation systems; willing to train

Responsibilities

Provides psychosocial assessment, care coordination, discharge planning, crisis intervention, resource navigation, and transition-of-care support to patients presenting to the Emergency Department.
Assists in meeting the psychosocial needs of patients and enabling them to utilize medical care and community resources to achieve their optimal level of health.
Assesses patients for discharge-planning needs and assists with referrals to appropriate local, state, and community resources to facilitate safe and appropriate transitions from the Emergency Department.
Participates in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) activities for patients with identified or suspected alcohol and/or substance-use concerns.
Collaborates with Emergency Department physicians, nursing, Case Management, behavioral health providers, patients, families, post-acute providers, and community agencies to identify and address psychosocial and social determinants of health barriers.
Assumes an active care-coordination role and collaborates with the interdisciplinary Emergency Department team to identify and address psychosocial, behavioral, social, and discharge needs.
Performs psychosocial assessments and evaluates patient needs, including medical, psychological, behavioral, social, financial, environmental, caregiver, and community-resource factors.
Assesses patients for social determinants of health and other barriers that may interfere with a safe discharge or successful follow-up.
Initiates discharge planning from the Emergency Department and assists in developing safe, appropriate, and patient-centered discharge plans.
Assesses patients’ post-discharge needs and facilitates referrals and services necessary to address identified needs and promote continuity of care.
Coordinates appropriate community and post-acute services.
Facilitates transitions to the appropriate level of care or community setting.
Works collaboratively with the ED Case Manager, provider, nursing, and interdisciplinary team to identify and address barriers contributing to delays in discharge, repeat Emergency Department utilization, or potentially avoidable hospitalization.
Provides patients and families with education, resources, referrals, and contact information necessary to support the discharge and transition-of-care plan.
Supports Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) processes for patients with identified or suspected alcohol and/or substance-use concerns.
Completes or supports appropriate alcohol and substance-use screening utilizing hospital-approved screening tools.
Provides brief intervention using patient-centered communication and motivational interviewing techniques when indicated.
Assesses patient readiness for change and assists patients in identifying appropriate treatment, recovery, harm-reduction, and community resources.
Facilitates referral and, whenever feasible, a warm handoff to appropriate substance-use treatment and recovery resources.
Provides crisis intervention and supportive counseling within the scope of the Social Work position for patients and families experiencing acute illness, trauma, grief, loss, behavioral health concerns, substance-use concerns, or significant psychosocial stressors.
Assists with patients experiencing homelessness, housing instability, suspected abuse or neglect, interpersonal violence, exploitation, substance-use disorders, and other high-risk or vulnerable circumstances.
Follows applicable mandatory-reporting requirements and organizational policies related to suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or other reportable concerns.
Collaborates with appropriate community agencies, which may include Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, behavioral health providers, substance-use treatment programs, shelters, law enforcement, and other community organizations.
Maintains current knowledge of available local, state, and community resources and assists patients and families in navigating eligibility requirements and accessing appropriate services.
Develops and maintains collaborative working relationships with community agencies, behavioral health providers, substance-use treatment and recovery programs, shelters, transportation resources, post-acute providers, and other organizations supporting patients following Emergency Department discharge.
Identifies high-risk and high-utilization patients and assists with individualized resource coordination and connection to appropriate outpatient and community-based services.
Advocates for patient needs and promotes patient and family participation in care and discharge planning.
Ensures care coordination and discharge-planning activities support safe, appropriate, and cost-effective care without compromising patient safety or outcomes.
Documents psychosocial assessments, discharge-planning activities, SBIRT interventions, referrals, resources provided, patient/family communication, barriers, and outcomes accurately and timely in the electronic medical record.
Maintains patient confidentiality and complies with HIPAA, hospital policies, professional standards, and applicable federal and state requirements.
Participates in departmental and organizational performance-improvement activities related to ED throughput, discharge planning, transitions of care, social determinants of health, SBIRT, community-resource utilization, and avoidable Emergency Department utilization as assigned.
Attends staff meetings and interdisciplinary meetings as needed.
Performs other duties as assigned.