LVAD Program Social Worker - EJGH

LCMC Health•Metairie, LA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Your job is more than a job. You’re a life preserver for countless patients because, as a Social Worker, you’re the hub of your patients’ multidisciplinary team advocating, assessing, counseling, and supporting individual psychosocial needs and discharge planning resources for complex medical problems. As your patient’s clinical care partner with expertise in care management, you’re a critical asset along the care journey identifying and overcoming barriers and offering resource options, in particular for chronically ill and end-of-life care. Through it all, you remain positive, upbeat and dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes. In the midst of emotional and physical pain and vulnerability, you’re a sanctuary of support and understanding as you celebrate the small victories. If it were your loved one, you’d expect nothing less, so you give so much more. We love that about you. Your experiences, knowledge, skills, empathy, compassion, and your “little something extra” all add up to you. And we’re excited to get to know you and find out what you’ll bring to this complex patient advocate and social worker role. Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) Social Workers conduct the psychosocial evaluation of a potential LVAD patient, including but not limited to: identifying social support for the patient and caregiver, compliance, mental health, coping skills, substance misuse/abuse, legal issues, understanding of MCS process, motivation for MCS, communication and learning style and the importance of body image. Additionally, MCS Social Workers seek to enhance the effective functioning and well-being of the VAD patient, their families, and their community through collaboration with multidisciplinary members of the circulatory clinical team in daily patient care, publishing and through education and advocacy. We follow our patients throughout their LVAD course of care, tailoring our interventions and resource allocation to the psychosocial assessment and the patient's overall goals. LVAD social workers also host support groups for patients and caregivers (contingent upon individual program practice), offer mental health support and referrals to mental health services in the community as needed. We also support the caregiver as much as we support the patients acknowledging the vital role they play in the success of the patient. Support a patient, their family/care team and their goals while working towards alignment with the medical team and treatment plans. In doing so, we explore the potential impacts behavioral patterns and Social Determinants of Health may have on a patient's adherence to medical management or a potential misalignment of their goals. LVAD Social workers are trained mental health clinicians who utilize modalities and clinical skillsets such as Motivational Interviewing, Family Systems Theory, Strengths Based Approach and Solution Focused Interventions and Grief Counseling. LVAD Social Workers assist the patient and family through the end of life phase of care both logistically and emotionally by collaborating with Palliative Care teams and facilitating family support within the heart failure team.

Requirements

Licensed Master Social Worker through the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners.

Nice To Haves

LVAD social workers are trained mental health clinicians who utilize modalities and clinical skillsets such as Motivational Interviewing, Family Systems Theory, Strengths Based Approach and Solution Focused Interventions and Grief Counseling.

Responsibilities

Assessment of patient’s psychosocial needs through intensive interviewing of patient and family members, conferring with interdisciplinary team and reviewing medical records.
Evaluate coping skills, cognitive and intellectual functioning, support systems, resources, other factors that could affect responses to illness, treatment and discharge plan.
Identify barriers and plans for intervention to overcome or lessen barriers to achieve outcome as evidenced by treatment plan.
Communicate findings, plan to interdisciplinary team and documents assessment, plan and interventions in medical records.
Provide crises intervention and supportive counseling for individuals experiencing a temporary or situational problem.
Assess cases of suspected elder, child, sexual or domestic abuse or neglect.
Comply with required reporting, according to state law and hospital policy.
Refer patients/families to appropriate community agencies for further intervention or counseling such as palliative or hospice services as needed and facilitate family meetings to help with decision making when there is disagreement or lack of clarity around goals of care and plan of care.
Facilitate interactions between staff and DCFS/EPS or other agencies.
Identify patients in assigned caseload with complex social and medical issues through case finding and referral process.
Review caseload with manager to share findings, needs, barriers and progress to discharge.
Evaluate financial assistance needs and eligibility and directs patients/family to appropriate community agencies which can assist in meeting financial needs, or providing food, shelter, transportation or other services.
Maintain a working knowledge of payor reimbursement requirements for post hospital services and community resources.
Demonstrate knowledge of legal rights advance directives and patient rights with ability to counsel/educate patients/families regarding patient rights, decision making and formulating advance directives.
Conduct the psychosocial evaluation of a potential LVAD patient, including but not limited to: identifying social support for the patient and caregiver, compliance, mental health, coping skills, substance misuse/abuse, legal issues, understanding of MCS process, motivation for MCS, communication and learning style and the importance of body image.
Enhance the effective functioning and well-being of the VAD patient, their families, and their community through collaboration with multidisciplinary members of the circulatory clinical team in daily patient care, publishing and through education and advocacy.
Follow patients throughout their LVAD course of care, tailoring interventions and resource allocation to the psychosocial assessment and the patient's overall goals.
Host support groups for patients and caregivers (contingent upon individual program practice), offer mental health support and referrals to mental health services in the community as needed.
Support the caregiver as much as supporting the patients acknowledging the vital role they play in the success of the patient.
Support a patient, their family/care team and their goals while working towards alignment with the medical team and treatment plans.
Explore the potential impacts behavioral patterns and Social Determinants of Health may have on a patient's adherence to medical management or a potential misalignment of their goals.
Assist the patient and family through the end of life phase of care both logistically and emotionally by collaborating with Palliative Care teams and facilitating family support within the heart failure team.