Master Social Worker - MSW

Fresenius Medical Care•Broussard, LA

About The Position

Provides psychosocial services to patients treated by the facility, including in-center and home dialysis patients when applicable. Uses social work theory and accepted methods of social work practice to promote positive adjustment, rehabilitation, and improved quality of life. Works with the interdisciplinary health care team to support staff understanding of the emotional, psychological, and behavioral effects of Chronic Kidney Disease on patients and families, and contributes to quality indicators, quality assessment and improvement activities, patient satisfaction, and quality of life outcomes. Assesses patients’ psychosocial status, strengths, and needs; participates in care planning; provides monitoring, counseling, education, and social work interventions; and helps patients access community resources and rehabilitation programs. Supports patients and families with treatment decisions, advance directives, transplant referrals, rights and responsibilities, and psychosocial issues related to End Stage Renal Disease. Documents interventions and participates in quality reviews and improvement activities. Supports patient admission and continuity of care, including reviewing facility information, identifying concerns related to discharge requests, and coordinating with operational leadership. Collaborates with insurance coordinators and provides patients with information about coverage and financial assistance. May support staff training, resource-list maintenance, interviews, and team huddles. The role has no supervisory responsibilities. Travel may be required when supporting multiple facilities.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work.
Must hold the state-required license.
2–5 years of related experience.

Responsibilities

Assess patients’ psychosocial status, strengths, and needs that may affect rehabilitation and treatment outcomes.
Collaborate with patients and the interdisciplinary health care team on care planning and interventions to support treatment goals and quality of life.
Use patient education programs, social work methods, focused interventions, and quality-of-life measurement instruments to identify and address barriers to care.
Monitor patients and provide interventions to support adjustment to dialysis and optimal psychosocial status and quality of life.
Provide supportive counseling within the scope of clinical training and state licensure, and provide goal-directed counseling to patients seeking transplant.
Help patients and the care team access community resources, including home health services and vocational rehabilitation.
Maintain knowledge of local vocational and educational rehabilitation programs and assist patients with referrals and access.
Assess patient awareness of advance directives, provide access to relevant forms and information, and facilitate discussions when needed.
Participate with the physician and nurse in discussions of patient DNR status to support informed decisions.
Document social work interactions and interventions and follow applicable social work and patient-function policies.
Provide psychosocial support and social work interventions addressing non-adherence, quality outcomes, and quality-of-life concerns based on patient acuity.
Participate in monthly interdisciplinary quality review meetings and report on adherence, missed or shortened treatments, quality-of-life trends, and service recovery.
Assess patients’ kidney-disease knowledge and barriers to treatment adherence, and tailor education to patients’ learning styles, communication barriers, and needs.
Provide information about treatment modalities and support transplant referrals and waitlist management with the interdisciplinary team.
Educate patients and families about psychosocial issues related to ESRD and available support services.
Review patient rights and responsibilities, grievance information, and facility policies with patients or their representatives.
Collaborate with the team on quality assessment and improvement activities.
Review admission materials and address patients’ immediate needs and concerns.
Support the referral and admission process, including scheduling that promotes adherence and adjustment.
Interview patients requesting discharge to identify underlying concerns and share them with operational leadership.
Liaise with insurance coordinators to address patient insurance issues and provide information about dialysis payment and assistance programs.
Notify insurance coordinators of patient-status changes that may affect coverage and refer treatment-billing questions to the patient billing solutions department.
Assist with interviews and hiring decisions when requested by the Social Work Manager or Senior Manager.
Work with administrative support staff to maintain current patient resource lists.
Provide staff training on psychosocial topics as needed and participate in weekly team huddles.
Discuss urgent patient issues with staff and adhere to caseload guidelines based on state regulatory requirements.
Perform other related duties as assigned.