Master Social Worker - MSW

Fresenius Medical Care • East Peoria, IL

1d

About The Position

The Master Social Worker provides psychosocial services to in-center and, where applicable, home dialysis patients. Working as part of the interdisciplinary healthcare team, the social worker supports patient adjustment, rehabilitation, treatment outcomes, and quality of life. The role also informs and supports staff on the emotional, psychological, and behavioral effects of Chronic Kidney Disease on patients and families, and contributes to quality indicators, patient satisfaction, and quality improvement activities. This is an entry-level MSW position.

The social worker assesses patients’ psychosocial strengths and needs, participates in collaborative care planning, provides appropriate counseling and education, and connects patients with community and rehabilitation resources. The role supports patients with dialysis adjustment, transplant referrals, advance care planning, treatment adherence, and continuity of care. It also addresses insurance and financial-assistance questions in coordination with insurance staff, contributes to quality reviews and staff education, and maintains required documentation and policy compliance.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Social Work.
• State-required license and compliance with applicable state scope-of-practice and licensure requirements.
• 0–2 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 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 in assessment and care planning.
• Monitor patients’ adjustment to dialysis and provide supportive counseling within the scope of clinical training and state licensure.
• Provide goal-directed counseling and education to patients seeking transplantation, facilitate transplant referrals, and collaborate on waitlist management.
• Refer patients to community resources, including home health services and vocational or educational rehabilitation programs.
• Assess patient awareness of advance directives and help facilitate access to information and discussions with the healthcare team and family or support persons.
• 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 focused interventions addressing non-adherence, quality outcomes, and quality-of-life concerns.
• Participate in monthly quality review meetings and report on indicators such as missed or shortened treatments, quality-of-life trends, and service recovery.
• Assess patients’ kidney-disease knowledge and tailor education to their learning style, communication barriers, and needs.
• Provide information about treatment modalities, ESRD-related psychosocial issues, and available support services.
• Review patient rights and responsibilities, grievance information, and facility policies with patients or representatives.
• Collaborate with the team on quality assessment and improvement activities.
• Support patient admission and continuity of care by reviewing required handouts and policies, addressing immediate concerns, and supporting scheduling needs.
• Interview patients requesting discharge to identify underlying concerns and share them with operational leadership.
• Coordinate with insurance staff on coverage issues, payment options, changes in patient status affecting insurance, and referrals to patient billing solutions.
• Assist with hiring interviews and decisions when requested by social work leadership.
• Maintain updated patient resource lists with administrative support staff.
• Provide staff training on psychosocial topics as needed, participate in weekly team huddles, and discuss urgent patient issues with staff.
• Follow caseload guidelines based on state regulatory requirements and perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Potential performance-based bonuses, depending on company and individual performance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level