Medical Social Worker - Full Time, 40 hours per week - Advanced Illness Management - Battle Creek MI - $10k Sign On/Retention Bonus

Bronson Healthcare•Battle Creek, NE

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Social Worker provides palliative care social work services to patients and families affected by serious and life-limiting illness. The role supports patients across pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric populations, addressing psychosocial needs to maintain or improve quality of life. Services are strengths-based and grounded in biopsychosocial assessment, with interventions developed as part of an evolving interdisciplinary plan of care. The social worker follows assigned palliative care patients from assignment through development of a clinically appropriate and safe discharge plan, meeting routinely with patients and families to provide support and discharge-planning information. The role assesses emotional and psychosocial needs, strengths, coping, distress, grief risk, and environmental responsiveness; provides interventions and symptom-related support; connects patients and caregivers with community resources; and advocates for patients’ needs, decisions, rights, and access to quality care. The position also coordinates care and family meetings, referrals, follow-up support, and applicable financial or practical assistance. The Medical Social Worker collaborates with the palliative care and broader interdisciplinary teams, documents care in the medical record and EPIC, contributes to department policies and protocols, attends team and department meetings, and provides palliative care education to colleagues. The position requires specialized knowledge of palliative and end-of-life care, cultural competence, and continuing professional development. Hours may flex to team and patient needs, including weekend coverage approximately twice yearly and holiday rotation.

Requirements

Master of Social Work degree.
At least four years of combined experience in medical social work and hospice or palliative care.
Full Michigan social work licensure; a limited license is not acceptable.
Must obtain Hospice & Palliative Social Worker certification within 12–18 months of hire.
Master’s degree in counseling with Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Limited License Professional Counselor (LLPC) is also listed as required.
Excellent verbal and written communication, human relations, problem-solving, advocacy, assertiveness, and empathy skills.
Customer-service orientation and compassion and sensitivity toward clients, including respect for self-determination and dignity.
Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with patients, families, interdisciplinary team members, internal customers, and external organizations.
Effective interviewing, critical-thinking, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills.
Knowledge and understanding of cultural differences, traditions, values, and family systems as they relate to palliative and end-of-life care, and practice consistent with NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice.
Ability to use a computer for sustained periods; the posting describes computer or CRT use between 40% and 70% of the time.
Ability to regularly lift bulky or moderately heavy weights up to 50 pounds and occasionally assist with heavier tasks or exert equivalent effort in pushing, pulling, or handling objects.

Responsibilities

Assess patients’ and families’ psychosocial and emotional needs, strengths, coping skills, risk of psychosocial distress, and risk of complicated grief.
Meet routinely with assigned patients and families to provide support and information about discharge planning and the direction of care.
Develop and implement psychosocial interventions as part of the evolving comprehensive plan of care and in accordance with patient and family wishes.
Provide interventions for symptom relief, reduce risk of distress, and assess and manage psychosocial aspects of pain.
Screen for psychopathology and abuse, and provide education and intervention as appropriate.
Advocate for patients’ needs, decisions, rights, and access to quality palliative and end-of-life care.
Connect patients, families, and caregivers with community resources and make referrals to community agencies and healthcare specialists.
Develop plans of care, coordinate and schedule family meetings, and arrange appropriate follow-up treatment and support after discharge.
Obtain gas cards and meal passes for patients on service when applicable, and assist with community-service applications and financial-assistance information.
Collaborate and communicate with providers, chaplains, unit social workers, and other members of the interdisciplinary care team.
Document cases and enter appropriate information in the computer and patient chart, using EPIC sticky notes and DCP documentation to communicate with the care team.
Evaluate the efficacy of treatment interventions.
Participate in the development of departmental policies, procedures, and protocols.
Attend departmental meetings, daily palliative care team meetings, and monthly social work team meetings; present palliative care education annually to the social work department and two other departments.
Identify and provide for the learning needs of patients, families, and healthcare coworkers.
Maintain specialized knowledge of palliative and end-of-life care and cultural competence, and take responsibility for professional development.
Support a positive work climate and the overall efforts of the Social Work and Palliative Care departments.
Provide weekend coverage approximately twice each year and participate in holiday rotation.