Medical Social Worker - Children's Physicians - 30 hrs/wk

Children's Hospital & Medical Center•Lincoln, NE

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Provides patients and caregivers with psychosocial and therapeutic support under provisional supervision, addressing health, well-being, and safety. Services may include longitudinal case management or support for a specific encounter, with the aim of promoting positive health outcomes and reducing barriers to care. The role provides supportive counseling, patient support, assessments, referrals, and resource connections, and builds professional relationships with patients, caregivers, and team members to support coordinated care. The position conducts psychosocial, mental health, safety, transplant, and needs assessments; supports families facing complex medical or social needs; and collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on care planning. It provides crisis intervention, counseling, coaching, mental health screening follow-up, and assessment and coordination in child abuse and neglect cases. The role also contributes to hospital Social Work coverage, including on-call and in-house shifts as needed, and provides consultation on legal issues and State Wards. The Social Worker supports colleagues and team operations through coverage coordination, onboarding and training assistance, student education and supervision activities, and weekly provisional supervision. This is a benefit-eligible position working 30 hours per week on a set Monday–Friday schedule between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work from an accredited college or university.
Current Provisional Master Social Worker license in Nebraska, required upon hire.
Current Provisional Mental Health Practitioner license in Nebraska, required upon hire.
Knowledge of human behavior, social problems, counseling modalities, and community resources.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing with patients, families, physicians, other healthcare professionals, attorneys, and law enforcement as needed.
Ability to maintain a flexible schedule and adjust availability to meet patient and hospital needs.

Nice To Haves

1–3 years of supervised experience as a Social Worker in a clinical setting.
Medical Social Work experience.

Responsibilities

Conduct psychosocial, mental health, safety, transplant, and other needs assessments under provisional supervision.
Screen patients and caregivers in assigned areas, particularly those with a new chronic illness diagnosis, complex medical or social needs, or safety concerns.
Establish professional working relationships with patients, caregivers, and team members.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and facilitate discussions to understand medical, emotional, and safety needs and advocate for care plans that account for family functioning.
Formulate patient goals and monitor care-plan progress using strength-based interventions.
Assess high-risk families, intervene on safety and mental health concerns, and communicate with the care team to support a safe environment.
Identify family strengths, barriers, and Social Drivers of Health; share resources and advocate for access to needed services.
Maintain knowledge of community resources and provide referrals for patient and caregiver needs.
Provide crisis and supportive counseling and coaching, including support related to child development, well-child needs, problem-solving, adjustment to illness, and long-term illness management.
Provide interventions informed by the effects of health and disease on social well-being, and use crisis intervention and de-escalation strategies.
Respond to positive mental health screenings with risk assessments, initial interventions, resources, education, and referrals for ongoing treatment and support.
Assess safety and risk in child abuse and neglect cases; communicate findings and recommendations to the team.
Facilitate Child Protective Services and law enforcement reporting and communicate with CPS, law enforcement, and the county attorney’s office as needed.
Collaborate with the Child Advocacy Team and prepare or present cases at meetings as needed.
Share responsibility for 24-hour hospital Social Work coverage by covering on-call and in-house shifts as needed; respond to requests and consults within expected timeframes.
Report in-house when warranted or requested by a provider and adjust availability to meet patient and hospital needs.
Consult with Compliance Officer or Legal Counsel as necessary, document legal circumstances in the patient record, support continuity of care for State Wards, and coordinate with HIM on legal documents.
Assist with onboarding and training new team members as directed by leadership.
Support the Social Work student program through education, task supervision, shadowing, and/or research project leadership.
Cover for Social Work colleagues and arrange coverage for responsibilities during absences.
Attend weekly provisional supervision in compliance with licensure expectations.
Communicate coverage needs and maintain appropriate Outlook calendars to facilitate time-off and coverage coordination.