Medical Social Worker, Social Services

Heywood Hospital•Gardner, MA

1d•$52,100 - $83,200

About The Position

The Medical Social Worker provides psychosocial assessment, counseling, advocacy, and discharge-planning services to patients and families. The role collaborates with patients, families, physicians, the multidisciplinary care team, insurers, referral sources, vendors, and community agencies to identify needs, coordinate appropriate services, and support continuity of care. The position reports directly to the Manager of Care Transitions and indirectly to the Unit Manager and Practice Leader. The Medical Social Worker conducts comprehensive assessments, identifies social, emotional, financial, and environmental barriers to care, responds to psychosocial crises, and provides short-term counseling and patient education. The role supports discharge planning and utilization review, participates in daily multidisciplinary rounds and weekly utilization review meetings, and conducts follow-up with high-risk patients after discharge. Documentation, case closure, statistical records, and other work must meet departmental, state, and federal requirements. This is a 40-hour-per-week position scheduled for days, Monday through Friday, with every other weekend. The stated salary range is $52,100–$83,200. The job requires an associate degree and Massachusetts social-work licensure; a bachelor's degree in social work or a related field is preferred.

Requirements

Associate degree required.
Massachusetts state social-work licensure required: LCSW, LSW, or LSWA.
One to three years of experience in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or community social/health agency.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Computer experience for data collection, report writing, and quality monitoring.
Ability to work with community agencies to mobilize resources.
Flexibility and adaptability to change.
Ability to assess behavioral-health needs and other psychosocial aspects of patient care, including health-related social needs.
Knowledge of assessment, counseling, and crisis-intervention techniques.
Required behavioral attributes include achievement motivation, concern for order, flexibility, initiative, self-confidence, customer-service orientation, interpersonal effectiveness, teamwork, analytical thinking, and information seeking.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in social work or a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

Keep department leaders informed of issues, trends, and needs weekly or more frequently as needed.
Work collaboratively with the unit team, respond promptly and respectfully, and cover for coworkers as requested by leadership.
Provide assigned services to the community through walk-in and telephone inquiries.
Conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments of patients and families, identifying social, emotional, financial, and environmental barriers, mental-health concerns, coping abilities, and support systems.
Complete assessments within 24–48 working hours of assignment and document according to departmental standards and applicable state and federal regulations.
Build rapport and communicate with physicians, healthcare team members, third-party payers, referral sources, and vendors to support discharge planning and customer service.
Conduct high-risk screening for patients on assigned units and complete HRSN screening within 24 working hours of case assignment.
Support discharge planning by identifying appropriate services and placements across the continuum of care and completing required documentation accurately and promptly.
Educate patients about their rights, care plans, processes, and resources to support informed decision-making.
Provide short-term counseling to patients and families coping with illness, trauma, grief, adjustment challenges, chronic illness, terminal diagnoses, or major life changes.
Respond to psychosocial crises, including domestic violence, abuse or neglect concerns, suicidal ideation, and family conflict.
Advocate for patients’ rights, dignity, and access to appropriate care, and address barriers related to social determinants of health.
Conduct post-discharge follow-up with high-risk patients to help reduce rehospitalization.
Complete discharge-planning assessments and coordinate discharge plans with patients and families or caregivers, taking patient preferences into account and documenting plans and transitions of care.
Notify providers when discharge plans are in place, determine anticipated readiness for discharge, and keep patients and families informed.
Participate in daily discharge-planning rounds and collaborate with the multidisciplinary team on patient needs, post-acute care, length-of-stay issues, resources, and referrals.
Work with the assigned RN Care Coordinator to provide clinical information for utilization review; participate in weekly utilization review meetings and initiate discharge planning at admission.
Participate in performance-improvement activities and assigned projects.
Maintain accurate statistical records for each closed case and complete a CM/SW discharge or closing note on the discharge date or next working day.
Perform other job-related duties as requested.