Pediatric Social Worker (Per Diem, Days)

Nicklaus Children's Hospital • Miami, FL

2d

About The Position

Provides social work services to pediatric patients and families to maximize the benefit of health care services and support adjustment to diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and transition to home and community. Provides emotional support, advocacy, and community referrals. The role includes psychosocial assessment, treatment planning, crisis intervention, discharge planning, documentation, family support, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.

The social worker manages an assigned caseload, responds to urgent and complex situations, and supports families facing difficult decisions, including end-of-life concerns. The position also contributes to departmental and hospital initiatives, supports onboarding of colleagues, and may provide field instruction or task supervision to Social Work students.

Requirements

• Master's Degree in Social Work.
• Maintain active CPR HEART certification throughout employment.
• Ability to adapt and react calmly in stressful situations.
• Ability to complete thorough initial assessments.
• Strong patient and family advocacy skills.
• Knowledge of diverse cultural and spiritual perspectives regarding death and bereavement.
• Knowledge of community resource systems, diverse treatment approaches, Florida state laws regarding child abuse and domestic violence, Baker Act procedures, HIV/AIDS-related guidelines, and Social Work theories and practices.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive, protected health information.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English.
• Able to assume on-call, holiday, and weekend back-up responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

• One year of internship or work experience in an acute health care-related field; a Social Work setting is highly preferred.
• One year of experience in a pediatric health care setting preferred.
• Direct work experience with families preferred.
• Previous training focused on end-of-life decisions, grief, and bereavement preferred.
• Expertise in crisis intervention and risk assessment preferred.
• Expertise in pediatric growth and development, including issues related to adolescence, preferred.
• Expertise in coordinating and facilitating support groups preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

Responsibilities

• Complete in-depth psychosocial assessment interviews and formulate treatment plans, establish supportive relationships with families, and provide therapeutic interventions.
• Conduct comprehensive pre-discharge screenings within 24 hours of admission to identify needs.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary team members, including case managers, to implement safe, timely, cost-effective discharge plans or transfers.
• Keep families informed about completed and pending interventions and provide realistic options.
• Document in the electronic health record within 24 hours of communicating with patients or families, enter team-oriented follow-up notes, and generate Social Work activity reports when requested.
• Make decisions independently, consult a supervisor or director regarding complex cases, discuss pertinent cases with fellow social workers, and provide thorough case-transfer information to peers on the next shift.
• Manage the assigned caseload and prioritize cases by urgency, acuity, and impact on families; assist with off-service assignments, rotations, and departmental scheduling or staffing needs.
• Respond promptly to crises, address end-of-life concerns, support families facing difficult decisions, monitor completion of death-packet content, make timely referrals to Life Alliance, and assist families with funeral resources.
• Take the lead in trauma, child abuse or neglect, human trafficking, and domestic violence situations, and report cases to appropriate protective service agencies according to hospital policy.
• Respond to requests for information and referrals and serve as a resource to families and team members about Social Work services and community agencies.
• Participate in departmental and hospital projects, activities, committees, initiatives, leadership councils, and supportive or educational endeavors.
• Participate in the orientation of new social workers, interns, and multidisciplinary team members; when indicated, serve as a field instructor or task supervisor for Social Work students.

What This Job Offers