Social Services Assistant

Meadowbrook at Black River Falls•Black River Falls, WI

About The Position

The Social Services Assistant provides emotional and social support to residents and helps promote their happiness, quality of life, and overall wellbeing. Working with the facility’s interdisciplinary team and administration, this role supports resident rights, meets social service documentation and regulatory requirements, and addresses residents’ psychosocial needs throughout their stay and discharge. The position also supports residents’ families and significant others, provides education to residents and staff, coordinates referrals and discharge planning, and supervises students assigned to social services.

Responsibilities

Review facility policies and procedures with the interdisciplinary team to support compliance with state and federal regulations.
Participate in reviewing and setting policies concerning resident care and quality of life, and in developing facility social work policies.
Participate in interdisciplinary quality assurance meetings.
Meet government requirements for social service documentation and document progress in addressing residents’ psychosocial needs.
Work with the interdisciplinary team and administration to promote and protect resident rights and psychological wellbeing.
Prevent and address resident abuse as required by law and professional licensure.
Support residents, families, significant others, and staff in self-advocacy and efforts to improve quality of life and care.
Complete a social history and psychosocial assessment for each resident, identifying social, emotional, and psychological needs.
Participate in developing a written interdisciplinary plan of care identifying psychosocial needs, goals, and appropriate social worker interventions.
Provide or ensure therapeutic interventions that help residents cope with transition and adjustment to long-term care.
Provide or ensure support and education for residents and their families or significant others about placement and facility issues, and refer them to appropriate social service agencies when needed services are unavailable at the facility.
Provide groups for residents, family members, or significant others as appropriate to their needs.
Provide clinical interventions for catastrophic events during a resident’s stay.
Coordinate resident discharge planning and make referrals for appropriate home care services before residents return to the community.
Educate staff about the social worker’s role, residents’ psychosocial needs, aging, disability, cultural diversity, residents’ rights, and recognizing and preventing abuse, neglect, and mistreatment.
Educate residents and families or significant others about rights and responsibilities, effective problem solving, available community, health, and social services, and services relevant to discharge planning.
Supervise students assigned to social services according to their schools’ guidelines, and monitor and document their progress.