Social Services Assistant

PACS

3d • Onsite

About The Position

This role is responsible for assisting in the planning, development, organization, implementation, evaluation, and direction of the facility’s social service programs. The goal is to ensure that the medically related emotional and social needs of the resident are met and maintained on an individual basis, in accordance with current federal, state, and local standards, as well as established policies and procedures.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (BSW) required or a Bachelor’s Degree in a human services field (e.g., sociology, psychology, rehabilitation counseling, or gerontology) with one year of supervised social work experience in a health care setting, in accordance with federal regulations.
• Minimum of one year of supervised social work experience in a health care setting such as a hospital, nursing facility, hospice, or related program.
• Ability to read and understand procedure and instruction manuals and directions.
• Basic math skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Social work licensure (LSW, LMSW, LCSW, or state equivalent) if required by state law.
• Must meet all state and federal qualification standards for social workers in skilled nursing facilities.
• Completion of mandatory in-service trainings, including resident rights, abuse prevention, dementia training, and HIPAA, as required by the facility and state regulations.

Nice To Haves

• Prior long-term care or skilled nursing facility experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Social Service Director/Consultant in the planning, developing, organizing, implementing, evaluating, and directing of the social service programs of this facility.
• Meet with administration, medical and nursing staff, and other related departments in planning social services, as directed.
• Assist in the development, administering, and coordinating of department policies and procedures.
• Review department policies and procedures at least annually and participate in making recommended changes.
• Assist in developing and implementing policies and procedures for identifying the medically related social and emotional needs of the resident.
• Participate in community planning related to the interests of the facility and the services and needs of the resident and family.
• Assist residents in achieving the highest practicable level of self-care, independence, and well-being.
• Assist with providing medically related social services so that the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each resident is attained or maintained.
• Perform administrative requirements, such as completing necessary forms, reports, etc., and submitting such to the Director.
• Provide information to resident/families regarding Medicare/Medicaid and other financial assistance programs available to the resident.
• Provide consultation to staff members, community agencies, etc., in efforts to solve the needs and problems of the resident through the development of social service programs.
• Record and maintain regular Social Service progress notes indicating response to the treatment plan and/or adjustment to institutional life.
• Coordinate social service activities with other departments as necessary.
• Work with emotional problems including assisting resident/family with anxieties and stress caused by illness and admission to the facility, difficulties in coping with residual physical disabilities, fears related to helplessness and death, and the need for institutional and specialized care.
• Evaluate social and family information and assist in determining the plan for social treatment.
• Meet with department personnel on a regularly scheduled basis to assist in identifying and correcting problem areas and/or the improvement of services.
• Assist in obtaining resources from community social, health, and welfare agencies to meet the needs of the resident.
• Assist in making outpatient appointments as ordered and schedule on-site ancillary patient services to include optometry, podiatry, dentistry, and psychiatric services.
• Assist in discharge planning with appropriate agencies, entities, or individuals, to include agency services, equipment, and agency referrals.
• Develop and maintain a good working rapport with other departments within the facility and outside community health, welfare, and social agencies to assure that social service programs can be properly maintained to meet the needs of the residents.
• Assist in the development of and participate in regularly scheduled orientation and in-service training programs related to the social, emotional, and medical needs of the residents.
• Assist in the development of the department’s budget.
• Report suspected or known incidents of fraud relative to false billings, cost reports, kickbacks, etc.
• Maintain the confidentiality of all resident care information, including protected health information.
• Report known or suspected incidents of unauthorized disclosure of such information.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level