Social Services Director

Indiana Fitness Works•Winchester, IN

About The Position

The Social Services Director plans, coordinates, and oversees the facility’s social services program to support residents’ psychosocial well-being, dignity, independence, rights, and quality of life. The role provides leadership in resident assessments, care planning, discharge planning, family communication, community resource coordination, and regulatory compliance. The Director collaborates with facility leadership and interdisciplinary teams, residents, and families to ensure appropriate social services based on individual needs and applicable Indiana and federal requirements. The Director manages the department’s daily operations, procedures, staffing, documentation, quality expectations, and staff training and supervision. The role coordinates psychosocial assessments and individualized care plans; advocates for resident rights and responds to grievances; supports admissions, transitions, and discharge planning; connects residents and families with community resources; coordinates psychosocial support for dementia, behavioral health, and emotional needs; and monitors regulatory compliance and quality assurance activities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work (BSW) or Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from an appropriately accredited program.
At least one year of supervised social services experience in a healthcare setting working directly with individuals, consistent with applicable Indiana requirements.
Knowledge of resident rights, psychosocial assessments, interdisciplinary care planning, discharge planning, and community resources.
Strong leadership, communication, organization, conflict-resolution, and documentation skills.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive resident and family matters professionally.
Ability to work collaboratively with residents, families, facility leadership, and interdisciplinary teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience in skilled nursing, long-term care, rehabilitation, geriatrics, or a comparable healthcare environment.
MSW degree and relevant long-term care leadership experience.
Experience supervising social services staff or coordinating department operations.
Knowledge of the Minimum Data Set (MDS), care area assessments, and interdisciplinary care planning.
Familiarity with Medicare and Medicaid eligibility, long-term care benefits, guardianship, advance directives, and community-based services.
Experience supporting residents with dementia and other cognitive or behavioral health needs.

Responsibilities

Manage and oversee the daily operations of the Social Services Department.
Establish department procedures, workflows, documentation standards, and quality expectations.
Ensure appropriate staffing, coverage, and delivery of social services based on resident needs and applicable regulations.
Train, supervise, and evaluate social services staff and designees, as applicable.
Maintain department records, reports, and documentation for internal audits and regulatory surveys.
Collaborate with facility leadership to address concerns, resolve barriers to care, and improve resident outcomes.
Complete or coordinate psychosocial assessments upon admission and as required by changes in resident condition or facility policy.
Identify residents’ emotional, social, cultural, financial, behavioral, and family support needs.
Develop, implement, review, and update individualized care plans.
Participate in interdisciplinary care plan meetings and ensure social services interventions are documented.
Support residents as they adjust to the facility, changes in independence, chronic illness, cognitive impairment, and end-of-life concerns.
Promote resident dignity, privacy, choice, autonomy, and participation in care decisions.
Respond to resident grievances, concerns, complaints, and requests for assistance.
Help residents understand facility policies, resident rights, and available resources.
Assist with family concerns, communication challenges, and conflict resolution.
Follow facility procedures and applicable reporting requirements for suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or other safety concerns.
Coordinate the social services components of admission, transfer, discharge, and relocation.
Assess barriers to safe discharge, including housing, caregiver support, financial resources, transportation, and access to medications or follow-up care.
Coordinate referrals to home health, hospice, community agencies, behavioral health providers, and other services as appropriate.
Educate residents and families regarding discharge options and community resources.
Document discharge planning, resident preferences, referrals, and follow-up arrangements.
Serve as a point of contact for residents’ families and representatives regarding psychosocial needs and available services.
Facilitate family meetings and care conferences.
Connect residents and families with Medicare, Medicaid, benefits assistance, transportation, counseling, and other community resources.
Promote meaningful family involvement and continued relationships with the community.
Coordinate with external agencies and healthcare providers to support continuity of care.
Coordinate appropriate psychosocial interventions for residents living with dementia, depression, anxiety, grief, or adjustment difficulties.
Support families experiencing caregiver stress and changes in residents’ cognitive or functional abilities.
Collaborate with nursing and other disciplines on person-centered approaches to behavioral and psychosocial needs.
Make referrals for specialized assessment or treatment when needs fall outside the department’s scope of practice.
Support advance care planning and end-of-life referrals in collaboration with residents, representatives, and the interdisciplinary team.
Maintain compliance with applicable Indiana long-term care regulations, federal nursing facility requirements, resident rights protections, and facility policies.
Participate in quality assurance and performance improvement activities.
Monitor the timeliness and completeness of assessments, care plans, progress notes, referrals, and discharge documentation.
Assist with regulatory surveys, audits, corrective action plans, and follow-up monitoring.
Provide staff education regarding resident rights, communication, psychosocial care, and social services procedures.