Social Work Assistant

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The UW Medical Center-Northwest Social Work Department has an outstanding opportunity for a Social Work Assistant. This position partners with Social Workers (SW), Nurse Care Coordinators (NCCs), patients, their families, and the health care team to address patients' progression of care and assists the SW and NCC team in the coordination of the discharge planning process for patients.

Requirements

Bachelor of Social Work or a Bachelor’s Degree in the behavioral sciences AND two years experience in the social work field.
OR an Associate of Arts Degree in the behavioral sciences AND four years of work experience in the social work field.
Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills are a must, as well as the ability to organize and prioritize work and handle a fluctuating workload.
The person hired into this position must be able to work cooperatively with staff, physicians, patients, families and the community.

Nice To Haves

Minimum 3 years healthcare support services experience.

Responsibilities

Facilitate the placement of patients in long term care facilities based on data obtained from clinical staff.
Assist the SW/NCC in arranging for home care needs, such as referrals to home health, hospice, in-home services or procurement of home Wound VAC.
Assist with safe transition of patient to home or other facilities, including locating outpatient non-institutional settings (respite, shelter, housing, etc.).
Assist the patient/family with emergency needs for resources such as emergency funds, food vouchers, and transportation subsidies.
Accept and act on referrals from SW/NCCs in a timely manner, keeping the SW/NCC informed of progress on the case, documenting in the EMR per department standards, and ensuring that handoffs to all parties are clear and timely.
Assist the SW/NCCs in identifying, researching, explaining and arranging resources for families. Resources include, but are not limited to, transportation, housing, financial assistance, and safety net programs.
Under the direction of the SW/NCC, prepare letters and documents to assist families in obtaining benefits.
Copy/fax/mail documents as required.
Perform other clerical duties as required.
Provide notary public services to patients and staff.