Social Worker (Clinical)

National Institutes of Health•Montgomery County, MD

19h•Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Social Worker provides clinical social work services to Clinical Center patients, caregivers, and staff. The role supports patients with medically and/or psychiatrically complex needs in an inpatient hospital setting through psychosocial assessment, treatment, crisis intervention, discharge planning, and coordination with multidisciplinary teams and community agencies. The social worker identifies psychosocial, financial, and resource needs that affect patients’ ability to cope with stress and participate in research protocols, and helps connect patients and caregivers with appropriate services. The position is designated emergency essential, with availability required for coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year under all circumstances. It includes on-call or call-back requirements and weekend and holiday hours. Work schedule flexibility may be available at the supervisor’s discretion. The work takes place in a hospital environment with moderate risks, including possible exposure to contagious diseases and marked biological or radiological hazards; protective clothing may be required.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work from a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; transcripts must be provided.
Current, valid, unrestricted independent Clinical Social Work License from a U.S. state or territory, including the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
For GS-11: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 performing relevant hospital social work duties, or three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or a related doctoral degree, or a qualifying combination of education and experience.
For GS-12: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-11 performing advanced clinical social work duties with complex medical and/or psychiatric patients.
Meet all qualification requirements within 30 calendar days of the announcement closing date, including time-in-grade requirements where applicable.
Meet the U.S. citizenship or U.S. National requirement by the closing date.
Successfully complete required background investigation, qualification verification, onboarding, and other job-related requirements.
Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
Pass a pre-employment medical examination, provide evidence of immunization, and be free from communicable diseases.
Be able to perform the essential duties, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Be available for on-call or call-back duties and weekend and holiday hours; as an emergency-essential employee, be ready and able to report under all circumstances.

Responsibilities

Perform screening, assessment, diagnostic, treatment, consultative, and educational services for assigned Clinical Center patients, caregivers, and staff.
Complete psychosocial assessments of patients and caregivers to identify factors affecting coping with stress and research protocol requirements.
Communicate with community agencies about patient and caregiver needs and arrange services they can provide.
Identify service gaps and recommend ways to maximize patient care and implement treatment goals.
Develop working knowledge of state and local bureaucracies to help patients make effective use of local resources.
Identify financial needs during hospital stays and participate in determining available assistance resources.
Consult with other Clinical Center departments on specific case referrals.
Independently complete comprehensive bio/psycho/social/spiritual assessments of patients with complex medical or psychiatric conditions.
Develop and implement treatment and discharge plans addressing patients’ medical, psychological, social, post-acute, and continuing care needs.
Evaluate complex psychosocial and behavioral concerns and advise multidisciplinary medical or research teams about treatment and research participation.
Provide crisis intervention, safety planning, counseling, psychotherapy, and other clinical interventions to patients and families.
Provide consultation, education, and clinical guidance to medical and interdisciplinary teams on psychosocial, behavioral, and economic aspects of illness.
Document assessments, clinical interventions, discharge planning, referrals, resource coordination, and other patient care activities in medical records.