Social Worker II - Psychiatry - Addiction Medicine

University of Iowa•Iowa City, IA

About The Position

The University of Iowa Health Care Department of Psychiatry is hiring a part-time Social Worker II in the Addiction Medicine Division. The position serves on the Addiction Medicine Consult Service, working with an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professional trainees and staff clinicians to support hospitalized patients who use substances or have substance use disorders, and their primary medical teams. The social worker helps address substance use and its effects on patients’ health or treatment, and facilitates treatment and recovery. The role includes obtaining psychosocial histories from patients or relatives, sharing and interpreting relevant information with clinical staff, and preparing written histories, summaries, and case reports for clinical records. The social worker assesses patients’ medical, psychological, and social conditions and needs; provides direct service through evaluation and appropriate social work interventions; coordinates referrals to substance use treatment programs; and supports harm reduction and recovery. Responsibilities also include discharge planning, community consultation, family involvement, program support, teaching, research, administrative work, and participation in training and meetings. The position supports implementation of the SAFE-T Stays program and may assist with instruction and supervision of undergraduate social work, medical, and allied-specialty students. The role emphasizes identifying each patient’s needs, strengths, and assets; creating individualized treatment plans with patient and family participation; minimizing coercive interventions; involving family or support systems in care when possible; and using respectful, person-centered, recovery-enhancing communication that recognizes and seeks to reduce stigma, discrimination, and social isolation. The position is part-time at 50%, with a preference for Monday–Friday afternoon availability.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with a major concentration in social work.
Six months to one year of clinical social work experience.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Experience working with adult and adolescent patients and their families, providing counseling and crisis intervention.
Experience working with patients who have substance use and/or mental health disorders.
Social work experience in a healthcare setting with the appropriate patient population and their families.
Experience identifying and navigating financial resources, including insurance coverage options, changes related to federal and state health programs, and the disability process.
Experience working with community resources, home healthcare, nursing facilities, and other outpatient options for patients.
Experience in a fast-paced, high-volume work environment.

Responsibilities

Serve as a social worker on the Addiction Medicine Consult Service and work with a multidisciplinary team to implement care plans for hospitalized patients who use substances or have substance use disorders.
Obtain psychosocial histories from patients or relatives, share and interpret information with appropriate staff, and document histories or summaries in clinical records.
Confer with clinical staff to assess patients’ medical, psychological, and social conditions and needs.
Inform clinical staff about patients’ and family members’ psychosocial functioning and needs.
Assist in patients’ medical or clinical treatment and provide information about other patient services.
Arrange hospital discharge planning, including post-hospital care.
Provide direct services to patients and relatives through evaluation of social and psychological information and selection of appropriate social work methods.
Coordinate referrals to substance use treatment programs and provide psychotherapeutic interventions to facilitate harm reduction and recovery.
Provide indirect services through participation in program development, teaching, and research.
File mental health and substance abuse commitments when appropriate and assess mandatory reporting concerns when needed.
Consult with community social agencies about patients’ and family members’ medical-social or other social functioning problems.
Assist with social group and family sessions for patients or relatives.
Perform administrative tasks and functions and support implementation of the SAFE-T Stays program.
Assist in instruction and supervision of undergraduate students in social work, medicine, and allied specialties.
Write case reports for clinical records and compile statistical records of social service activity.
Attend and participate in training, meetings, conferences, and workshops; maintain effective working relationships with faculty, staff, students, and the public.
Identify patients’ unique needs, strengths, and assets in assessments and create individualized treatment plans that reflect patient and family participation and support patient strengths and goals.
Involve family or support systems in care when possible, including assessment, treatment planning, education, and discharge planning.
Use respectful, person-centered, recovery-enhancing communication and work to reduce stigma, discrimination, and social isolation.
Perform other duties as assigned.