Social Worker (BSW or MSW)

Avera • Yankton, SD

4d

About The Position

The Social Worker plans, organizes, and implements social work services for medically and socially complex patients and families with significant psychosocial needs. The role addresses patients’ medically related emotional and social needs, facilitates quality care and education, provides counseling, and assesses needs to develop plans for intensive discharge planning. The Social Worker maintains knowledge of community agencies and resources to facilitate appropriate referrals and provides compassionate, culturally competent, tactful services that support access to care, continuity of care, and patient advocacy. The position works collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team and Case Management.

The Social Worker interviews patients and families, evaluates social and medical information, helps patients understand and follow medical recommendations, and provides support with discharge arrangements, placement, transportation, and emotional concerns. The role also conducts individual, marital, family, and group therapy as needed; coordinates care conferences; documents in the EMR; supports quality assurance and reporting; and applies research findings to improve patient and family outcomes.

This position is based at Avera at Home in Yankton, South Dakota, and works a weekday day schedule of Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are no holidays, on-call shifts, or weekends. Applicants may qualify for a sign-on bonus of $7,500 with an MSW or $5,000 with a BSW. The position may also be eligible for Avera’s student loan repayment program, which provides an additional monthly payment of $167 toward principal, up to $10,000.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Social Work from an accredited program.
• Active Social Worker license in the state of practice; South Dakota licensure is specified for this position.
• Ability to work the specified hours.
• Ability to perform essential job functions satisfactorily, including adequate visual acuity and effective communication, hearing, understanding, and distinguishing speech and other sounds.
• Commitment to confidentiality, teamwork, effective coordination of workflow, and compliance with applicable safety principles, laws, regulations, and standards.
• Commitment to applying Avera’s mission, vision, core values, and social principles, and to demonstrating its CARE standards.

Nice To Haves

• Qualified Mental Health Provider (QMHP) credential active in the state of practice.
• 1–3 years of experience.

Responsibilities

• Interview patients and family members to gather information about home environment, family systems, health history, and patient characteristics.
• Evaluate gathered information in relation to the medical treatment plan, available social service programs, and financial counseling, and plan appropriate services to support patient benefit and safety.
• Help patients and families understand, accept, and follow medical recommendations and care plans.
• Arrange discharge and post-operative care at home, assist with placement in assisted living or nursing homes, arrange transportation to appointments and treatments, and help address patient and family anxiety and fears.
• Conduct supportive visits and assess patients’ responses to diagnoses, including strengths, coping skills, support systems, family characteristics, health history, and personality traits.
• Prepare and maintain patient documentation in the EMR.
• Maintain department policies, procedures, objectives, quality assurance activities, and safety, infection, and environmental controls.
• Assist with data collection, analysis, and reporting required by the hospital, administrative council, care teams, JCAHO, and other agencies.
• Conduct individual, marital, family, and group therapy as needed.
• Coordinate care conferences as needed.
• Represent social work in the multidisciplinary approach to patient care.
• Use research findings to improve outcomes and support quality of life for patients and families.
• Collaborate with Case Management to coordinate services and facilitate continuity of care.
• Support patients, residents, and families dealing with illness-related anxiety and stress, hospitalization or nursing home admission, crisis situations, physical disabilities, fears related to helplessness or death, and the need for specialized care; provide educational materials.

Benefits

• Potential MSW sign-on bonus of $7,500.
• Potential BSW sign-on bonus of $5,000.
• Potential eligibility for Avera’s Student Loan Repayment Program, with an additional monthly principal payment of $167 up to $10,000.
• PTO available on day one for eligible hires.
• Up to 5% employer matching contribution for retirement.
• Career development through hands-on training and mentorship.

What This Job Offers

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