Social Worker (LMSW/LCSW) - WJMC Campus

LCMC Health•Marrero, LA

About The Position

The Social Worker serves as a patient advocate and care-management partner, assessing and addressing patients’ psychosocial needs and supporting discharge planning for complex medical conditions. The role collaborates with patients, families, and the interdisciplinary team to identify barriers to care, provide interventions and counseling, connect people with resources, and support the best possible outcomes, particularly for chronically ill patients and those receiving end-of-life care. The position includes assessing psychosocial needs through interviews, team consultation, and medical-record review; evaluating coping, functioning, support, and resources; communicating and documenting assessments and plans; providing crisis intervention and supportive counseling; responding to suspected abuse or neglect; and making referrals to community services. The Social Worker also supports family decision-making and meetings, coordinates with agencies, reviews complex cases with a manager, evaluates financial assistance needs, maintains knowledge of post-hospital reimbursement and community resources, and educates patients and families about rights and advance directives.

Requirements

Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) through the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners; OR Registered Social Worker or Certified Social Worker who obtains LMSW within 6 months of hire.

Responsibilities

Assess patients’ psychosocial needs through interviews with patients and family members, consultation with the interdisciplinary team, and review of medical records.
Evaluate coping skills, cognitive and intellectual functioning, support systems, resources, and other factors that may affect responses to illness, treatment, and discharge planning.
Identify barriers and develop interventions to overcome or lessen them in pursuit of treatment-plan outcomes.
Communicate assessment findings and plans to the interdisciplinary team and document assessments, plans, and interventions in medical records.
Provide crisis intervention and supportive counseling to individuals experiencing temporary or situational problems.
Assess suspected elder, child, sexual, or domestic abuse or neglect cases and comply with state-law and hospital-policy reporting requirements.
Refer patients and families to appropriate community agencies for further intervention or counseling, including palliative or hospice services when needed.
Facilitate family meetings and support decision-making when goals of care or plans of care are unclear or disputed.
Facilitate interactions between staff and DCFS/EPS or other agencies.
Identify patients with complex social and medical issues through case finding and referral processes.
Review caseloads with the manager, sharing findings, needs, barriers, and progress toward discharge.
Evaluate financial assistance needs and eligibility, and direct patients and families to agencies that can assist with financial needs, food, shelter, transportation, or other services.
Maintain working knowledge of payor reimbursement requirements for post-hospital services and community resources.
Demonstrate knowledge of legal rights, advance directives, and patient rights, and counsel or educate patients and families about rights, decision-making, and formulating advance directives.