Social Worker-MSW LSW

IU Health•Indianapolis, IN

6h•Onsite

About The Position

The Social Worker collaborates directly with patients and families through face-to-face interactions, providing psychosocial assessments, counseling, discharge planning, and crisis intervention. The role works closely with the healthcare team to support safe, timely care and access to resources. The Social Worker serves as a liaison between IU Health and local protective services, manages complex cases involving abuse, neglect, guardianship, and end-of-life planning, and responds to acute crises using de-escalation techniques. Strong community engagement, crisis management, and interdisciplinary collaboration are central to the position. The role is based at University Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the Social Services department, and is a full-time day position. On-call, holiday, or weekend rotations may be scheduled.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work.
Permanent LSW licensure.
Certification in Crisis Prevention Intervention or equivalent de-escalation training within six months of hire.
Knowledge of evidence-based psychosocial assessments, short-term therapeutic counseling, and crisis intervention for mental health and substance use disorders.
Understanding of disease processes, human behavior, and health-related social needs.
Strong discharge-planning skills to ensure safe transfers of care.
Knowledge of state and county legal mandates for child and adult protective services.
Understanding of growth and development principles across the lifespan, including end-of-life care.
Experience managing services across diverse geographical, cultural, and financial populations.
Ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with hospital staff, law enforcement, social services, schools, and community agencies.
Ability to respond effectively to violence or threats, including through de-escalation and safety techniques.
Computer literacy and proficiency in electronic medical record documentation.

Responsibilities

Meet face-to-face with patients and families to assess psychosocial needs and coordinate care.
Communicate and collaborate with healthcare team members to facilitate safe, timely services and provide resources.
Interpret and communicate complex patient and family needs, modeling caring practices for team members.
Conduct psychosocial risk assessments evaluating prior functioning, support systems, reactions to illness, and coping strategies.
Counsel patients and families about the emotional, social, and financial impacts of health conditions or disabilities.
Access and mobilize family and community resources to meet identified needs.
Provide mental health assessments upon physician referral and deliver therapeutic interventions, including crisis and addiction assessments.
Support complex discharge planning, including guardianship, foster care, adoption, and mental health placements.
Serve as the primary point person for cases involving child, adult, elderly, or institutional abuse or neglect, and domestic violence.
Act as liaison between IU Health, protective teams, law enforcement, and community agencies.
Respond to dangerous or potentially dangerous situations with clinical intervention and de-escalation.
Support patients during acute crises using de-escalation techniques to prevent violence.
Facilitate decision-making and care-planning conversations with patients and families.
Maintain professional relationships with hospital administration, medical teams, law enforcement, social services, and community agencies.
Document assessments and interventions in the electronic medical record system.