Social Worker, LMSW

Wyckoff Heights Medical Center•, NY

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Social Worker provides social work services to patients and families using Wyckoff Heights Medical Center’s inpatient and outpatient medical programs. Under supervision, this licensed professional supports patients’ functioning and access to medical-care benefits in a compassionate manner. With increased experience and corresponding salary grade, the social worker is expected to take on greater responsibility, decision-making latitude, and priority setting. Duties are performed in keeping with the Medical Center’s commitment to Care with Kindness and service excellence. The role includes assessment and reassessment, discharge planning, coordination with patients, families, multidisciplinary teams, payors, and community resources, and short-term counseling. The social worker advocates for patients, supports safe transitions to appropriate care settings, and responds to psychosocial and discharge-planning needs. Assignments and schedules may change according to departmental needs.

Requirements

Master’s degree.
Minimum of 5 years of job-related experience.
New York State LMSW license.
Solid knowledge of community-based referral sources.
Excellent organizational, critical-thinking, and independent-thinking skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a medical acute-care setting, including inpatient and outpatient social work, is preferred.
Bilingual English/Spanish is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Complete patient assessments, including discharge-planning needs, within departmental timelines and considering biopsychosocial, financial, medical, physical, age-specific, and clinical factors.
Respect patients’ cultural, language, religious, and spiritual values, beliefs, and preferences, and accommodate them accordingly.
Assess patients’ capacity for self-care and the availability and capability of family or friends to provide care at home.
Respect, protect, and promote patient rights.
Engage patients and/or families in developing and implementing care plans.
Reassess patients on an ongoing basis according to department policy and revise recommended plans as medical or social conditions change.
Present post-hospital care options to patients and/or families and respect their freedom to choose providers.
Work with the multidisciplinary team to coordinate care plans and develop safe discharge plans; communicate effectively to support appropriate handoffs.
Use knowledge of community-based resources to meet patients’ needs and help them continue living and maintaining health in the community.
Educate patients and arrange placement in another healthcare facility when they cannot return home.
Coordinate patient services with payors, the multidisciplinary team, patients and families, and community resources.
Advocate with referral and payor sources to help patients access needed services.
Provide short-term counseling for problem-solving, crisis intervention, bereavement, and adjustment to a medical diagnosis and/or hospitalization.
Perform psychosocial or discharge-planning evaluations requested by patients, families, or physicians regardless of High Risk Criteria.
Seek guidance from supervisors or peers on complex psychosocial or discharge-planning situations.
Set priorities, manage time effectively, and use resources cost-effectively and efficiently.
Handle crises and unfavorable situations and use varied techniques to resolve patient-care-related problems.
Comply with medical/legal reporting requirements, including those concerning child, adult, and sexual abuse.
Attend staff and work-related meetings, educational in-services, supervision, and training to improve performance and patient care.
Identify and participate in practice-based continuous quality improvement activities.
Adapt to changing work assignments and schedules within the scope of services and departmental needs.
Perform other duties as assigned.