Social Worker Home Team

Columbus Hospice•Columbus, GA

About The Position

The Hospice Social Worker (MSW) is a member of the interdisciplinary team and provides supportive services to address patients’ and families’ social, emotional, and economic needs related to terminal illness. The role provides counseling, psychosocial assessments, consultation, care coordination, and assistance accessing community resources and other levels of care. Patient home visits and assessments must be conducted in person according to the plan of care. The position requires maintaining active social work licenses in Georgia and Alabama, completing required continuing education, participating in rotating after-hours call including weekends and holidays, and traveling to patient visits using reliable transportation. The stated wage is $27.00 to $31.00, depending on experience; the posting also says wage is determined by years as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).

Requirements

Master’s degree in social work from a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
A State of Georgia and Alabama social work license, or the ability to obtain both. Newly hired social workers must hold a license in their primary state of employment before hire and become licensed in the second state within 90 days of employment.
BLS/CPR certification.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to work cooperatively in a team-oriented environment and independently, using sound professional judgment.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills and excellent customer service skills.
Ability to handle grief, high anxiety, and emotions related to death and dying professionally.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, evaluate situations, prioritize, and coordinate patient-care needs as they arise.
Ability to solve practical problems in situations with limited standardization and interpret written, oral, diagram, or schedule instructions.
Ability to read and interpret scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents; respond to inquiries or complaints; write speeches and articles in a prescribed style; and present information effectively to management, public groups, or boards.
Influenza vaccination during influenza season (November through March), or compliance with policy requirements for declination.
Valid driver’s license, satisfactory Motor Vehicle Record, auto insurance coverage per policy, and reliable transportation.
Maintain an active professional license in Georgia and Alabama and complete 15 continuing education hours per year, at least 12 of which must be hospice-specific. The posting states that failure to meet this requirement makes the employee ineligible for merit increases and may result in termination.
Ability to meet the described physical demands, including occasionally lifting or moving more than 100 pounds.
Only applicants who apply through www.columbushospice.com/careers will be considered.

Nice To Haves

Two or more years of hospice-related experience and/or training.
Clinical experience in varied multidisciplinary settings.
Knowledge of family dynamics and counseling or therapy experience.

Responsibilities

Consult with interdisciplinary staff about social issues affecting patients and families.
Provide clinical supervision for licensure purposes for other social workers; this role has no administrative supervisory responsibilities.
Provide counseling to patients and families based on psychosocial, emotional, or economic problems and in accordance with the plan of care.
Complete psychosocial assessments for assigned patients within three days and complete other assessments specific to patient needs, including suicide and home-safety assessments.
Make patient home visits and assessments in person, according to the plan of care.
Attend interdisciplinary team meetings and facilitate discussion of psychosocial issues in hospice care.
Coordinate with team members to develop and implement plans of care.
Use community resources to assist patients and families with food, housing, and other basic needs.
Maintain accurate, current, and pertinent documentation in patient records according to policy.
Participate in agency and community psychosocial educational activities as requested.
Participate in orientation and in-service training for hospice staff.
Obtain insurance coverage, such as Medicaid or disability benefits, for patients without financial resources when necessary.
Assist patients with durable healthcare Power of Attorney and advance directives, and with funeral arrangements.
Assist patients and families with nursing home placement, respite, and other levels of care.
Mentor new social workers as assigned.
Complete required continuing education and maintain active professional licenses in Georgia and Alabama; obtain 15 continuing education hours annually, including at least 12 hours in hospice-specific topics.
Take rotating after-hours call, including weekends and holidays as assigned, and make visits as indicated by patient and family needs.
Maintain patient, staff, and operational confidentiality; represent the company professionally and complete assigned work thoroughly and with good judgment.
Meet attendance requirements and arrive promptly; seek assistance from the immediate supervisor when uncertain about assigned tasks or responsibilities.
Assist with special projects and other assigned duties, including cross-training for other roles as needed.