Social Worker MSW NE

Driscoll Children's Hospital•Corpus Christi, TX

About The Position

The Social Worker provides direct clinical care to patients and families, addressing the social and emotional aspects of illness. Services include emotional support, counseling, education, screening, psychosocial assessment, treatment and safety planning, and referrals to community resources. The role also supports discharge planning and care coordination in collaboration with nursing, physicians, case managers, and outside agencies. The position provides clinical and administrative support to staff, students, and other departments; participates in quality assurance, policy review, and staff training; and helps maintain continuity of care across the hospital, ambulatory clinics, and community. Clinical services may include bio-psychosocial assessment, preliminary diagnosis, mental health screening, crisis intervention, and brief therapeutic interventions. The role reports to the Director of Clinical Practice and Therapeutic Arts or the Care Coordination Manager.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work.
Licensure by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners as an LMSW, LCSW, or LCSW-S.

Nice To Haves

Three years of experience in healthcare or relevant clinic areas preferred.
Pediatric experience preferred.
Bilingual Spanish skills preferred.

Responsibilities

Maintain confidentiality, follow hospital policies and procedures, comply with ethical and corporate integrity standards, follow customer service standards, and complete annual education requirements.
Provide peer support and opportunities for process and debriefing support related to grief, conflict, and family interactions.
Provide advanced practice clinical supervision when qualified as an LCSW-S.
Train and precept new employees, supervise Social Work students, and cross-train Social Workers.
Participate in Social Work and departmental meetings, maintain services in accordance with current best practices, liaise with local Social Work schools, and support student onboarding and learning plans.
Serve as a resource for other departments and maintain compliance with the licensing board’s Code of Conduct, professional supervision, and continuing education requirements.
Travel to ambulatory clinics and the main hospital campus for education and meetings as requested.
Participate in chart audits, community resource list updates, and periodic policy and procedure reviews.
Respond promptly to physician orders and nursing functional screening requests and make daily rounds in assigned units.
Screen for high risk, determine service needs and eligibility, identify strengths and coping capabilities, and assess formal and informal support networks.
Conduct psychosocial assessments and provide evaluation, treatment planning, education, and discharge planning to address barriers to care, including social support limitations, mental health or substance use concerns, family violence, emotional instability, and behavioral risks.
Help families understand medical and treatment information and provide mediation and crisis intervention to support safety and adherence to medical directives.
Provide supportive end-of-life care, including assessment, advocacy, grief and crisis counseling, resource counseling, advance directive planning, referrals, and team care planning.
Connect families with basic-needs resources, including transportation, lodging, and meals.
Coordinate and participate in discharge planning, including community referrals, follow-up care, equipment, supplies, services, and appropriate school services.
When abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child, older adult, or disabled person is suspected or confirmed, notify the appropriate protective services or law enforcement agency and act as the hospital liaison for discharge planning.
Document patient and family contacts promptly in the medical record.
Plan, coordinate, and attend team and family conferences and advocate in patient care review and planning.
Provide supportive counseling and ongoing emotional support to long-term patients and their families.
Consult with physicians and hospital staff about psychosocial and bioethical issues and discharge planning.
Provide clinical services as appropriate, including bio-psychosocial assessments, expanded treatment planning, brief therapeutic and supportive interventions, mental health screening and assessment, preliminary diagnosis, and safety planning.
Administer mental health screening tools such as the Edinburgh, PHQ-9, GAD, Columbia Suicide Severity Scale, and CRAFFT when appropriate.
Use therapeutic interventions and strategies such as motivational interviewing, treatment engagement, crisis intervention, intensive crisis stabilization, brief and solution-focused therapy, and safety planning.
Plan and facilitate support groups for patients, parents, and families.
Serve as a liaison and advocate with community health, social welfare, and support programs and agencies.
Provide presentations and in-services to school personnel, students, and the community as requested; coordinate with outside agency staff to support quality care.
Testify in court regarding child abuse or neglect.