Hospice Social Worker MSW LICSW New Hampshire Area

Job Profile Summary

This role focuses on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of patients and can provide services if necessary. In addition this role focuses on performing the following Social Work duties: Provides social work assistance to patients and families relating to illness disease hospitalization and life events in all areas of service as a member of multi-disciplinary team and in liaison with community resources. Responsibilities also include identification assessment and coordination of cases and anticipation of needs related to illness hospitalization finances education and home/community service. A professional individual contributor role that may direct the work of other lower level professionals or manage processes and programs. The majority of time is spent overseeing the design implementation or delivery of processes programs and policies using specialized knowledge and skills typically acquired through advanced education. A senior level role that requires advanced knowledge of job area typically obtained through advanced education and work experience. Typically responsible for: managing projects / processes working independently with limited supervision coaching and reviewing the work of lower level professionals resolving difficult and sometimes complex problems.

Job Overview

This position oversees a range of clinical social work services to patients/clients and families in inpatient ambulatory and community settings utilizing individual family or group modalities and practicing within the guidelines of professional social work ethics and standards. Participates in a multi-discipline case conferences. Consult with agency care providers regarding social service needs of clients and families.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications:

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Experience in inpatient psychiatric or mental health setting working with major mental illness dementia and or the elderly.

Location: Southern NH area (Nashua Hudson Pelham Salem)

Hours: Full Time or Part Time opportunities available

Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

1. Provides psychosocial assessment of the individual and family including limitations deficits and strengths in their current situation and environment as well as functional level. May conduct a psychiatric social work assessment according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Develops treatment plans with appropriate and competent interventions.

2. Responsible for psychosocial assessment and intervention in crisis situations that often involve issues of suicide homicide family violence elder or child abuse.

3. Demonstrates sound clinical judgment in assessing the patients needs for long-term care including evaluating the home and family situation helping the patient and family to develop an in-home care plan exploring alternatives to in-home care and arranging for placement if necessary.

4. Provides treatment therapy psycho-education and/or counseling utilizing individual family or group modalities.

5. Provides information referral and creative resource acquisition for specific individual and family needs both within the Hospital and in the community as indicated. Assists patients/families to understand psychosocial factors impeding their maximal utilization of hospital and community resources.

6. Collaborates with and provides psychosocial consultation to the health care team to promote a smooth coordinated plan of care. Aids the team in understanding and integrating the significance of psychosocial factors in relation to patients illness treatment and recovery. Identifies psychosocial issues that may impede progress. Makes recommendations to the team regarding patient/family care and management. Assists health care team to assist patient/family level of understanding to make informed decisions.

7. Provide medical social services to the patients family member or caregiver on a short-term basis when necessary to remove a clear and direct impediment to the effective treatment of the patients medical condition or rate of recovery.

8. Treats patients and families with dignity and respect at all times. Offers time for questions and answers; demonstrates empathy in communication while working toward optimal health goals.

9. Provides outreach case finding/screening for high-risk issues that may impact on patients progress participation in plan discharge or ability to utilize resources.

10. Assists with discharge planning issues to ensure continuity of care. Formulates coordinates and implements the psychosocial components of outpatient care.

11. Consults collaborates and communicates with a wide range of social governmental and legal agencies courts schools clinics other hospitals physicians and other sources.

12. Serves as a patient/family advocate with a variety of systems both internally and externally as required. May be called upon to testify in court.

13. Ensures clinical documentation is complete and according to departmental standards. Performs other administrative documentation and record keeping such as accountability and statistical reports billing forms student intern evaluations performance evaluations complete and timely manner.

14. Initiates policy and program development in specific service area or team utilizing knowledge of state-of-the-art programs and promoting social work values such as patient self-determination and social justice. Initiates participates in and supports policy and program development in the Department of Social Work Services.

15. Actively engages in the regularly scheduled meetings programs and activities of the Department. Serves on departmental committees. Represents the profession and Department in hospital and community meetings and committees.

16. Participates in social work professional education supervision and teaching activities; supervises or trains staff social workers student interns house staff nurses medical students and volunteers as .

17. Maintains collaborative team relationships with peers and colleagues in order to effectively contribute to the working groups achievement of goals and to help foster a positive work environment

18. Continually monitors assesses and modifies his/her own social work practice and programs. Conducts quality improvement activities and research regarding service delivery and effectiveness of interventions as .

19. Conducts or participates in professional organizations grant writing teaching public presentations seminars and workshops. May supervise staff social workers social work associates social work interns parent consultants house staff nurses medical students and volunteers as required. Responsible for making recommendations to the Director of Social Work Services regarding service delivery gaps systemic issues and program development.

20. Ensures compliance within guidelines set forth by regulatory agencies (DPH ERISA etc.) and demonstrates compliance with Home Health Foundation policies and procedures. Practices confidentiality principles set by the agency and federal HIPAA/HITECH guidelines.

Physical Requirements:

1. Normal office setting.

2. Inpatient and/or outpatient clinic patient care setting.

3. Frequent sitting occasional standing & walking and lifting of 5-10 lbs.

4. Requires manual dexterity using fine hand manipulation to operate computer keyboard.

5. Requires ability to see computer screen and reports.

Skills & Abilities:

1. Possesses and applies the skills and knowledge necessary to provide care to patients throughout the life span with consideration of aging processes human development stages and cultural patterns in each step of the care process.

2. Knowledge of casework process and community resources in relation to health (including mental health) illness and disability.

3. Knowledge of current social work theory and practice the ability to apply treatment and case management methods and familiarity with community issues and resources.

4. Understanding of organizational theory and practice in large systems and the knowledge of social and health care policies and systems.

5. High degree of diagnostic treatment interpersonal organizational and communication skills.

6. Analytical skills required assessing patient needs to develop associated treatment modalities and to provide effective counseling.

7. Computer skills and knowledge of general office programs spreadsheet programs database programs and presentation programs (Word Excel Access PowerPoint).

8. Ability to read/write and communicate in English.

9. Excellent interpersonal skills.

10. Ability to function well in very busy situations.

11. Responsible and reliable.

12. Good organization skills.

13. Ability to engage a wide variety of patients and collaterals in the acute treatment and discharge planning process.

14. Ability to identify and access community resources.