MSW Social Worker

The Social Worker is a clinician responsible for social work services for patient population at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center.

This worker will be under the supervision the Director of Social Work, will function with a great deal of autonomy and with specialized expertise in the area of psychiatric services.

They will also work a part of the interdisciplinary team caring for patients in various units of the Medical Center

The MSW Social Worker collaborates with all staff on the units in the medical center whenever needed for patient care total quality management, committees, focus groups, etc.

The MSW Social Worker serves in a consultative role to staff on the units in the medical center whenever needed for patient care.

III.        Authority:  Provide social work services on unit(s), assisting patients and families to cope with plans and decisions that need to be made before, during and after hospitalization.

Supervise and train graduate level social work students and other students when indicated and approved by the Social Work Supervisor and when the MSW has met the requirements for Supervision of the respective Graduate School of Social Work.

IV.        A. Responsibilities/Essential Functions:        

1.) "Provides superior customer service to internal and external clients, customers,

and patients as referenced in the Service Excellence Standards."

            The Social Worker may:

Provide individual and/or group counseling/therapy to patients and/ or their families.

Support patient advocacy.

Provide diagnostic evaluations and psycho-social assessments.

Provide referrals and/or follow-up services.

Collaborate with clinical interdisciplinary teams.

Facilitate continuing care plans.

Provide crisis prevention.

Supervise other social workers and graduate students.

The social worker will provide counseling for patients, family and friends whenever indicated at time of diagnosis, regards adjustment to illness, the emotional impact of diagnosis, and charges in life style.

The social worker will offer continuity by maintaining a supportive relationship to patient and family throughout course of illness.

On occasions when it is indicated, the social worker will counsel and support patient and other family in bereavement.

The social worker will provide case management for patients. This will include resource findings, concrete services as indicated and will often involve referrals to community agencies and assistance in obtaining financial aid.

The social worker provides documentation for social work activity in patient's record on a regular and timely basis.

The social worker consults with members of the medical center team in regards to the psycho-social needs of patients.  Participates in staff in-service.

The social worker leads or co-leads a support group for patients and/or family members when appropriate.

The social worker participates where possible in community organizations relevant to the population.

The social worker will make a psycho-social assessment of as many high risk clinic patient as time allows. This will necessitate prioritizing problems while time is limited.

Patients who will be seen may include those with histories of mental illness or retardation, child abuse or neglect, domestic violence and serious substance abuse.  These high risk patients will be followed through their pregnancies.

The clinical social worker will also see patients at time of crisis and will assist where possible in cases of need for concrete services. The social worker will see any patient wishing to place her baby for adoption, referring them to the appropriate agency.

Minimum Education:  Social Worker at entry level must have a master's degree from an accredited school of social work.

LCSW, LICSW preferred

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans