SOCIAL WORKER - Per-Diem

Description

Job Summary: Provides professional clinical social work services to patients admitted to Cary   

Medical Center and in outpatient areas such as the Emergency Department and Specialty Clinics.  Evaluates case situations and presents information to other members of the multidisciplinary team and physicians, such as family and social background pertinent to diagnosis and treatment.  Interviews client and family members to determine the nature and degree of problems.  Provides crisis management and helps modify attitudes and patterns of behavior by increasing self-understanding.  Provides social service support to patients with substance abuse problems, psychiatric or mental disorders, depression, suicidal ideation, and behavioral problems that interfere with their medical treatment plans.  Makes referrals to nursing homes, boarding homes, or other alternative living arrangements.  Maintains access to the Elders/Child Abuse hotline and other referral/resource agencies.    

Essential Job Duties:   

1. Provides professional social work services to patients admitted to the hospital as well as managing referrals from the outpatient setting.  
2. Facilitates adjustment of patients to the impact of illness.    
3. Promotes maximum benefit from the healthcare services provided.    
4. Evaluates case situations and presents information to the Interdisciplinary Team.    
5. Ensures that care is delivered with respect for the individual’s rights and preferences.    
6. Maintains high standards of patient care using professional specialty standards of care and practice.    
7. Prioritizes a safe environment for all patients.    
8. Evaluates patients with psychiatric and/or mental disorders such as suicidal ideation, depression, and known mental disorders and identify strategies for management while in the hospital.  Makes appropriate referrals and follow-up care.    
9. Provides case management functions to new mothers under age 18, and their infants.    
10. Understands the needs of the elderly and provides discharge planning to nursing homes, boarding homes, and rehabilitation services.    
11. Coordinates patient care activities with other departments contributing to patient care.    
12. Must communicate effectively, have good organizational skills and a working knowledge of the current standards of practice.    
13. Displays good understanding of psychodynamics of all age groups, and treatment strategies for common health problems.    
14. Ensures shared accountability for professional practice.    
15. Confers with other departments and management staff before instituting new policies and procedures that affect them.    
16. Ensures own professional compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulatory agencies and with professional licensure.    
17. Maintains regular communications with medical staff physicians in the care and management of their patients.    
18. Organizes interdisciplinary team meetings for patients when appropriate to best coordinate their care.    
19. Provides one-on-one counseling or group counseling when needed.    
20. Helps patients modify their attitudes and patterns of behavior by increasing self-understanding.    
21. Provides on-the-spot crisis management for patients who feel and display out of control behavior or need help through a crisis, i.e., loss of a friend or family member.    
22. Maintains availability to staff for mental debriefing with difficult cases.    
23. Keeps abreast of new techniques and counseling strategies, attend workshops as needed.    
24. Maintains availability as needed to assist in a community crisis.    
25. Maintains current knowledge about variable resources in the community.    
26. Has ability to set priorities on current caseload and services.  
27. Responds timely for crisis call when in hospital.    
28. Participates in department meetings to solve problems and improve processes.    
29. Is knowledgeable of department policies and procedures and participates in their updates.    
30. Develops appropriate policies and procedures related to social services to assure quality care is provided to patients and to meet regulatory and accreditation requirements.    
31. Participates in the orientation of new staff members.    
32. Helps to identify patient/family related ethical issues with referral to the Ethics Committee.    
33. Participates on hospital and medical staff committees when requested.    
34. Collaborates effectively with all members of the health care team.    
35. Acts as a liaison with AMHC for the Community Meetings as needed.    
36. Records pertinent social data and information on patients being managed.    
37. Assumes responsibility for own self-development

Requirements

Licenses and Education:   

1. Must have an active, valid Maine Social Work license.    
2. Must obtain BLS certification within 1 year of hire and maintain current certification thereafter.