Palliative Care Social Worker - Salt Lake City, UT

JOB SUMMARY

Provide exceptional care to Canyon Palliative Care patients, families, referral sources and prospective clients and patients. Perform initial contact with new patients and adhere to ongoing visits determined by patient and family needs.  Provide support to patient, family, and facility in respect to diagnosis process, housing issues, family dynamics, bereavement, and Advanced Directive choices. Responsible for being knowledgeable with housing availability and insurance standards/application process.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience: 

One Year previous social work experience in healthcare field required. One year previous hospice social work experience preferred.

Home Health and Hospice Social work experience preferred.

Education:

Masters degree in social work or Bachelor’s degree in social work.

Licensure/Certification:

Required 

Skills / Abilities:

Ability to demonstrate respect for people, courteous behavior to fellow employees, patients, patients families, visitors and to the medical staff, and follow the core values of the organization. Ability to accept supervision and guidelines and work cooperatively with others. Ability to follow regulations of Canyon Homecare, Hospice & Palliative Care.  Ability to follow policies pertaining to job performance, behavior, dress code and patient care. Ability to be flexible in meeting the needs of varying situations. Ability to ensure that patients' rights are respected. Must be able to read, write and speak English. Must have drivers license and insurance.  

UNIVERSAL JOB EXPECTATIONS

Every effort has been made to make your job description as complete as possible. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar or is a logical assignment of the position.

1. Maximizing Service to Customers – identifies and responds to needs and expectations of all customers, both internal and external, delivers quality service and care in a timely and efficient manner, is seen as a true ambassador of customer service. 
2. Innovation/Continuous Improvement of Operations – delivers high quality results on time, contributes to departmental/organizational quality and/or process improvement efforts, actively promotes innovation, speed and change in improving processes, and programs or services. 
3. Social/Financial Responsibilities – demonstrates justice and social responsibility, works efficiently, utilizes all resources in a cost-effective manner, adheres to organization’s policies and procedures, actively seeks ways to reduce cost and conserve resources to improve results.
4. Accountability – makes effective decisions, accepts responsibility for decisions, adapts quickly to changing conditions and needs, adds value to the organization by going beyond boundaries of own job to improve organizational performance. 
5. Job Standards – maintains current and appropriate licensure and certification to meet job requirements. Annual safety (OSHA), health, education, compliance and HIPAA requirements are met on time. 
6. Health and Safety Plan – wears proper clothes/shoes per dress code, takes appropriate safety precautions, demonstrates good body mechanics, plans lifting projects, and gets help when appropriate.
7. Infection Control – perform all job responsibilities in accordance with prescribed safety and infection control procedures including thorough hand washing, use of disposable gloves, and proper disposal of soiled materials. 
8. Attendance – demonstrates concerns for patients and co-workers by being prepared to work on time.
9. Patient Privacy – demonstrates work practices that maintain patient privacy and confidentiality. Follows Serenity Hospice & Palliative Cares policy requirements relating to release or access of protected health information. 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

1. Develops a comprehensive social history and psychosocial assessment that includes the patient’s problems and strengths and preferences, including cultural, religious, and ethnic background and implications for the care plan. 
2. Helps patients and their families (in their social, racial, ethnic, and cultural context) cope with the transition to Palliative and/or hospice.  Provide assistance with advance directives. 
3. Involve patient, families, and facility in care planning and determine plan of care including frequency of in-person visits and tele-visits . 
4. Provides linkage with appropriate community resources by maintaining knowledge of other systems, making referrals, and identifying unmet needs.
5. Provides patients and families with crisis management services.
6. Assists patients and families with financial questions and make appropriate referrals. May need to assist with complete healthcare applications for financial support.
7. Maintain appropriate communication with other staff members, patient and family members, including answering questions, discussing patient care and providing emotional support to patients and family. Collaborate with Interdisciplinary Group members including mobile group staff. 
8. Actively participate in IDT meetings ongoing and identify patients who may benefit with other services such as; Home Health, Hospice and Private care giving. 
9. Address and meet patient's physical, emotional, spiritual, and psycho/social needs.  Promote patient's rights; maintain privacy and confidentiality.  Identify ethical issues and refer to appropriate resources. Maintain safe, clean and therapeutic environment for patients.
10. Document care provided or other information in keeping with department policies.  To be completed within 24 hours of contact/visit. 
11. Communicate effectively and tactfully. 
12. Practice careful, efficient, and no-wasteful use of supplies. 
13. Follows policies with regard to tardiness, attendance, dress code and use of time. 

We offer flexible scheduling and a generous Paid Time Off plan for our full time employees. We also offer highly competitive compensation rates plus health, dental and vision insurance.

Canyon Home Care & Hospice is an equal opportunity employer Female/Veteran/Disabled/Minority