Hospice Medical Social Worker

General Purpose:

Responsible for assessing the ongoing psychosocial status of the patient/family as it relates to the terminal illness and providing intervention to achieve the Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) plan of care goals in accordance with accepted standards of professional practice, as well as Interim HealthCare Hospice policies and procedures and applicable law and regulation.

Essential Functions:

• Conducts an initial psychosocial assessment of assigned patients/families within five (5) calendar days of admission to contribute to the comprehensive assessment of the patient’s/family’s needs and the IDG plan of care.
• Provides individual and/or family counseling in response to the mental and emotional status of the patient/family to reduce barriers to achieving the goals of care.
• Identifies special needs related to religious or cultural diversity and how these impact the implementation of the IDG plan of care.
• Provides counseling in response to identified anticipatory grief or pathological grief, if so qualified, or identifies alternative resources for such and provides direction to those resources.
• Evaluates identified financial or environmental concerns and directs the patient/family to appropriate community resources, as well as provides follow-up and acts as a liaison when indicated.
• Provides crisis intervention support to the patient/family, members of a facility caregiver group or the IDG.
• Provides psychosocial updates to facility staff providing short term inpatient care or respite care.
• Participates in the development of the IDG plan of care and attends regularly scheduled IDG meetings.
• Assists the attending physician and other IDG members, including facility staff, in understanding significant social and emotional factors related to death/dying issues of the patient/family.
• Participates in discharge planning for the patient/family when needed. 
• Assists the patient/family in electing advance directives, securing durable power of attorney, making funeral arrangements and other financial, legal and healthcare aspects of end-of-life choices.
• Works under the direction of the Medical Director.
• Completes other assignments as requested and assigned.
• May have access to personal health information (“PHI”) necessary to fulfill the above duties and responsibilities.  Access to use and ability to disclose PHI is further defined by each organization/department.

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements:

• Graduate of a Master’s program in social work accredited by the Council on
  Social Work Education.
• Licensed to practice as a Social Worker in the state in which employed.  License is active and in good standing.
• Minimum of one (1) year's experience in health care.
• Hospice experience preferred.  
• Able to provide proof of a valid driver’s license, if applicable.
• Able to provide proof of valid auto liability insurance if assignment includes driving own vehicle.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: 

• Knowledge and commitment to the hospice philosophy of care.
• Demonstrates good verbal and written communication, and organization skills.
• Able to work as a member of an Interdisciplinary Group.
• Able to effectively communicate with clinical and non-clinical employees, patients and family/caregivers.
• Able to perform and prioritize multiple functions or tasks.
• Able to effectively deal with multiple changes.
• Meets applicable federal and state health requirements to provide patient care, as appropriate.
• Meets the requirements of federal and state criminal and abuse background checks where applicable.

Working Conditions & Physical Effort: 

• Work is normally performed in the patient’s home and/or inpatient setting such as a hospital or nursing home.
• Occasional exposure to communicable diseases, blood borne pathogens and/or potentially infectious or hazardous materials and situations that require following extensive safety precautions and may include the use of protective equipment (e.g. face masks, goggles, latex and or non-latex gloves).
• Able to constantly travel locally from assignment to assignment
• Able to constantly stand, walk, bend, stoop, squat, kneel and reach freely.
• Sufficient endurance to perform the required physical and mental tasks over long periods of time.
• Able to constantly grasp with thumb in opposition to fingers of palm, i.e. manipulate pen, knobs, or objects.
• Visual acuity, dexterity and hearing to perform required skills.
• Able to work flexible schedule and/or evening hours as needed.
• Light physical activity that may require occasional lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling up to 20 lbs in order to carry out daily job functions and related activities that may be required.