Social Services Director

Description

JOB DESCRIPTION Social Services Director DEPARTMENT: Social Services POSITION: The Social Services Director assumes administrative authority, responsibility and accountability to provide medically-related social services which assists residents in maintaining or improving their ability to manage their everyday physical, mental and psychosocial needs. REPORTING: This position is responsible to the Administrator. FLSA STATUS: Exempt QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS: Education: High School graduate or equivalent, for communities with less than 120 beds B.A. Degree in social work or human services field, for communities with more than 120 beds License: Current SSD Certificate required Work Experience: 1 year of supervised social work experience in a health care setting working directly with individuals Experience completing electronic medical records for all documentation and have basic computer skills, including operating on-line applications and basic Word and Excel skills Language Skills: • Must be able to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical information, and to be easily understood through verbal communication in the English language. Mathematical Skills: • Must be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. • Ability to perform these operations using units of weight measurement, and volume. Communication Skills: • Must have exceptional communication and customer service skills, and be empathetic. • Ability to effectively communicate with patients, families, responsible parties, staff and outside resources and agencies. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: • Assist, as directed, in the admission process; interviewing perspective residents, families or responsible parties • Supervise Social Services Assistant(s) • Make arrangements for obtaining needed adaptive equipment, clothing and personal items • Maintain contact with family, in consultation with the resident, to report on changes in health, current goals, discharge planning and encourage to participate in care planning • Make referrals and obtain services from outside entities, i.e., talking books, absentee ballots, facility wheelchair transportation 2 • Assist residents with financial and legal matter, i.e., Medicare, Medi-Cal benefits, Social Security, VA, referrals to funeral homes for preplanning arrangements • Assist with discharge planning, i.e., appropriate placement and arrangements, home health services, transportation • Provide or arrange provision of needed counseling services • Complete Social Service Assessment Discharge Planning and MDS section in EMR system for each resident within seven days after admission, maintain progress notes at least quarterly or more frequently if needed • Identify and support resident’s individual needs and preferences, customary routines, concerns and choices through the assessment and care planning process • Document on the resident’s plan of care all identified social service problems with appropriate approaches and time measurable goals • Build relationships between residents and staff and teach staff how to understand and support resident’s individual needs • Promote actions by the staff that maintain or enhance each resident(s) dignity in full recognition of each resident’s individuality • Assist residents to determine how they would like to make decisions about their health care, and whether or not they would like anyone else to be involved in these decisions • Assist staff to inform residents and those they designate about the resident’s health status and health care choices and ramifications including advance directives • Find options which meet the resident’s physical and emotional needs • Assist to provide alternatives to drug therapy or restraints by assessment of the residents needs and recommend plan of care to meet these needs • Meet the needs of the residents who are in a grieving process • Document on social services log all referrals to outside agencies with the reason for referral, name of person/agency contacted and action taken • Ensure confidentiality of resident’s social services information by allowing access only to authorized persons • Participate in Interdisciplinary Care Plan Conferences and develop plan of care to insure that special social service needs are met • Assist with regularly scheduled Resident and Family Group meetings as requested • Assist in resolution of grievances as voiced by resident, family, responsible party or ombudsman • Participate in Quality Assurance Programs • Participate in facility committees or conferences as directed by the Administrator • Attend in-service and staff meetings as required. Facilitate one in-service meeting annually, as required by federal regulations • Practice infection control policies and procedures of the facility 3 • Practice safety policies and procedures of the facility • React appropriately to emergencies and disaster situations • Be courteous, considerate and cooperative when communicating with all facility personnel, residents and staff • Promote and maintain good public relations on behalf of the facility JOB FUNCTIONS: • Demonstrate knowledge of, and respect for, the rights, dignity and individuality of each resident in all interactions • Appreciates the importance of maintaining confidentiality of resident and facility information • Demonstrate honesty and integrity at all times in the care and use of resident and facility property • Ability to read, speak, understand English, follow directions and complete the assigned responsibilities of the department • Support facility administration, the facility’s philosophy of care, and the policies and procedures of the facility • Ability to effectively communicate with residents, families, responsible parties, facility staff and outside resources and agencies • Maintain a neat, clean, well-groomed professional appearance • Dependability • Other duties as assigned PHYSICAL CAPACITIES: (With or Without the Aid of Mechanical Devices) ! Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday. ! Must be able to see and hear or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately to ensure that the requirements of this position can be fully met. ! Must meet the general health requirements set forth by the policies of this facility which includes an annual TB screening and physical examination. ! Must be able to sit for extended periods of time. ! Must be able to lift and carry up to 25 pounds. ! Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS: Primarily inside work, normal temperatures, some noise, occasional fumes/odors, chemical exposure, and potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens. This job cannot be performed without exposure to the stresses associated with an intimate, 24 hour skilled care environment that delivers care and services primarily to disabled and cognitively impaired residents in an aging population. Examples of these stresses include, but are not limited to: emergency health or safety response, weekend and holiday duty, unusual or 4 impaired behavior by residents, family reactions to having a loved one in a nursing home, death and dying, oversight of state surveyors, ombudsmen and federal officials, presence of consultants and attorneys, and variable involvement of medical staff. HIPAA is a law that must be followed by all healthcare personnel at every level. This position is a Mandated Reporter regarding the suspicion of elder abuse and may have access to Protected Health Information (PHI). 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Every effort has been made to identify the essential functions of this position. However, this 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 this position. I have read this job description and fully understand the requirements. I understand that proprietary information remains the property of the company and confidential information must remain within the confines of the company during and after employment. I hereby accept the position of Social Services Director and agree to perform this position in a safe manner and in accordance with the facility’s established procedures. I understand that as a result of my employment, I may be exposed to blood, body fluids, burn, infections diseases, air contaminants (including tobacco smoke), hazardous chemicals, and to the Hepatitis B virus, and that I will be responsible for following company policies and procedures when in contact with any of the situations described above. I understand that my employment is at will. My employment is for no definite or determinable period and may be terminated at any time with or without prior notice at the option of either myself or the company. No promises or representations contrary to the foregoing are binding on the company unless made in writing and signed by me and the facility Administrator

Qualifications

Salary : $25 - $30