Lead Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Transitional Care, Full-time, Days

Description

Northwestern Medicine has an exciting opportunity for a LCSW to work as a Lead in our outpatient Transitional Care clinic. 

Transitional Care is a primary care physician’s office that assists patients with follow-up care after being seen in the emergency department or inpatient at NM. We are a short-term clinic and utilize a collaborative model when working with our patients. We provide assistance with psychosocial needs as well as medical needs. We help stabilize patients medically and provide them with any resources they may need. We teach them how to navigate the medical system and then “launch” them to a long-term PCP in the community.  

The Clinical Lead Social Worker will work with complex patients who present to the clinic. This includes providing emotional support, case management needs, and/or addressing any barriers to care they may have. This role also helps to manage a group of 6 health advocates. This role will also assist with admin work or project-based work. This role is included in Transitional Care Clinic leadership and is responsible for mentoring & chart reviewing each health advocate.

Schedule: M-F, days; no nights/weekends/holidays/on-call

The Social Work Clinical Leader reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization's Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines, and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

Responsibilities:

• Performs all functions of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW); see job code 2027.
• Facilitates Service line, HUB, or outpatient Social Work operations according to policy, procedure, and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinates Service line, HUB, or outpatient staffing assignments on to achieve high quality and cost effective care.
• Coordinates workflow as necessary.
• Participates in interviewing.
• Participates in Transition into Practice through managing new hire assignments and mentoring.
• Provides clinical direction and guidance to staff to ensure standards of high quality are achieved and maintained in the delivery of patient care.
• Responds as a leader to urgent issues such as disaster alerts and emergencies appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Champions new initiatives and leads Service line, HUB, or Outpatient committees/task forces.
• Implements specialized clinical procedures within Service line, HUB, and outpatient clinics involving complex factors unique to those areas/populations/diagnoses.
• Provides advanced clinical consultation to social work staff, other disciplines and trainees.

Additional Functions:

• Clinical:
  • Meets directly with patient/family to perform a comprehensive assessment including social, emotional, cultural, mental status, environmental and financial circumstances in conjunction with interdisciplinary assessment of the patient.
  • Recommends a plan of intervention based on mutually established goals.
  • Performs assessments of the physical environment and adequacy of support systems for outpatients to prevent a crisis and/or hospitalization.
  • Serves as the point person for the plan of care as it applies to discharge planning needs through facilitation of direct and continuous communication and collaborative decision making, including participation in multidisciplinary rounds and case conferences and other collaborative forums.
  • Coordinates action plans when barriers are present to facilitate resolution.
  • Proactively identifies and resolves delays and obstacles to discharge.
  • Utilizes advanced conflict resolution skills as necessary to ensure timely resolution of issues and system problems.
  • Seeks consultation from and makes referrals to appropriate disciplines/departments as required to expedite discharges.
  • Demonstrates expertise of community resources and an ability to connect patients and families with these resources.
  • Acts as an advocate on behalf of the patient who requires assistance to gain access to needed information, resources, or services.
  • Facilitates review of high risk cases by Office of General Counsel, Risk Management and informs appropriate members of the healthcare team as to interventions needed.
  • Coordinates interventions in collaboration with healthcare team.
  • Act as a liaison with outside agencies including office of ASA, and GAC.
  • Provides patient and family education that promotes wellness and increases knowledge of the health care system.
  • Demonstrates advanced knowledge of the utilization management process which includes level of care assignment, communication with payors and benefit authorization for applicable situations.
• Professional:
  • Exemplifies a professional image in appearance, manner, and presentation.
  • Consistently demonstrates accountability.
  • Consistently demonstrates compassion to internal and external customers.
  • Dynamic representative of the Social Work profession in internal and external forums.
  • Integrates theoretical knowledge base and clinical expertise in decision making.
  • Assumes responsibility for meeting regulatory and other mandatory requirements.
  • Assumes responsibility for personal development plan and education/certification related to clinical specialty area.
• Leadership:
  • Acts in accordance with organizational culture; understands how own work affects others in the organization and knows when to escalate an issue, problem, or decision.
  • Analyzes patterns and work flow processes and recommends operational/program changes as needed.
  • Facilitates effective interdepartmental communication of incidents with appropriate personnel (manager, administrator, medical staff, etc.).
  • Identifies and communicates key issues and trends to managers and makes recommendations for improvement on an ongoing basis.
  • Establishes relationships across departments to optimize patient care.
  • Actively participates in Clinical Performance Improvement Activities.
  • Uses data to drive decisions and plan/implement performance improvement strategies for assigned patients/units, including financial, clinical, quality and patient satisfaction data.
  • Demonstrates analytical skills necessary to analyze and interpret data, resolve problems requiring innovative solutions and to negotiate patient driven quality outcomes.
• Other:
  • Provides graduate level Social Work field supervision for students requiring a field placement.
  • Assumes responsibility for professional development and social work CEU requirements by participating in workshops, conferences, and/or inservices.
  • Complies with Northwestern Memorial Hospital policies on patient confidentiality including HIPAA requirements and Personal Rules of Conduct.
• EOE/AA.

Qualifications

Required:

• Master's degree in Social Work from a school of Social Work accredited by CSWE.
• Minimum of three (3) years of post-master's experience in a health care environment or related setting.
• Certification or advanced training in area of specialty.
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills and independent clinical practice using consultation as appropriate.
• Demonstrated leadership skills as evidenced by publications, conference presentations, positions held in professional associations, advanced research, community development activities, etc.
• Analytical skills necessary to independently collect, analyze, and interpret data, resolve problems requiring innovative solutions and to negotiate in sensitive situations.
• State of Illinois Licensure: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).

Preferred: 

• Supervisory experience

Equal Opportunity

Northwestern Medicine is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.