Social Worker

Description

SUMMARY

 The Hospital Social Worker provides essential support to patients and their families within the hospital setting. The role involves assessing patients' psychosocial needs, offering emotional support, connecting individuals to resources, and facilitating discharge planning. As a key member of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, the social worker ensures that patients' emotional, social, and environmental needs are met while being treated in the Inpatient or Emergency Department setting.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability to be successful.

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES (include but are not limited to the following).

• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings and collaborate with medical staff to develop patient-centered treatment plans.
• Conduct psychosocial and assessments to identify the emotional, social, and environmental needs of patients and their families.
• Conduct social determinants of health (SDOH) assessments for hospitalized patients to evaluate factors such as socioeconomic status, education, housing, food security, employment, and access to healthcare, all of which can significantly influence the patient’s overall health and wellbeing.
• Coordinate patient transfers to appropriate psychiatric facilities or outpatient services, ensuring smooth transitions in care.
• Be responsible for conducting follow-up calls for emergency room patients identified with psychosocial needs ensuring patients receive the necessary support, resources, and assistance to address any emotional, social, or mental health challenges following their visit.

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in social work or related discipline.
• One year of experience in healthcare preferred.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Maintain up-to date knowledge of Medicare, Medicaid in relation to skilled coverage.
• Maintain knowledge and technical proficiency for assigned job responsibility.  As position evolves, ensures that required knowledge level is maintained.
• Completes work in an accurate, neat, and thorough manner.
• Prioritizes work effectively.
• Manages time effectively.
• Maintains appropriate quality of work.
• Builds and maintains positive working relationships with other employees. 
• Works to resolve problems with other individuals and departments in a constructive manner.  Focuses on solving the problems, not blaming.
• Is flexible and adaptable when faced with changing needs of customers, co-workers and organization.
• Recognize stressful nature of work and maintains professional composure.  Responds positively and effectively to fluctuations in the workload.
• Accepts changes to work processes, technology, and policies.
• Is a self-starter, creative, and strives for achievement in terms of both quality and quantity in work.  Accepts responsibility for own work and reliably follows through minimal supervision.
• Is dependable in terms of attendance, promptness in all aspects.  Keeps manager and others informed of schedule, availability, and work program.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work with all levels of staff, and residents and families, with sensitivity to their issues and needs.