Medical Social Worker Jobs

Job Summary

Using interviewing, organizational and networking skills, gathers clinically relevant information and provides psychosocial assessment to assist the healthcare team in developing a treatment plan and determining services needed by patients/families. Actively collaborates with healthcare team to meet patient care outcome management and system improvement goals. Uses planning, prioritizing and organizational skills to achieve utilization and quality goals.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education: Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from an accredited program
Minimum Years of Experience: None.
Substitutable Education & Experience: None.
Required Certifications/Licensure: Licensure as a Social Worker in the state of South Carolina
Required Training: None.

Essential Functions

• Keeps healthcare team members informed of plan of care progress through timely, clear and correct documentation in the patient’s medical record (EMR).
• Consistently communicates within case management triad regarding issues.
• Provides education/consultation to the patient/family and healthcare team.
• Participates in case management team meetings and program development.
• Demonstrates receptiveness to change and flexibility in meeting department needs.
• The Medical Social Worker works in a cooperative manner, which fosters favorable relationships between employees and patients, patient’s families, visitors, fellow employees, the medical staff and outside facilities. Accepts chain of command, supervision and constructive criticism.
• Facilitates referrals, confirms resources, and implements plan within LOS.
• Determines comprehension and need for repetition and revision of methods of teaching.
• Respects patient confidentiality and uses discretion in all interactions regarding patient’s needs.
• Utilizes appropriate brief counseling techniques.
• Maintains confidentiality.
• Completes psychosocial/discharge assessments (appropriate to patient type) and reason for referral to assist the healthcare team in development of a care plan. Obtains basic information related to the diagnosis/treatment experiences, age, developmental stage, financial status, living environment, transportation, support systems, and family/significant others.
• Resolves conflicts and problem solves.
• Accesses internal/external resources on the patient’s behalf.
• Honors appropriate patient preferences and provides patient/family with lists of providers of services needed.
• Exhibits telephone courtesy.
• Professionalism/Competence: Demonstrates competence in providing duties within role.
• Uses appropriate channels for reporting progress and/or concerns.
• Abides by the Social Work Code of Ethics.
• Respects, understands and responds with sensitivity to employees and guests by treating others as one would wish to be treated.
• Exhibits commitment and pride through person example.
• Identifies the need for professional growth and seeks appropriate professional development opportunities attaining a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education annually in topics related to professional role.
• Utilizes assessment data to facilitate appropriate and timely discharge plan/post acute services.
• Demonstrates competence to provide developmentally appropriate assessments and interventions for the infant, child, adolescent, adult and geriatric patient populations.
• Coordinates appropriate, efficient and timely discharge plan/post acute services.
• Documents assessment information in the patient’s medical record (EMR).
• Consults with case management team members and other healthcare team members routinely.
• Serves as a role model for other healthcare team members.
• Contributes to teamwork and creates harmonious, effective and positive working relationships with others.
• Conveys and receives information efficiently to and from patients, families, other members of the health care team and outside facilities and agencies.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Participates on teams designed to improve systems based on analysis of data and evaluates outcomes.
• Performs all other duties as assigned by authorized personnel or as required in an emergency (e.g., fire or disaster).
• Consults with attending physician to coordinate discharge plans for the patient.
• Participates in Discharge Planning Team meetings and in Discharge Planning Department program development.
• Contributes to patient outcome measurement.
• Participates in unit discharge planning activities and in interdisciplinary patient care conferences.
• Identifies opportunites for improvement and coordinates/participates in the development and implementation of action plans to make improvements.