Senior social worker job description

How would you like to work in a place where your contributions and ideas are valued? A place where you can serve with compassion, pursue excellence and honor every voice? At Wellstar, our mission is simple, yet powerful: to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve. We are proud to have become a shining example of what's possible when the brightest professionals dedicate themselves to making a difference in the healthcare industry, and in people's lives.
Responsibilities


Wellstar Cobb Hospital has an opportunity for a Senior Care Coordinator Social Worker
LMSW or LCSW
Shift Full Time Days
One weekend shift per month
Wellstar Cobb Hospital offers the most advanced comprehensive care to the people of South Cobb County. Our cutting-edge technology and extensive expertise creates an unparalleled healthcare experience unique to each patient. We provide whole-person, high-quality care for your medical, surgical, rehabilitative or emergency needs when you need it most.
The Care Coordinator Social Worker Sr. serves as an expert resource for complex patients/ situations and serves as a guide/consultant to the other care team members surrounding patient psychosocial and resource needs. Is an expert with supporting community-based service offerings (indigent care support groups, specialty care) and offers guidance to patients/families as well as other care team members. Is responsible for selected functions related to Advance Directives.

The Care Coordinator SW Sr. is responsible for providing psychosocial assessment for patients with the appropriate planning for follow up care. The Care Coordinator SW Sr. collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to provide care and support to the patient and family in a wholistic manner and serve as an expert on issues related to psychosocial, end of life care, planning, resource needs, counseling services utilizing evidence-based standards and appropriate documentation n the patient record. The Social Worker will provide resource and information necessary to aid patient/families in decision making up to and including support for end of life or funeral care. The Care Coordinator SW Sr. role include, discharge planning and assessment of patients and family's needs for post discharge services, including post-acute care and placement, transition of care, pharmaceutical applications, providing information and counseling services to help the patient cope/adjustment to illness, hospitalization, anticipatory grief, death and bereavement, and other situations that may arise.

The Care Coordinator SW Sr. will collaborate/participate in ensuring that education on chronic care conditions selfmanagement such as CHF, COPD and other key focus conditions are completed. The Social Worker will coordinate and lead family conferences to plan timely patient disposition, will guide and support the other Social Workers with family care conferences and physician level meetings. The Social Worker will participate in the training of new social work hires and may assist other LMSWs in case reviews and discussion of difficult situations, to include, but not limited to assessing suicide ideation, bereavement risk and other similar scenarios. May have other duties assigned as appropriate.


Qualifications


Required Minimum Education
Master's degree in Social Work with either LMSW or LCSW licensure
Required Minimum Certification
LMSW or LCSW licensure
Required Minimum Experience
At least three years of experience in a healthcare in the acute care setting, related field or skilled care environment or community. A background as a medical social work in an acute care setting highly preferred
Required Minimum Skills
Knowledge of Case Management process. Excellent verbal and written communication skills Knowledgeable regarding local, state and federal regulations required Knowledge of community and state-wide resources and programs Ability to function well under stress. Self-directed Ability to build and sustain trust with physicians and other care team members Strong ability to lead teams Must possess maturity, self-confidence, objectivity, and positive attitude Ability to empathize and manage change and work in a fast-paced environment Ability to effect change, performs critical analysis, promote client/family autonomy and plan and organize effectively for the continuum of care Excellent written and verbal communication skills, proficiency with Microsoft office suite products, ability to handle change and function in a fast-paced environment Strong ability to guide and educate families and the care team

The Social Worker (SW) is a core member of the integrated behavioral health care team, along with the patient's medical provider, psychiatric consultant, and patient. The SW is responsible for supporting and coordinating the mental and physical health care of patients on an assigned patient caseload. The SW facilitates ongoing communication with patients' referring medical provider, as well as any other pertinent treatment providers, to ensure optimum level of care of patients. A SW effectively engages patients in brief therapeutic interventions while using evidence-based tools to assess progress. The SW communicates patient progress to the entire care team and adjusts treatment plans in collaboration with all members of the care team. Outside referrals are facilitated by the SW when patient requires alternate or higher level of care. The SW is responsible for maintaining data entry to monitor individual treatment progress, as well as overall program effectiveness.
D UTIES AND R ESPONSIBILITIES

1. Complete virtual psychiatric assessments for patients in primary care offices who are experiencing crisis. Closely collaborate with psychiatrist, health coach, and primary care provider to determine appropriate level of intervention and follow-up.

2. Provide urgent behavioral health assessments to primary care patients in collaboration with IBH and primary care team members, including suicide risk assessment, treatment recommendations, and supporting follow-up care.

3. Screen and assess patients for common mental health and substance abuse disorders. Facilitate patient engagement and follow-up care.

4. Provide patient education about common mental health and substance abuse disorders and the available treatment options.

5. Systematically track treatment response and monitor patients (in person or by telephone) for changes in clinical symptoms and treatment side effects or complications.

6. Support psychotropic medication management as prescribed by medical providers, focusing on treatment adherence monitoring, side effects, and effectiveness of treatment.

7. Provide brief behavioral interventions using evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation, problem-solving treatment, motivational interviewing, or other treatments as appropriate.

8. Provide or facilitate in-clinic or outside referrals to evidence-based psychosocial treatments (e.g. problem-solving treatment or behavioral activation) as clinically indicated.

9. Participate in regularly scheduled (usually weekly) caseload consultation with the psychiatric consultant and communicate resulting treatment recommendations to the patient's medical provider. Consultations will focus on patients new to the caseload and those who are not improving as expected under the current treatment plan. Case reviews may be conducted by telephone, video, or in person.

10. Track patient follow up and clinical outcomes using a registry. Document in-person and telephone encounters in the registry and use the system to identify and re-engage patients.

11. Document patient progress and treatment recommendations in EHR and other required systems so as to be shared with medical providers, psychiatric consultant, and other treating providers.

12. Facilitate treatment plan changes for patients who are not improving as expected in consultation with the medical provider and the psychiatric consultant and who may need more intensive or more specialized mental health care.

13. Facilitate referrals for clinically indicated services outside of the organization (e.g., social services such as housing assistance, vocational rehabilitation, mental health specialty care, substance abuse treatment).

14. Develop and complete relapse prevention self-management plan with patients who have achieved their treatment goals and are soon to be discharged from the caseload.

• Master's Degree in Social Work required.

• CPI (Non-Violent Crisis Intervention) certification required within 6 months.

• Permanent LSW licensure required, LCSW licensure preferred.

• 3-5 years experience preferred in one of the following areas (mental health, Department of Child and Family Services, adult protective services, Veteran's Administration, substance abuse).

• Requires experience working with geographically and financially diverse patient populations.

• Requires knowledge of the impact of the disease process and of human behavior to provide psychosocial assessments, short-term therapeutic counseling and crisis intervention to patients, families and staff.

• Requires knowledge of state and county adult and child protective legal mandates.

• Requires knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span.

• Maintains principles, practices and techniques of crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques.

• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with the community, medical teams, law enforcement, APS/CPS, schools, probation and other agencies as indicated.

• Requires proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word.

REQNUMBER: 332903

General Statement

The Senior Social Worker, under general supervision, performs advanced, professional level casework providing protective, investigative, counseling and case management services for children who at risk for neglect and/or abuse. Employees are assigned to local departments of Social Services and provide social work services including treatment and immediate response to crisis situations for at-risk children in the most complex cases in the departments. Work involves investigation of alleged neglect and abuse, substantiation of the alleged neglect or abuse as prescribed by federal and state guidelines, providing expert testimony in court hearings, and following-up with case management and preventive services for clients. Employees analyze situations and determine appropriate courses of action immediately or in short time spans and often under very stressful conditions. Employees may provide group, family or individual treatment to clients of any age and any developmental, mental, medical, substance abuse, financial or family problem. Employees may have combined investigative and treatment roles or may have separate functions depending on the size and organizational structure of the departments of Social Services.

Essential Functions

Provides Case Management and Foster Care Services for children who have been neglected and/or abused.

Provides Social Work services including treatment and immediate response to crisis situations for at risk children and families.

Manages a caseload of clients in the most difficult and complex cases.

Provides treatment in group, family or individual therapy to clients of any age and/or with any developmental, mental, medical, financial, substance abuse or family problem including abused, neglected or homeless children.

Performs clinical and social investigation, assessment of individuals and family dynamics, and crisis intervention.

Knowledge of social work principles, techniques and practices and their applications to complex casework, treatment, and investigation of abuse or neglect of children.

Knowledge of policies and procedures as evidenced by the ability to cite the authority of federal and state law.

Knowledge of individual and group behavior, family dynamics, and medical, behavioral and/or psychosocial problems and their treatment theory.

Knowledge of governmental and private organizations and resources in the community.

Exercises considerable judgment in determining whether abuse or neglect has occurred, to what extent and how it occurred.

Selects appropriate treatment for the family and clients, requiring significant understanding of their personalities based on assessments and interviews.

Facilitates Child and Family Team meetings.

Provides referrals for treatment and placement in foster care or residential facilities.

Provides expert testimony in court hearings as to the progress of the case.

Conducts home visits at least once a month for each foster child assigned to the case.

Attends school meetings to advocate for the educational needs of the children served.

Maintains contact with parents, therapist, GAL, CDSA, CC4C, attorneys, medical providers, substance abuse agencies, domestic violence agencies, and relatives as it relates to the needs of the child and family.

Attends Therapy appointments and Doctor/ Medical appointments with children, and to obtain medical forms completed by a doctor.

Completes strengths and needs monthly and Family Reunification assessments for cases where the plan is Reunification.

Interacts and motivates a resistant involuntary client population and the public who may not agree with the laws, rules or policies of the process or the programs.

Prepares documentation such as written investigative reports for the court, case records and treatment plans.

Testifies as an expert witness.

Employs advanced case management interview techniques to establish a supportive relationship and involves families in the initial assessment for the need of services.

Assesses the risks and safety of the client environment during daylight hours, after dark and in high crime areas.

Employs expert negotiation skills in the most complex cases.

Analyzes and assesses child development safety issues in relation to risk factors.

Analyzes tense family situations and make decisions about removing children when the decision has to be made with limited direct information and limited access to consultation.

Communicates effectively and establishes supportive client relationships.

Performs under occasional stress and when confronted with persons acting under stress.

Maintains high-quality communication and interacts with other County Agencies, co-workers, and the general public.

Operates small office equipment, including copy machines or multi-line telephone systems.

Operates computers for data entry, word processing and/or accounting purposes.

Completes assigned work on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, County policy, standards and prescribed procedures. Identifies or assists in identifying alternative solutions to problems or situations. Stays abreast of social work theory, techniques and practices, individual and group behavior, social problems, medical and mental illness, family dynamics, coping behavior, crisis intervention, and treatment of various medical and mental diseases and social issues.

Follows all guidelines set forth, which include state and federal laws, program rules, directives, policies and regulations, professional ethics and quality assurance standards.

Collaborates with members of multidisciplinary teams, protective services committees and supervisors. Legal precedents are used in some settings.

Conducts assessments with new and veteran employees to provide feedback and develop training goals.

Develops training curriculum and oversees onboarding process for new Social Workers.

Develops and fosters connections with community partners by facilitating meetings and trainings to update partners on agency and policy changes.

Conducts quality assurance reviews for Child Protective and Child Welfare Services programs, as well as develops and implements program improvement strategies based on the results of the quality assurance reviews.

Provides assistance to investigative, in-home and foster care teams when they are short staffed.

Participates in case staffing's with supervisor twice a month to provide updates as to the status of each case.

Maintains case data and documentation through various computer programs.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Requires a Master's Degree from an accredited school of social work and *one year of social work experience; or a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited school of social work and *two years of social work or counseling experience; or Master's degree in a counseling field and two years of social work or counseling experience; or a four-year degree in a human services field or related curriculum and three years of social work or counseling experience; or graduation from a four-year college or university and four years of experience in rehabilitation counseling, pastoral counseling or a related human service field providing experience in the techniques of casework, group work or community organization; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

* One year of work experience can be credited for completion of the NC Child-Welfare Education collaborative Pre-service training or licensure as a Clinical Social Worker.

Licenses or Certifications:

Must have a valid Driver's License and be able to maintain a safe driving history as defined by the Union County Vehicle Use Policy.

Special Requirements:

None Specified.