Job title: Medical Social Worker
Company: Stratford VNA
Job description: Job Title/Position: Medical Social Worker
Reports To: Supervisors of Clinical Services
HIPAA PHI Access: 4
Summary OF JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Medical Social Worker prepares social histories, provides social casework to patients and families having difficulty in social functioning primarily as it affects their health, refers and aids in the referral process to social agencies, and generally serves as a social worker in the Agency’s total program. The Medical Social Worker implements standards of care for medical social work services.
The Medical Social Worker will assess and evaluate all Agency referrals directed to him/her and will devise a plan of care in accordance with Agency policies and priorities.
GENERAL:
The social casework service is to augment the other services being provided by the Agency. Primarily it is intended to help the nurses provide more comprehensive public health nursing service and to provide direct casework service to the patient or family until the problem can be resolved or a referral made to an appropriate agency.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: * Provides social casework as an entity where appropriate to individuals and families receiving nursing or other service from the Agency.
- Performs complete psychosocial, emotional, safety, spiritual, terminal care assessment.
- Prepares social histories taking into consideration:
- Family relationships
- The meaning of illness to patient and his/her family
- The cultural attitudes in relationship to illness
- The ability of the patient and his/her family to adjust to the patient at home
- The financial impact of illness upon the family.
- Develops a problem list, plan of care, establishes and revises realistic goals, performs discharge planning, reviews plan of care prior to care and performs services per plan of care. Evaluates patient’s response to care and progress and revises realistic goals and plan of care as needed.
- Assess coping skills of patient’s family and assist in building increased coping skills as needed.
- Helps the patient and his/her family to understand, accept and follow medical recommendations that provide services planned to restore the patient to optimum social and health adjustment within his/her capacity. Monitor social and emotional status and provide supportive counseling.
- Responds to referrals for casework by agency staff or by professionals from outside the agency, providing service as appropriate.
- Maintains up-to-date, concise, legible and timely documentation such as incident reporting, orders for services, summary reports and discharge paperwork for each patient receiving social work services. This includes biweekly conferences with other professionals providing care of that patient along with participation in case management conferences. All documentation will reflect the skilled nature of visits.
- Assures accuracy in documentation of patient care services provided and is aware of and participates in taking steps to prevent fraud and abuse.
- Assures that visits are scheduled and made which meet patient’s care needs and are authorized by the physician’s plan of care.
- Obtains timely initial authorization and reauthorization as required from all managed care plans.
- Participates in case conferences with those involved in patient’s care, functions as a team member by supporting agency staff members.
- Follows all infection control practices in providing care. Reports and documents key information to PCN, physician, discharge planner, case manager, supervisor, etc.
- Provides information and/or refers patients and families to community agencies and serves as a liaison between each.
- Identifies patient and family needs for other home health services and refers to same when appropriate
- Provides assessment, counseling and referral for patients with suicidal risk and mental/physical abuse and neglect.
- Assesses, when appropriate, a family’s financial situation, taking into consideration patient prognosis and medical needs, referring to an Agency for financial assistance when indicated.
- Provides counseling for long-range planning and decision making. Arranges for long-term care.
- Participates in alternative and appropriate discharge planning.
- Interprets social resources to staff and health services to social agencies.
- Participates in in-service education programs within or outside of agency.
- Respects all patients’ individual rights regarding HIPAA.
- Personally implements, promotes and enforces the Stratford VNA Corporate Values System.
- Performs other duties as assigned by the Supervisor of Clinical Services.
The above statements are intended to be a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. The incumbents may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those stated in this description.
Qualifications AND EXPERIENCE:
The Medical Social Worker shall be a graduate of a Master’s degree program in social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education who has had at least three years of clinical social work experience in a health care setting, such as a hospital, outpatient clinic, medical rehabilitation facility, or family service agency licensed in the State of Connecticut as a Medical Social Worker (LMSW). Clinical Licensed Social Worker (CLSW) preferred.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES: * Knowledge of all social work methods with particular skill in casework.
- Ability to adapt this knowledge and skill to a public health setting.
- Some knowledge and understanding of the principles of public health administration and practice.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with community agencies.
- Knowledge of Medical/State and home health guidelines.
Expected salary:
Location: Stratford, CT
Job date: Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:29:03 GMT
