Medical Social Worker (LMSW) •

Medical Social Worker (LMSW)

A Brief Overview

The Medical Social Worker (LMSW) provides medical social work services, psychosocial assessment, and counseling for patients and their families in close conjunction with the physician and other health care team members.

What you will do

• Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to perform assessment and implement social work services, maintains competency and meets age-specific patient needs in accordance with established protocols, policies and procedures.
• Assessment Collects key information from patient, family, community agencies and other professional disciplines as part of social work assessment; makes referrals as appropriate for further psychosocial assessment. Determines priorities for social work intervention with special consideration given to discharge planning and the patient's right of self-determination. Determines differential treatment needs of patients and families. Provides specialized methods of services based upon assessment of needs. Documents assessment, including social work recommendations and professional judgment within twenty-four (24) business hours of referral.
• High Risk Indicators Reviews admissions to identify patients admitted from nursing homes and other institutions to initiate discharge planning upon admission. Coordinates with assigned areas to begin discharge planning early in the patient's hospitalization. Communicates with community service providers to identify high risk and problem prone patients / families requiring social work services.
• Psychosocial Service Provides supportive counseling to patients / families to enhance coping mechanisms. Utilizes support groups to provide opportunities for ventilation and to normalize individual reactions to illness. Assesses individual and family needs for more intensive psycho therapy and provides appropriate referrals for service. Provides crisis intervention services to patients, families and staff.
• Discharge Planning Provides information to patient and families about types and costs of services available to enable them to make informed decisions. Completes social work assessments and plans documenting patient and family's understanding of and input into development of the plan. Communicates to appropriate staff information about the patient's discharge plan and schedule multi-disciplinary team conferences for patients / families with complex needs or where complex arrangements are required. Initiates referrals to agencies when having the social worker make a direct referral will enhance service to the patient / family. Assists patients in obtaining appropriate services to meet needs such as DME, outpatient therapy, hearing / optical appliances, nursing home, home care and dialysis. Obtains and / or completes required documentation. Serves as a resource to multi-disciplinary team in providing information and education about community resources. Helps coordinate arrangements for patients with special transportation needs transferring from the hospital. Obtains and / or completes required documentation. Maintains an effective relationship with collateral agencies and includes them in multi-disciplinary team conferences when this will improve patient care.
• Communicates and works collaboratively with health care team members in identification and planning needs of the patient and family in compliance with iRESPECT Standards and promoting patient / customer satisfaction to coordinate and implement services, to obtain information; answers inquiries and resolve problems patient care.
• Provides documentation and utilizes computer to enter and retrieve medical / patient information; generate statistics, computations, tables or charts. Provides clear, concise, timely written documentation and updates information and computer data as required. Presents Quality Council quarterly reports of findings, analysis and recommendations. Maintains confidentiality of all information in accordance with hospital, HIPAA, compliance and other regulatory requirements.
• Prepares and maintains required reports, records, and files for operational, administrative and compliance purposes within established timeframes. Utilizes computer and information systems to enter format and retrieve data, generate statistics, computations, tables, charts and graphs.
• Maintains professional credentials and education necessary to keep abreast and maintain a current knowledge of social work principles, concepts and techniques, best practices and current trends. Attends continuing education, staff development, and mandatory programs.
• Participates in staff training and performance improvement activities and utilizes the results of the quality of care activities to initiate changes in practices. Participates in orientation of medical staff, residents and students to promote an understanding of hospital policies and procedures.

Qualifications

Physical Demands

Regional One Health is committed to diversity and inclusion. We are an equal opportunity employer including veterans and people with disabilities.

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