Medical Social Worker

Position : Medical Social Worker

Department : HomeCare & Hospice

FLSA Status : Non-exempt

Reports To : Director of Patient Care Services

Job Summary : Assesses social and psychological needs of patients / families, and develops plan of care to assist patients and families / caregivers to cope with the social and emotional issues and practical arrangements related to the patient's illness.

it is currently anticipated that approximately 75% of time will be spent in HomeCare and 25% in Hospice)

Essential Functions :

• Assesses the social and psychological needs of patients / families, evaluating issues such as patient / family coping, social service needs, caregiving plans, bereavement risk, family's financial status and health insurance coverage.
• Provides social and psychological interventions, including crisis intervention, grief / bereavement counseling, problem solving, stress management and developing healthy coping strategies.
• Develops and implements plan of care, which assists patients and families to cope and / or restore social, emotional, financial and environmental factors, which affect and / or are affected by illness.

Collaborates with patient to identify needs and develops plan of care based on mutual agreement.

• Assist patient in advocating for self to receive appropriate services.
• Provides information and referral to community resources as requested. Provides guidance and education to help patients and families access appropriate services such as caregiver resources, advanced planning needs, funeral arrangements and financial and insurance resources.
• Coordinates exchange of information between patient, family, clinical staff, and community providers / resources.
• Obtains and facilitates placements to another level of care where applicable.
• Collaborates and consults with the interdisciplinary group to discuss issues related to patient care. Assists staff to understand the significant social, psychological and emotional factors related to care of ill or terminally ill patients and their family.
• Evaluates progress towards desired outcomes and updates the patient's plan of care as appropriate to changing patient and family needs.
• Assists with community outreach and education as needed.
• Participates in agency and community programs as requested to promote professional growth and understanding of home health care and / or hospice care.

Attends departmental meetings.

Participates in in-service training programs for professional staff, as well as quality assurance and performance improvement activities.

Participated in case conference / interdisciplinary group meetings.

Completes all required documentation in a timely fashion in accordance with regulations and office standards.

Qualifications :

Master of Social Work degree from a school of social work accredited or approved by the Council on Social Work Education.

Coursework in oncology, death and dying, and grief counseling preferred.

Has a baccalaureate degree in social work from an institution accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; or

a. baccalaureate degree in psychology, sociology, or other field related to social work and is supervised by an MSW; and

b. Has 1 year of social work experience in a healthcare setting;

c. Has a baccalaureate degree from a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, is employed by the agency before December 2, 2008, and is not required to be supervised by an MSW.

• Minimum one year of social work experience in a health care setting. Home Health or Hospice experience a plus.
• Knowledge of chronic and acute disease and how it affects patient and family functioning. Knowledge of community resources and understanding of the influence of culture on health care.
• Comfortable in working with families in crisis, the frail elderly, the disabled and the terminally ill.
• Excellent oral and phone skills, and written documentation skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Ability to engage and work collaboratively and harmoniously with others, including patients, patients' families clinical team members, and community resources / partners.
• Knowledge of MS Office and internet, and knowledge of / able to learn and proficiently use electronic health records software.
• Currently CPR certified.
• Must pass health screening for TB clearance, physical examination, and background check.
• Bilingual in English and Cantonese. Mandarin & Toishanese a plus.
• Must be able to travel via public transportation or personal / department vehicle for performance of job duties. If driving, must have and maintain a valid CA driver license, satisfactory driving record, and auto insurance coverage as specified in Self-Help's policy.

Self-Help for the Elderly is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmation Action Employer and we welcome diversity in the workplace.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristics protected by law. We participate in E-Verify.

Qualified applicants with criminal history will be considered for employment in accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

We may provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please call (415) 677-7600 for special assistance.