Director of Social Services

Job Description

Purpose : To act as a liaison and representative of the residents' social interests and to plan, organize, develop and direct the overall operation of the Social Services Department in accordance with current federal and state standards governing the facility, and as may be directed by the Administrator to ensure that the medically related psycho-social needs of the residents are met and maintained on an individual basis.

Regulation : F-Tag 745 "Medically-related social services" means services provided by the facility's staff to assist residents in maintaining or improving their ability to manage their everyday physical, mental and psychosocial needs.

Qualifications :

• Positive attitude toward the elderly.
• Must be a team player.
• Must have the ability to work with all levels of management.
• Must have strong problem solving skills.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of Outlook, Excel and Word.

Essential Job Functions :

• Maintaining contact with facility caregivers (with resident's permission) to report on changes in health, current goals, discharge planning, and encouragement to participate in care planning;
• Timely and accurate assessment and completion of all socialservices documentation in the medical record;
• Assisting staff to inform residents and those they designate about the resident's health status and health care choices and their ramifications;
• Making referrals and obtaining services from outside entities as necessary, including but not limited to dental, podiatry, eye care, hearing services, home 2 health, DME etc.;
• Assisting residents with necessary referrals for financial and legalmatters, including applying for Medicaid and obtaining ICP Medicaid benefits;
• Provision of discharge planning services;
• Arranging provision of needed counseling or psychiatric services;
• Through the assessment and care planning process, identifying and seeking ways to support resident's individual needs;
• Promoting actions by staff that maintain or enhance each resident's dignity in full recognition of each resident's individuality;
• Assist the Resident and / or their family with Advance Directives, including addressing code status (DNR), Living Will, Health Care Surrogate, Health Care Proxy etc.;
• Providing alternatives to drug therapy by understanding and communicating to staff why residents act as they do, what they are attempting to communicate and what needs the staff must meet;
• Identify and address resident's who are grieving and arrange for necessary services;
• Assist as required by the administrative team in all Resident abuse and neglect investigations and grievances;
• Comprehensive MDS, and Care Plans pertaining to social services as directed by the MDS team;
• Timely and interactive participation in all required staff meetings;
• Assist the administrator upon request with interviewing, providing oversight and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations all social services supportive staff;
• Promptly report to the administrator any allegation of abuse or neglect and / or complaints or grievances and assist with follow up;
• Target psychosocial areas that may affect the resident and work closely with the activities department to identify and address any potential psycho-socialstressors;
• Assist and ensure completion of PASRR Level II determinations as needed;
• Ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner at all times;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Physical Job Requirements :

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls;
• reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; lift and / or move equipment or residents; grasp; stoop, bend, kneel or crawl;
• talk or hear; taste or smell;
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus;
• Always being able to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner;
• Works beyond normal working hours as necessary.

Education and Experience :

• A Bachelor's Degree is preferred in Social Work or in Human Services but not limited to Sociology, Psychology or Rehabilitation Counseling;
• Minimum of three (3) years' experience in Long Term Care;
• At least one (1) year of supervised Social Work experience in a Health Care setting working directly with individuals.
3 days ago