Lead Medical Social Worker

At Crossbridge Hospice, we believe a job is a good fit when the role aligns with your personal values, reflects your interests, utilizes your strengths, and provides opportunities for development and growth.

We are committed to cultivating a workplace where people feel empowered to thrive. By matching individuals with roles that resonate with their purpose and aspirations, we foster a community driven by authenticity, innovation, and shared growth. We believe that when people bring their whole selves to work, remarkable things happenfor our teams, our patients and their families, and the communities we serve.

Position Summary

The Medical Social Worker Lead is a qualified professional who, in accordance with the plan of treatment, assists the physician and other team members in understanding the significant social and emotional factors related to the health problems. The MSW also participates in the development of the plan of treatment, prepares clinical and progress notes, works with the family, utilizes appropriate community resources, participates in discharge planning and in-service programs and acts as a consultant to other agency personnel.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide social casework as an entity, where appropriate, to individuals and families receiving nursing or other services from the Agency
• Prepare social histories according to specific guidelines to augment existing service or as a guide in determining or changing level of service taking into consideration:
• Family relationships
• The meaning of illness to the patient and his family
• The cultural attitudes in relationship to illness
• The meaning of home to the patient
• The ability of the patient and his family to adjust to the patient at home
• The financial impact of illness upon the family
• Assess, when appropriate, a family's financial situation taking into consideration the patient's prognosis and medical needs, and referring to an Agency for financial assistance if indicated, interpreting the medical situation to the referring Agency and generally facilitating the process of referral
• Respond to referrals for casework by Agency staff or professionals from outside the Agency providing service as appropriate
• Participate in Agency IDG team conferences identifying social problems, their severity, and their inter-relatedness to the medical situation, as well as assessing a family's strengths and weaknesses and discussing alternate methods of alleviating the situation
• Refer patients and families to community agencies with appropriate follow-up
• Participate in case conferences with other agencies
• Interpret social resources to staff and health services to special agencies
• Assist the physician and other team members in understanding the significant social and emotional factors related to the health programs
• Participate in the development of the plan of treatment
• Observe, record, and report information on the patient's condition to the attending physician and in the patient's health record
• Advise, counsel, and when appropriate, instruct the family in the patient's social needs
• Participate in discharge planning
• Complete information visit and obtain patient consents for hospice admission per office procedure

Qualifications

• Master's degree (MSW) from a school of Social Work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
• Has a current Social Worker License in the state of practice in accordance with state licensure requirements
• Must maintain a valid drivers license and good driving record
• Five or more years of social work experience in a health care setting
• The ability to assess and document patient needs and formulate individualized patient care plans to meet those needs
• Proficiency in personal computer use including email, clinical, word processing, and spreadsheet software

Preferred Attributes

• Advanced Palliative Hospice Social Worker Certification-APHSW-C, through Social Work and Palliative Care Network.
• Two years experience within hospice