Social Worker, Emergency Dept.

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PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical Practice:

• Develops comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments responsive to age appropriate and cultural needs and concerns.
  
• Formulates treatment plans and disposition.
  
• Provides mandated assessments when abuse is suspected (child, disabled adult, elder) and specialized safety assessment when violence is suspected.
  
• Employs a range of clinical interventions such as psychotherapy (individual, couples, families, and group), psychosocial counseling, crisis intervention, care coordination, complementary therapies, information and referral and safety planning. Advocates on behalf of patients and families to gain access to services and resources.
  
• Works effectively as part of a social work and interdisciplinary patient care team. Provides psychosocial consultation on patient/family care and management.
  
• Facilitates the appropriate and efficient use of Hospital resources.
  
• Provides risk management.
  
• Credentialed as mental health providers, social workers may be members of specialty referral networks and provide care within the parameters of managed care and/or capitated contract. Are familiar with/responsible for financial risk.
  Identifies problems/issues for quality improvement (clinical and system). Leads/participates in formal QI programs and committees.
  
• Presents and/or discusses clinical work in formal and informal case reviews and seminars and inter-and intra-departmental peer review meetings.
  
• May participate in research projects. May initiate/implement psychosocial programs based on patient/family identified need. Programs may be intermittent, informal or ongoing, formal.
  
• Participates in on-site and on-call duties as assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  

Teaching and Education:

• Assesses patient/family learning needs, styles and readiness. Educates patients/families based on treatment plan, identified gaps and barriers, diversity issues and learning styles.
  
• May mentor staff. May teach in Departmental and Hospital seminars/workshops/rounds.
  

Collaboration:

• Collaborates and consults with patient, families, and providers inside and outside the Hospital to develop and implement outpatient, pre-admission, inpatient and post hospital care. Refers to and collaborates with interdepartmental specialists and programs, outside agencies, facilities, payors, and other relevant community resources.
  
• Organizational/Administrative Skills:
  
• Takes responsibility for own administrative duties, including timely and appropriate documentation in patient medical records, timely and accurate daily reporting of activities in Epic.
  
• Attends and participates in intra- and interdisciplinary meetings and staff meetings.
  
• Participates in Departmental and Hospital committees.
  

Professional Conduct:

• Adheres to the profession's clinical standards and Code of Ethics.
  
• Adheres to the Department and Hospital standards, policies and procedures.
  
• Promotes Departmental and Hospital public relations. Provides risk management.
  
• Adheres to Departmental and Hospital quality/safety standards.
  

Professional Development:

• Participates in individual/group supervision as appropriate to level of licensure/professional development.
  Is responsible for own professional development. Attends pertinent continuing education and professional activities related to job responsibilities and career goals. Keeps current with social work and health care developments pertinent to job and profession. Achieves licensure at LICSW level when eligible. Complies with licensure requirements.
  
• Patient Population:
  
• Each clinical social worker has responsibility for a specified patient population(s) as deigned by service and agreed upon by Clinical Director.
  

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's of Social Work (MSW) from an accredited program required.
• Require current Massachusetts Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), or must obtain MA Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) within 4 months of hire date.
• Strong assessment and treatment skills.
  
• Good organizational skills.
  
• Demonstrates ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
  
• Strong interpersonal skills enabling effective team collaboration.
  
• Demonstrated ability to understand the role of social worker in a hospital setting and to work in a complex, fast-paced environment.
  

SKILLS/ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

• Knowledge of specific medical/psychiatric illnesses, procedures and treatments, related medications (i.e., psychotropic, chemotherapy, etc.), acuity versus chronicity, effect on normal growth and development specific to service.
  
• Ability to provide rapid clinical psychosocial assessments and brief, short term or long term treatment/management with individuals, families, couples and/or groups.
  
• Crisis intervention/treatment/management skills.
  
• Demonstrated competency in age specific behaviors; cultural issues; effect of illness as well as family member illness on age-related development.
  
• Provides information, consultation and professional support to interdisciplinary team members and social work colleagues.
  
• Knowledge of community agencies/resources. Ability to advocate/negotiate systems for/with patients.
  
• Documents in medical record according to Departmental policies and procedures.
  
• Maintains patient/family confidentiality.
  
• Ability to collaborate/team/consult/teach.
  

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Social workers provide care in various settings: at the bedside; in treatment areas and offices; and in patients' homes.
  

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

• May mentor or teach as assigned by the Leadership Team.
  

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Meets Departmental productivity standards.