KC - Social Services Designee/Social Worker (Full-Time)

Reports to: Administrator.

Position Status: Full-time.

Hours of Operation: The hours will be set by the Administrator; does include evenings and weekends as necessary.

Job Summary

The Social Services Designee’s primary function is to provide residents and families with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Duties include advising family care givers, providing education to residents and counseling, and making referrals for other services. In addition, this position coordinates and leads care plan meetings designed to promote health and address barriers to healthcare.

Essential Functions / Duties

• Coordinate, participate, and facilitate care plan meetings.
• Explain resident’s rights to residents and their representatives.
• Develop one-on-one relationships with residents and families as needed for counseling.
• Meet with residents and families to discuss their feelings about death or dying and other emotional, mental, environmental or physical limitations.
• Document interactions with resident and/or family in the assessment and care plan as required by state standards.
• Assess and document the social and emotional needs of residents.
• Responsible for completing the social service portion of the MDS within 14 days of resident’s admission to the facility.
• Document the social care component of the Comprehensive Care Plan for each resident as identified by the interdisciplinary team within 7 days of completion of the MDS.
• Participate in the admission of residents; understand and implement pre-admissions screening process.
• Responsible for the completion of discharge plan in accordance with facility discharge policy.
• Act as a liaison with social, health, and community agencies.
• Refer residents to social, health, and community agencies and ensure documentation is in the resident’s record concerning the results of such referrals.
• Coordinate family and community resources as needed to solve financial needs and promote emotional security.
• Comply with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Operate computers programmed with software needed to record, store, and analyze resident information; operate copy/fax/printer machines to send documents and produce documents.
• Perform other related duties as directed by the Administrator.

Please refer to the Physical and Other Requirements section for abilities that are essential as they relate to the ability to do duties listed above.

Education and Experiences: Prior experience in a similar working environment is preferred, but not a requirement of the position. This position requires a degree from an approved Social Work program (bachelors or masters) and be licensed by the Kansas Board of Behavioral Sciences.

Abilities: The successful candidate will have a poised, professional demeanor, and a positive attitude. They will be resourceful and have the ability to take the initiative in a changing workplace and adapt to varying requirements and needs. Specific abilities include:

• Ability to understand, observe, and enforce infection control proce­dures related to facility services.
• Ability to observe all facility safety policies and procedures.
• Ability to understand and recognize potential physical, chemical, and electrical hazards and take immediate corrective action as appropriate.
• Ability to understand and enforce the Exposure Control Plan as this position risks occupational exposure to blood borne patho­gens and other infectious material as an essential function of the job.
• Ability to safeguard the privacy of Residents’ health information.
• Ability to speak and read English, and follow oral and written directions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public, residents, and staff.
• Ability to use computers; the ability to use the designated facility computer system (or systems) at a proficient level.
• Ability to perform other related duties as directed by administration.
• Must attend staff meetings, in-service classes, and committee meetings as assigned or required.

Physical and Other Requirements: Primarily this position operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines. In addition, this position interacts with residents, family members, staff, etc., under all conditions and circumstances and must be constantly alert for resident safety. This position is also subject to exposure to infectious diseases, conditions, etc., including the Hepatitis B viruses.

This position requires the following abilities as essential to for the position:

• Ability to stand, stoop, crouch, kneel, balance, finger, grasp, push, pull, reach, or walk.
• Ability to lift objects from a lower to higher posi­tion or moving objects along a horizontal level but from position to position. This includes lifting and carrying weights up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to exert force upon an object in order to draw, drag or tug objects toward the source of the force in a sustained motion.