Social Worker-MSW LCSW

• Job Title: Social Worker – MSW / LCSW
• Location: Ball Memorial
• Shift: Full Time Days

Position Overview

The Social Worker at Indiana University Health provides face-to-face psychosocial assessments, counseling, and resource coordination to patients and families.

This role involves collaborating with the clinical team to develop treatment plans addressing psychosocial issues, serving as a resource and role model for students, interns, and other social work staff, and ensuring patients receive timely, safe, and comprehensive care.

The social worker acts as a liaison with protective services and community agencies, manages crisis situations, and supports complex discharge planning.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct face-to-face interviews with patients and families to evaluate psychosocial needs and risks.
• Assist in developing educational materials for patients, families, and team members.
• Serve as a resource and mentor for students, interns, LBSWs, and LSWs.
• Collaborate with the healthcare team to develop and implement treatment plans that resolve psychosocial issues and meet patient needs.
• Interpret and communicate complex patient and family needs, demonstrating caring practices to all caregivers.
• Counsel patients and families regarding emotional, social, and financial impacts of illness or disability.
• Access and mobilize family and community resources to meet identified needs.

Perform mental health assessments based on physician referrals and provide therapeutic interventions to facilitate discharge planning.

Lead or support in cases involving child abuse/neglect, elder abuse/neglect, institutional abuse, and domestic violence; act as liaison with protective agencies.

Maintain principles and practices of crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques in acute situations.

Provide specialized mental health services, including crisis intervention, addiction assessments, and psychiatric referral recommendations.

Support patients during dangerous or potentially violent situations, utilizing effective interviewing and de-escalation techniques.

• Offer intervention for guardianship, foster care, adoption, and end-of-life planning.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with hospital staff, law enforcement, APS/DCS, schools, probation, and community agencies.
• Document all clinical activities thoroughly in electronic medical records, ensuring compliance with policies.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education: Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) required.
• Licensure: Permanent Indiana LCSW licensure required.

Certifications

Certification in Crisis Prevention Intervention or an alternative de-escalation training within 6 months of hire.

Experience: Relevant health care, mental health, or community-based experience.

Knowledge & Skills

• Evidence-based psychosocial assessment, short-term therapeutic counseling, and crisis intervention.
• Knowledge of the disease process and human behavior related to health and social needs.
• Complex discharge planning skills for safe patient transitions.
• Legal knowledge of child and adult protective mandates.
• Understanding of growth and development across the lifespan, including end-of-life care.
• Ability to identify decision makers and facilitate goals of care conversations.
• Experience adapting services to diverse populations geographically, culturally, and financially.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
• Computer literacy and proficiency in electronic medical record documentation.

Additional Details

This position offers a leadership opportunity in clinical social work, emphasizing crisis management, legal compliance, and community engagement. The social worker will work on-call and holiday rotations as needed, supporting patients through complex psychosocial challenges and ensuring the highest standards of care.

Interested? Apply now to join Indiana University Health as a Social Worker and make a difference in patients’ lives through expert psychosocial support and advocacy

• Indiana University Health has nearly 40,000 team members, including more than 3,600 physicians and 1,200 advanced practice providers, and we’re home to the largest nursing network in Indiana with more than 9,000 nursing team members at over 800 sites of care.
• IU Health is ranked No. 1 in Indiana by U.S. News & World Report, Riley Children's Health is ranked among the top children's hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
• A unique partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine – one of the nation’s largest medical schools – gives patients access to groundbreaking research and innovative treatments, and it offers team members access to the latest science and the very best training – advancing healthcare for all.
• With 15 hospitals, including seven with Magnet designation and eight with Pathways to Excellence designation, our team members are leading the way through excellence.
• At Indiana University Health, your personal and professional growth is a top priority. You will have access to many diverse opportunities to learn and develop in meaningful ways that matter most to you, such as advanced clinical training, leadership development, promotion opportunities and cross training development.
• Indiana University Health is invested in the lives of Hoosiers, leading the transformation of healthcare to make Indiana one of the nation’s healthiest states.