Licensed Clinical Social Worker

JOB TITLE: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

General Description of Position

Reports to Chief Medical Officer or his/her designee. Utilizes professional social work skills in collaborating with other members of the medical team. To prevent or ameliorate related psychosocial problems.

To ensure the patient-related and clerical functions of Social Services are executed in a timely and efficient manner.

Resolves social, emotional and psychological problems of patient/family which may interfere with goals of the medical treatment plan by either working with patient/family directly or by providing advice and assistance to responsible staff members.

Detailed Description of Position Duties

• Refers patients to federal, state and city agencies.
• Interviews patients/families.
• Makes referrals for needed resources and services.
• Coordinates referrals from outside agencies to Southside Healthcare, Inc.
• Develops knowledge of Joint Commission audit procedures for ambulatory health care facilities and social services.
• Provides crisis intervention for acute situations, i. e., locating emergency housing emergency services, housing, etc.
• Assists the Performance Improvement initiative by developing and implementing Performance Improvement indicators with appropriate follow up monitoring.
• To assist in resolving psychosocial problems which may interfere with medical treatment or rehabilitation of the patient/family.
• Provides case management services and documents such activity in the case record.
• Maintains an updated file of community agencies and programs.
• Coordinates volunteer activities as needed.
• Makes appropriate community/home visits to better ascertain the patient/family environment.
• Prepares periodic reports on caseloads, visits, etc.
• Serves as resource person to other staff members by providing advice and assistance in meeting the social needs of the patients.
• Counsels patients referred internally in need of assistance such as housing, food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, SSI and other federal and state assistance programs.
• Contributes to the administrative planning of a social service department.
• Assures that a planned and systematic process exists for monitoring and evaluating the quality and appropriateness of patient care services and attempts to resolve identified problems.
• Serves as liaison between patients, their agency social workers (DFACS), employers, community resources, etc.
• Makes referrals to Protective Services for child/adult abuse, or suspected abuse.
• Prepares monthly statistical reports.
• Serves on various community committees as time permits.
• Provides on-going supportive maintenance to clients as appropriate and provide home visits and outreach calls where appropriate.
• May assist in preparing budgets and writing proposals for grants. Participates in intra-department and clinic meetings as appropriate.
• Responsible for continuing education to maintain and further develop knowledge and skills as well as to make appropriate professional requirements.
• Receives assignments on referral basis from various intra-departmental personnel, i. e., medicine, nursing, home health.
• Have periodic scheduled meetings with the Director or Designee to review progress and establish goals and objectives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of agency policies and procedures relative to social work to provide services within approved parameters.
• Knowledge of eligibility criteria for federal and state services such as Medicare, Medicaid, Presumptive Eligibility, Advanced Directives, SSI, Welfare, Veterans benefits, etc. To assist patients/families to receive benefits to which they are entitled.
• Knowledge of community resources and facilities to make appropriate referrals to assist patient/family.
• Knowledge of counseling techniques to provide adequate counseling to patient/families.
• Ability to be compassionate, understanding and flexible.
• Considerable knowledge of the physical and psychological needs of individuals and families; of cultural factors and belief systems which may affect family lifestyle; of family dynamics; of techniques of interviewing a variety of persons to obtain needed and confidential information; of counseling principles and techniques.
• Knowledge of guidelines for the provision of protective services; of current social and economic conditions; of available community agency resources; of the legal system and the procedures for legal protection of clients, as patients, and Southside Healthcare, Inc., as a health care facility.
• Considerable skills in oral and written communication in a clear and concise manner; in providing crisis intervention; in documenting in the case record social services data, facts, observations, contacts, findings and recommendations; in developing service plans; in providing intensive case work services to clients including locating and coordinating specific services to meet client’s needs; in ready and comprehending material of varying levels of complexity.

Minimum Requirements

Master degree in Social Work from an accredited school of Social Work. Should be licensed as a clinical social worker by the State of Georgia.

Two (2) years (minimum) casework experience in a home health or health care institution that has dealings, but not limited to, child welfare agencies, psychiatric clinic, and/or family counseling agencies. Knowledge of psychiatric and medical terminology. Ability to make decisions during crisis situations.

Lecture/instruct/supervise social services student interns. Involves walking, sitting, standing intermittently during the day. Ability to drive a car is desirable.

Typical Physical Demands

Requires sitting for long periods of time. Occasional bending stretching of lifting. May require contact with individuals with communicable diseases. May require assistance in restraining violent individuals weighing anywhere from 100-300+ pounds.

Requires ability to drive to work under high stress conditions for long periods of time. Ability to hear normal range of voice. Ability to prepare written reports and use telephone equipment. Requires ability to drive to patient homes or outpatient clinics and to negotiate housing not designed for handicap access.

Typical Working Conditions

Normal office environment. Occasional exposure to communicable diseases and other conditions in a clinic environment.

Southside is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunity to each employee. Southside will not engage in unlawful discrimination against or harassment of any person employed by or seeking employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, place of birth, age, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.