Hospice Social Worker SLC

Job Summary:

To deliver varied social work services to hospice patients and their families. To provide initial emotional, spiritual, psychosocial assessments, ongoing counseling, bereavement services and community education, outreach and referral. The hospice social worker is an integral part of the hospice IDG.

Responsibilities:

Performs initial psychosocial, emotional, spiritual and bereavement assessments and assists in the development and implementation of goal-directed IDG care plan. Conducts ongoing reassessments of patient/family needs and counseling as required. Provides short term crisis intervention and individual or family counseling when indicated. Provides services, under the direction of a physician (who approves plan of care). Participates as a member for the bereavement team as assigned. Observes, assesses and brings to IDG conferences information regarding psychosocial, emotional, spiritual, physical and financial conditions affecting the patient and family. Assumes the active role of advocate for patient/family unit. Develops and maintains contact with appropriate community agencies and services in order to promote interagency cooperation and to facilitate related referrals. Documents comprehensive psychosocial, emotional and spiritual assessment clearly and concisely in a timely manner. All patient/family visits, telephone contacts and referral actions are recorded in the patient record per policy. Provides ongoing counseling related to issues of death and dying to the patient and family as needed. Attends staff meeting, IDG and other meetings as assigned and appropriate. Participates in the orientation program as assigned. Adheres to all hospice policies. Assumes responsibility for own personal and professional development and maintenance of skills in social work. Exhibits hospice philosophy in all job-related roles. Other duties as assigned by Director. Have an MSW degree from a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and one year of experience in a healthcare setting. Have a baccalaureate degree in social work (BSW) from a school of social work accredited by the CSWE, and one year of experience in a healthcare setting an be supervised by a MSW from a school of social work accredited by the CSWE and who has one year of experience in a healthcare setting. If the BSW is employed by the hospice before December 2, 2008, they are exempted from the MSW supervision requirement. Have a baccalaureate degree in psychology, sociology or other field related to social work, and at least one year of social work experience in a healthcare setting and be supervised by a MSW from a school of social work accredited by the CSWE and who has one year of experience in a healthcare setting. Hospice must also defer to state law regarding social work requirements. If state requirements are more stringent, hospice must comply with the state requirements. For example, if the state requires a social worker to have a BSW or an MSW, the hospice may not employ a person with a baccalaureate degree in psychology, sociology or other field related to social work to work as a hospice SW. Hospice must employ or contract with at least one MSW to serve in the supervisor role as an active advisor, consulting with the BSW on assessing the needs of patients and families, developing and updating the social work portion of the plan of care and delivering care to patients and families. Supervision may occur in person, over the telephone, through electronic communication or any combination thereof. Hospice will allow time for the supervision to happen on a regular basis and provide documentation as to the nature and scope of supervision. Hospice also ensures that non-social work trained bachelor's prepared employees filling the role of social worker are supervised by a MSW who graduated from a school of social work accredited by the CSWE and who has at least one year of experience in a healthcare setting. Social workers with a baccalaureate degree from a school of social work accredited by the CSWE and who are employed by hospice before December 2, 2008, are exempted from the MSW supervision requirement. If hospice hires a new SW with a baccalaureate degree and one year of experience in a healthcare setting after December 2, 2008, then the baccalaureate SW must be supervised by an MSW who has one year of experience in a healthcare setting. Ability to work independently, make accurate, and at time, quick judgements. Ability to respond appropriately to crisis outside of a hospital setting. Acceptance of and adaptability to different social, racial, cultural and religious modes. Minimum two (2) years of experience as a social worker, preferred. Active patient contact within past three (3) years, preferred.