Social Worker

Description

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

To operate as a member of the patient care team in providing social work services to all Hospice patients and their caregiver system and to act as member of the interdisciplinary team in coordinating supportive services in a consistent, competent, and professional manner.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Listed below is an outline of the essential duties and responsibilities that will be required. Administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability necessary to perform the assigned duties under the supervision of the Director of Social Services are delegated to this position.

Every effort has been made to make your job description as complete as possible. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or is a logical assignment to the position.

DUTIES

1. Clinical Social Services
2. Performs psycho-social assessment of patient and care giving system at start of care and establishes plan of care with input from the IDG team in a timely and accurate way.
3. Reports significant changes and newly identified problems in the patient’s and care-giving system’s psychosocial status to the IDG team, and the Director of Social Services or the Chief Nursing Officer.
4. Provides emotional support, counseling services, and education to help meet the psychosocial needs of the patient and care giving system in relation to the terminal illness.
5. Facilitates caregiver access to necessary community resources with the goal of maintaining a stable care giving environment.
6. Provides initial and follow-up bereavement assessments to the Bereavement Coordinator in a timely manner. When necessary provides bereavement counseling to caregiver system following the death of a patient.
7. Seeks and utilizes feedback from Director of Social Services and IDG as appropriate to maximize overall effectiveness of care plan.
8. Interacts with clients, Hospice staff, and other community service providers in a professional manner as outlined in the Social Work Code of Ethics.

2. Administration

1. Provides appropriate documentation of all client visits and telephone contacts in a thorough, accurate manner within the time requirements outlined in policy.
2. Reviews care plans bi-weekly and completes necessary updates in a timely manner. Completes physician summary in an accurate manner within the time requirements outlined in policy.
3. Participates actively in weekly Hospice IDG meetings, reporting on the psychosocial status of patient and care giving system.
4. Serves as educator and aids other patient services department members when requested by Director of Social Services or Chief Nursing Officer.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. General
2. Has knowledge of and follows Hospice policies and procedures.
3. Maintains a professional appearance.
4. Display a consistent positive attitude.
5. Demonstrates Values of Hospice: PROFESSIONALISM * RESPECT * NURTURANCE * COMMUNICATION * CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
6. Adheres to Hospice El Paso Mission and Value Statement.
7. Shall know and conform to the Texas Social Work Practice Act as delineated in Title 3, Subtitle I, Chapter 505 of the Texas Occupations Code, the Board of Social Work Examiners’ standards, rules and regulations as delineated in Title 22, Part 34 of the Texas Administrative Code, as well as all federal, state, or local laws, rules or regulations affecting the social workers’ current area of social work practice.
8. Maintains Licensure as required by Title 3, Subtitle I, Chapter 505 of the Texas Occupations Code and Title 22 Part 34 of the Texas Administrative Code.
9. Notifies Hospice immediately of any pending action against the license or pending suspension or any suspension or action taken against the license.
10. Performs other duties as assigned.

2. Communication

1. Establishes and maintains effective communication and a cooperative manner with patient, family members, physicians, hospital, nursing home and foster care personnel.
2. Establishes and maintains effective communication, verbally and in writing, and a cooperative manner with Hospice administration, volunteer and patient care departments, all members of the team, and all employees of Hospice El Paso.
3. Listens and responds to the patient/ family needs in a sensitive and timely manner keeping all parties (IDG) appraised of developments.
4. Complies with HIPAA standard by abiding with the minimum necessary Protected Health Information to perform job function. Access Level 2 = Select, insert, update.

3. Professional Development

1. Attends and participates in weekly team, IDG, meetings, and bereavement meetings.
2. Attends in-service programs.
3. Attends staff support meetings as able.
4. Participates in orientation of employees, volunteers and students as assigned.
5. Participates in the planning and presentation of educational programs for Hospice personnel, health care professionals and community.
6. Attends conferences, seminars and workshops aimed to broaden knowledge and improve the quality Hospice services offered, to include sharing that information with other staff.
7. Attends ethics and compliance training and maintains compliance with the CCP.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Education and Experience
2. Masters Level Social Worker
3. Masters degree from an accredited school of social work.
4. Minimum two years experience in a multi-disciplinary setting.
5. Licensed by the State of Texas.
6. Bachelors Level Social Worker
7. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of social work.
8. Minimum two years experience in a multi-disciplinary setting.
9. Licensed by the State of Texas.
10. Associates Level Social Worker
11. Associates degree in an applied behavioral science.
12. Minimum five years experience in a multi-disciplinary setting.
13. Licensed by the State of Texas.
14. Other
15. Valid driver's license. Drives own vehicle. Maintains vehicle insurance as required by the State of Texas.
16. Has personal telephone.
17. Must be able to read, write, and speak English at a level which will permit the employee to accurately understand and communicate information as necessary to safely and efficiently perform job duties.

WORKING CONDITIONS

1. Works in well lighted ventilated office areas, hospitals, nursing facilities, foster homes and patient homes.
2. Drives between office and hospitals, nursing facilities and foster homes.
3. Sitting, standing, bending, lifting and moving intermittently during working hours.
4. Subject to frequent interruptions.
5. Interacts with patients, family members, other members of the care-giving system, other Hospice staff members, representatives of community resource providers, foster home providers, nursing home staff, physicians, visitors to the agency, etc., under all conditions and circumstances.
6. Subject to interactions with hostile and emotionally upset patients, family members, etc.
7. Subject to falls, burns from equipment, infectious diseases, odors, etc., throughout the workday.
8. Exposure level: Category II- Job does not routinely involve exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues, but exposure or potential exposure may be required as a condition of employment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Physically fit and able to work in a variety of settings and locations, primarily in well lighted/ventilated areas.
2. Able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position.
3. Sits, bends, lifts, and moves intermittently during working hours.
4. Lifts and move items, generally not to exceed 20lbs.
5. Possesses sight/hearing senses or uses prosthetics that enable these senses to function adequately to meet the requirements of the position.