Clinical Social Worker

Job Summary: Under general supervision of Medical Social Work Supervisor or Chief Medical Social Worker, provides intensive clinical social work for AHS inpatients, outpatient clinics, and public health programs. Participates in patient care planning in cooperation with other members of a multi-disciplinary health care team. Performs related duties as required.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: NOTE: The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification, however, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual in the classification.

1.  Confers with patients and their families to prepare for the patients' discharge or transition to another level of care; encourages patients to develop realistic plans and advises on community resources and facilities; makes referrals to support the patients needs post discharge

2.  Coordinates training and education for social work staff and students and provides education on specific topics as requested. 

3.  Helps remove barriers to client's utilization of health services; refers client to community resources; monitors and tracks client status; represents the client's needs and rights to providers and community in a variety of settings; maintains written client record; attends team meetings to provide case consultation; provides outreach to individual clients and the community which serves the target population.

4.  Interviews staff, patients and families as appropriate to gather psycho-social history and diagnosis; analyzes background data to determine the clinical approach and or intervention; identifies emotional, social, cultural and economic issues affecting the patients and family; develops a plan of treatment and sets treatment goals; obtains psychiatric evaluation and diagnosis where necessary.

5.  Keeps informed of trends and new developments in the field; reads the professional literature. 

5.  Maintain appropriate charting; documents treatment plan, progress notes and discharge summary related information as required by the hospitals/clinics protocol and other mandated regulatory agencies according to Department standards; prepares correspondence regarding social evaluation of patient, patient follow-up and keeps required statistics.

6.  Participates in rounding with the hospital medical staff; interprets the psycho-social factors affecting patients and assists the medical staff by indicating the degree and severity of emotional factors adversely affecting the patients; consults with individual medical staff to discuss specific patients and goal for the patient.

7.  Performs and documents psycho-social assessment to identify emotional, social and environmental strengths and problems related to the patient's diagnosis, stage of illness and life situation.

8.  Provides individual, group or family therapeutic interventions; guides the patient's understanding of the nature of his illness. May provide grief counseling, interventions, relaxation and stress management.

Qualifications: Education: Master's degree in Social Welfare awarded by a recognized college or university with specialization in medical or psychiatric social work. Minimum Experience: One year of experience in the class of Medical Social Worker II with AHS may substitute for the required education; OR three years full-time post-MSW experience as a medical social worker in a hospital or public health department in addition to educational, requirements. Required Licenses/Certifications: Valid Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensure.