Hospice Medical Social Worker
Why Join Us as a Hospice Medical Social Worker?
As a trained Medical Social Worker at Optimal Care Hospice, you’ll provide compassionate support to patients and families living with terminal illnesses. You’ll play a critical role in enhancing patients’ quality of life by coordinating care, managing day-to-day needs, establishing and evaluating goals, and counseling patients and their caregivers throughout the end-of-life journey.
What You’ll Do:
- Complete initial social work evaluations within 5 days of hospice admission and re-evaluate needs during each visit.
- Aid patients and caregivers with funeral planning, financial, legal, and healthcare decisions.
- Educate and guide patients and families in preparing advanced directives.
- Connect patients and caregivers to community resources and referral services.
- Conduct comprehensive social assessments, including family dynamics, caregiver abilities, communication patterns, and identifying risks such as neglect, abuse, or suicidal ideation; develop interventions based on findings.
- Assess the psychosocial status of patients and caregivers in relation to the patient’s terminal illness.
- Provide counseling for stress, coping challenges, and other identified needs.
- Identify and educate staff on patient- and caregiver-specific cultural considerations, including communication preferences, family roles, space, and special traditions.
- Provide bereavement support to patients, caregivers, and hospice team members.
Required Qualifications
- Master's degree in Social Work from an accredited college or university
- Current state licensing in social work
- Current and valid driver’s license
- Reliable transportation and valid automobile insurance coverage
- Minimum of one year experience in healthcare
- Medical Social Work skills are as defined by accepted MSW standards
- Understands the hospice philosophy, and issues of death/dying
- Experience and/or education in grief or loss counseling
- Demonstrates ability to assess and respond to the needs of patient’s families and caregivers in varied settings and to function effectively in the home or nursing facility environment
- Demonstrates skill in Social Work practice, ability to cope with ill, disabled, terminal patients, family emotional stress, and tolerance of individual lifestyles
- Ability to handle multiple priorities, documentation requirements, and deadlines
Desired Qualifications
- Hospice experience is preferred
- Familiarity with Home Care Home Base (HCHB)
Location
Office: 770 Kenmoor Ave, Suite 100, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Service Area: Grand Rapids and surrounding communities
Schedule
Regular Hours: 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, Monday through Friday
Weekend Rotation: Required on rotating basis
Pay Range
$63,000 - $68,000 USD
How We Care for You
- Minimum of 3 Weeks Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- HSA and FSA options including Dependent Care
- Company paid Short Term Disability
- Company paid Life Insurance
- 401(k) with Employer Match
- Mileage Reimbursement
- Company Vehicle Program for field roles
- Pet Insurance
- ID and Fraud Protection
Background Screening
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Screening is completed by a third-party administrator, the Michigan Long-Term Care Partnership, and is performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act.
Reasonable Accommodations
We offer reasonable accommodations throughout the application process, interview stages, and during employment to ensure all team members can thrive. Please reach out to us if you would like to request a reasonable accommodation.
Equal Opportunity Employer
We believe an exceptional place to work begins with diverse perspectives. We are proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace that prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic.