Hospice Social Worker-Float

About Us

VIA Health Partners is an industry leader and top-10 nationally ranked provider of end-of-life care. We are a community-based, not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider with deep community roots and decades of experience serving all patients’ and families’ needs regardless of their ability to pay or medical complexity. We are a people-first organization whose funds go to serve our mission.

Benefits

• Medical, vision, and dental plans through BCBS
• 28 days of Paid Time Off
• Excellent mileage reimbursement rate
• 403b Retirement plan with matching
• Focused programs honoring Veteran patients
• Assistance with achieving Certified Hospice & Palliative Nurse (CHPN)
• Best-in-class orientation and onboarding program
• Seasoned hospice leaders guiding your career growth

Responsibilities

• Conducts psychosocial assessments of patients, caregivers, and families to identify emotional, social, and environmental strengths and problems related to their diagnosis, illness, treatment, and life situation.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates plans of care for patients, caregivers, and families.
• Incorporates therapeutic, preventive, and other clinical social work practices that specifically address patient, caregiver, and family needs for counseling and education while maintaining the dignity of the dying patient.
• Addresses patient’s and caregiver’s need for resource and referral services and advocacy.
• Updates plan of care as goals and objectives are achieved or changed.
• Supports patient and family’s individual spiritual and cultural beliefs by assessing cultural issues, developing culturally sensitive care plans, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams.
• If not an LCSW, consults with and involves a Licensed Clinical Social Worker or Social Work Preceptor in cases requiring clinical social interventions or support beyond their expertise or scope of practice.
• Documents assessments, care plans, interactions, and interventions according to regulatory and agency standards.
• Participates in and collaborates with the interdisciplinary group (IDG) and other VIA departments in achieving patient care goals.
• Provides education on hospice philosophy and services, advance care planning, and other issues related to end-of-life care; conducts family meetings.
• Collaborates with long-term care community staff and other IDG members to determine the patient’s level of care and coordinate appropriate utilization of services.
• Initiates referral process for volunteers, chaplains, and grief services; continues to reassess supportive service needs and interventions.
• Maintains working knowledge of community agencies and resources, assessing and referring patients and families to appropriate resources.
• Manages time, caseload, and technology to ensure effective and professional delivery of health services.
• Schedules visits in advance based on prioritized judgment of caseload needs.
• Prepares for visits by reviewing plan of care and patient information, anticipating care needs, and obtaining necessary materials and educational resources.
• Makes visits to provide needed care, evaluates patient and caregiver responses, and revises plan of care as necessary.
• Provides interventions consistent with the plan of care and identifies new problems or needs when they occur.
• Facilitates transfers of patients to other settings, including respite, skilled nursing facilities, or other hospices, when appropriate.
• Facilitates patient and caregiver independence to the extent possible.
• Facilitates transition from active patient and caregiver status to grief care services after the death of a patient.
• Plans workday to respond to priorities and minimize travel time.
• Ensures accurate, complete, and timely clinical documentation in accordance with VIA guidelines.
• Keeps clinical records current by completing and synchronizing electronic medical records throughout the day.
• Completes and submits all clinical documentation per VIA clinical documentation guidelines.
• Records time and mileage report logs accurately and submits activity logs in accordance with VIA policy.
• Assumes responsibility for establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with interdisciplinary teams and interdepartmental staff.
• Attends and participates in meetings as assigned.
• Participates actively in the process of improvement and maintains open lines of communication with supervisor.
• Keeps supervisor appraised of any complex patient or caregiver issues.
• Ensures VIA’s professional reputation is maintained and projected.
• Assumes responsibility for professional development and staying abreast of current trends in the social work field; incorporates new information and methods into practice.
• Maintains current professional licensure in NC as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and in SC as a Licensed Independent Social Worker – Clinical Practice (LISW-CP), as applicable.
• May perform other duties as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required if working as a BSW.
• Master’s degree in social work from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited institution if working as an MSW.
• Medical social work or hospice experience preferred.
• Must be licensed as a Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) or a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) by the NC Social Work Certification and Licensure Board and SC Board of Social Work Examiners, Licensed Independent Social Worker – Clinical Practice (LISW-CP), and remain in good standing with the licensing board.
• Computer proficiency is required.