Hospital Clinical Social Services Director

Position Summary

The Hospital Clinical Social Services Director assumes responsibility for the overall functioning, communication, and effectiveness of the Social Services Department. The Director collaborates with physicians, nursing leadership, administration, and other clinical departments to ensure patients receive comprehensive psychosocial services, discharge planning, family involvement, and continuity of care. This role leads performance improvement initiatives, participates in quality management activities, and ensures adherence to all hospital policies, patient rights standards, and regulatory requirements.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Leadership & Department Oversight - Direct and supervise Social Services Department operations. Provide leadership to Case Management, Discharge Planning, Activity Therapy, and IOP services. Monitor departmental performance and ensure quality patient outcomes. Participate in strategic planning, quality initiatives, and performance improvement activities. Assist with departmental budgeting and resource management. Participate in the administrative on-call rotation.

• Clinical Services - Conduct and oversee psychosocial assessments. Facilitate treatment planning and multidisciplinary team participation. Coordinate discharge planning and aftercare services. Ensure continuity of care and successful patient transitions. Provide individual, family, and group interventions as clinically indicated. Assist with crisis intervention and special case conferences. Serve as a patient advocate and liaison between patients, families, and community agencies.

• Treatment Team Participation - Attend daily clinical and utilization review meetings. Participate in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings. Assist with development and implementation of individualized treatment plans. Monitor patient progress and communicate treatment recommendations. Collaborate with Medical Staff, Nursing, and Administration regarding patient needs and discharge barriers.

• Regulatory Compliance & Documentation - Ensure compliance with CMS, Joint Commission, State Licensure, HIPAA, and hospital policies. Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation. Ensure completion of discharge plans, referrals, family contacts, releases of information, and required reporting. Support survey readiness and regulatory compliance activities. Participate in Quality Management and Performance Improvement initiatives.

• Community Relations - Develop relationships with community agencies, referral sources, and outpatient providers. Coordinate patient referrals and community resource utilization. Facilitate communication with outside agencies to ensure patient needs and rights are met. Promote continuity of care through strong community partnerships.

Qualifications

• Education - Master's Degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or related behavioral health field required. Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), LPC, LMSW, or equivalent behavioral health licensure preferred.

• Experience - Minimum one (1) year of behavioral health experience required. Supervisory or leadership experience in a psychiatric hospital or behavioral health setting preferred. Experience with treatment planning, discharge planning, case management, and utilization review strongly preferred.

• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities - Strong leadership and staff development skills. Knowledge of psychiatric diagnoses, DSM-5 criteria, and behavioral health treatment modalities. Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. Knowledge of patient rights, regulatory standards, and accreditation requirements. Proficiency with electronic medical records and Microsoft Office applications.