Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) - Kingwood, Tx

About the role

Texas Oncology is looking for a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) to join our team supporting the Gulf Coast North Region. Travel up to 20% between clinics is required and candidates must reside in Texas. Bilingual in Spanish is strongly preferred. Sites include Kingwood, Kingwood North, The Woodlands, Houston Northwest, and Conroe. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Responsibilities

• Provides therapeutic counseling to patients, family members, and caregivers as needed.
• Assesses, diagnoses, and treats mental, emotional, and behavioral issues as appropriate; if billing, documents session notes and billing requirements in a timely fashion.
• Demonstrates strong knowledge of the psychosocial impact of cancer on the patient and family system across the continuum of care, including at diagnosis, advanced cancer, end-of-life care, and survivorship.
• Addresses practical implications such as financial distress, changes in relationships/roles, custody planning, caregiver demands, advance care planning, psychological distress, and spiritual/existential distress.
• Provides emotional support and crisis assessment/interventions; offers non-pharmacologic support for pain, sleep issues, and other physical concerns.
• Actively participates as a member of the interdisciplinary medical team and ensures ongoing communication to facilitate understanding and support of identified patient and family needs.
• Contributes to Value Based Care initiatives by following up on distress and depression screenings, participating in advance care planning and end-of-life conversations and transitions; if billing for advance care planning visits, documents notes and billing requirements in a timely fashion.
• Assists and supports patients and families with transition to and issues associated with survivorship.
• Meets with patients and families to administer, assess, and provide appropriate follow-up of psychosocial needs assessments; considers social support, community resources, and coping mechanisms.
• Develops, maintains, and facilitates support groups; coordinates with local agencies and providers to prevent duplication and better address patient needs.
• Educates clinic staff on skills and knowledge specific to the role of a clinical social worker; serves as a resource and expert to staff and providers on managing patients with psychological needs, social and behavioral determinants of health, and issues such as compassion fatigue and secondary trauma.
• Provides information about community resources to patients and families; develops and maintains working relationships with community agencies, healthcare organizations, and providers.
• Acts as a patient/family advocate in negotiating the healthcare system and facilitates communication between patient/family and the medical team.
• Documents all interventions in the EMR accurately, appropriately, and timely; if billing, documents notes and billing requirements in a timely fashion.
• Provides professional presentations to groups and organizations to facilitate public understanding of the psychosocial and psychological aspects of the cancer experience.
• Participates in quality improvement activities; may oversee activities of staff providing coordination of social services.
• As appropriate, supervises MSW student interns, including reviewing candidates, mentoring, and proper documentation of training.
• Demonstrates knowledge of age-specific differences in the patient population, including late adolescence, adulthood, middle age, and the elderly, with attention to physiological, psychological, and developmental differences unique to each group.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Minimum three to five years of experience as a clinical social worker in a healthcare setting; oncology, palliative care, and/or hospice experience is desired.
• Valid and current Texas state master’s clinical-level license (LCSW).
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred.

Physical Demands

Requires corrected vision and hearing to normal range. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment

Requires exposure to communicable diseases, medical preparations, and other conditions common to an oncology/hematology clinic environment. Frequent interaction with patients and families, physicians and clinic staff, and external agencies and organizations.