Medical Social Worker (Geriatrics)

About the role

The Medical Social Worker provides psychosocial assessment, case management, and resource coordination services to address barriers to patient’s optimal health related to Social Influencers of Health (SIOH). Connects patients with designated community agencies to meet social and financial needs, and provides advocacy, crisis intervention, and resource assistance to patients and families.

Responsibilities

• Affords psychosocial assessment, case management, and resource coordination services to address barriers to patient’s optimal health related to Social Influencers of Health (SIOH).
• Connects patients with designated community agencies to meet social and financial needs, and provides advocacy, crisis intervention, and resource assistance to patients and families.
• Develops, implements and assesses continuing care plans to support patient’s health and wellness, in coordination with psychiatrists and therapists as applicable, with awareness of social support system deficits and barriers.
• Intervenes with patients and their family/support system to alleviate barriers to health.
• Advocates, educates and facilitates resolution of patient ethical and legal issues, such as advance directives, end-of-life decisions, guardianship, etc.
• Brokers with community agencies to access services to meet patient’s psychosocial needs.
• Cross-coordinates care across interdisciplinary team of providers.
• Provides education and fosters understanding by providers and staff of social influencers of health and the challenges these create to patient wellness.
• Participates in ongoing trainings to ensure provision of care considering age, developmental, socioeconomic, gender identity, cultural, literacy, language barriers, spiritual, and other diversity circumstances.
• Maintains established productivity and quality standards; assumes additional responsibilities and performs work within position licensure, as required.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of legal issues impacting patients, such as divorce and custody laws, child/adult abuse reporting, duty to warn, recipient rights, commitment of inpatient hospitalization and other relevant laws/processes.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social work from a school accredited by the Council of Social Work Education.
• Valid, unrestricted license to practice clinical social work in the State of Michigan.
• Minimum of 1 year experience in social work setting with vulnerable populations. Preferred crisis intervention and medical setting experience.

Skills

• Ability and proficiency to work remotely from home on a laptop computer, including but not limited to reviewing electronic medical records, e-learning, Microsoft Office and computer navigation needed to complete the tasks of clinical care and performance reporting.
• Knowledgeable in issues around substance use and addiction treatment and recovery.
• Applied understanding of how social determinants affect health and demonstrated ability in complex problem solving.
• Familiarity and compliance with NASW Code of Ethics and any applicable accrediting organizations.
• Extensive knowledge of community resources, and awareness of clinic population’s needs and services, and all aspects of community outreach and education.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills in both written and verbal forms, including a proper phone etiquette and conflict management and de-escalation.
• Ability to speak before groups of people, either in-person or virtually.
• Ability and willingness to present publicly on related issues.
• Ability to work effectively with various levels of organizational members and diverse populations including IHA staff, executive management and Behavioral Health staff, providers, patients, family members, insurance carriers, vendors, external customers and community resource groups and providers.
• Ability to cross-train in other areas of practice in order to achieve smooth flow of all operations.
• Demonstrates excellent organization and time management skills to effectively juggle multiple priorities and time constraints.
• Ability to exercise advanced clinical judgement and competent problem-solving skills independently and productively.
• Ability to drive to other office/practice sites and meeting and training locations as required.

Benefits

Serves as a role model by demonstrating exceptional ability and willingness to take on new and additional responsibilities. Embraces new ideas and respects cultural differences. Uses resources efficiently.

Pay

Negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

Schedule

Full-time, flexible schedule to accommodate remote work.