Palliative care SW Part time

Employment Type: Part time, Day Shift. This is an hourly position.

About the Role

The Social Worker provides services to patients, family members, and/or significant others to help deal with adjustment to illness, understanding and accepting diagnoses, prognoses, or treatment of new or recurrent disease. The Social Worker works to implement a safe and appropriate transition to the next level of care and collaborates closely with the Palliative Care team, including Nurse Practitioners, Physicians, and Chaplains.

Responsibilities

• Assess patient/family social and emotional factors to estimate their potential to cope with terminal illness and death.
• Provide psycho-social counseling and support to patients and families experiencing emotional, social, and economic conflict.
• Assist patients and families in utilizing community resources and community Palliative Care programs.
• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings to establish, review, and revise individualized plans of care for each patient, including information exchange, problem review, and professional support.
• Discuss patient-centered goals of care, disease prognosis, and advanced care planning while supporting unique spiritual and cultural beliefs.
• Participate in developing and implementing measures of patient care quality and satisfaction.
• Provide critical psycho-social support to Palliative Care patients through consult services.
• Support inpatient case managers/social workers by developing care plans for patients seen by the Palliative Care service.
• Complete referrals for patients transitioning to General Inpatient (GIP) hospice in coordination with inpatient social workers and case managers.
• Use and develop the social work process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Collect and assess data related to individual healthcare needs, including past medical history, current health status, and follow-up requirements.
• Reassess and document in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) consistently, especially when there are changes in patient conditions, goals, or preferences.
• Provide counseling to enable patients and families to utilize resources and strengths for necessary adjustments due to illness.
• Include patients and families in decision-making and actively participate in multidisciplinary Palliative Care team rounds.
• Assist in referrals for bereavement resources for family and/or support persons prior to a patient’s death.
• Identify the need for and convene family meetings to provide clarity on patient status, resulting in informed decision-making.
• Report alleged child and/or adult neglect or abuse in compliance with legal requirements, coordinating with relevant agencies to implement safe plans of care.
• Coordinate with domestic violence service agencies to plan counseling services or shelter placement if necessary.
• Document ongoing communication with all individuals responsible for the continuum of care or regulatory issues in the patient’s electronic database.
• Demonstrate proficiency in required computer programs.
• Conduct support/education groups to assist in the adjustment process, facilitating time-limited or ongoing group processes as needed.
• Handle community calls and visits as required, with potential weekend and holiday rotations.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) from an accredited school of social work.
• State of Michigan license (LMSW) or license eligible (LLMSW).
• Minimum of 2 years of experience as an MSW Social Worker in an acute care setting.

About the Organization

Trinity Health is one of the nation’s top healthcare service providers, spanning five counties in Southeastern Michigan. St. Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) includes over 2,700 physicians, 14,000 nurses and staff, 5 hospitals, 5 outpatient health centers, 8 urgent care facilities, and over 25 specialty centers. Trinity Health Livonia is a 304-bed acute care hospital providing comprehensive care, including a 24-hour emergency department, general medicine, surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, intensive care, cancer care, cardiology, geriatrics, and women’s health. The hospital has received numerous awards for clinical outcomes, patient safety, and financial performance.