Social Worker

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Performs initial and ongoing assessment of the patient and family's psychosocial status and assists in accessing resources for social, financial, and community needs.
• Aids in obtaining informed consents.
• Develops a plan of care that optimizes patient and family ability to cope with the psychosocial impact of illness and impending death.
• Offers support, guidance, and counseling in order to diminish stress and enhance emotional wellbeing.
• Provides information about and/or refers to other community resources that are available to supplement psychosocial needs.
• Describes additional Alive Hospice support services that may be used if appropriate, to ease care-giving demands (i.e., Patient Care Volunteer, Home Health Aide, Respite).
• Edits patients and families about Advance Directives as a means of promoting self-determined life closure.
• Aids patients and families to complete Advance Directives as needed.
• Initiates opportunities for patients and families to discuss funeral planning and burial arrangements.
• Participates in interdisciplinary care planning conferences.
• Collaborates with other team members about ongoing psychosocial issues and family dynamics in order to heighten the delivery of empathetic and emotionally supportive care.
• Assesses family's bereavement needs throughout the duration of the patient's life and develops a bereavement plan of care for the family following the patient's death.
• This includes referral to Grief Support Services as necessary.
• Facilitates bereavement support groups.
• Attends department meetings.
• Serves on department and agency committees.
• Attends mandatory agency in-services as part of continuing education.
• Completes all clinical documentation in a timely manner, per Alive Hospice policy.
• Notifies team members of significant changes in patient status, using established agency procedures.
• Completes required EMR documentation to reflect time worked and mileage accrued.
• Follows all agency protocols, policies, and procedures appropriately.
• Participates in the after-hours on call program and is available to respond in situations when the need for psychosocial care arises.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Social Work from an accredited school of social work.
• One (1) year of work experience in a healthcare setting required.
• Hospice experience preferred.