Social Worker

Full-time, day shift with potential weekend hours. 80 hours biweekly (8-hour day shifts). On-call responsibilities may be required.

About the Role

The Social Worker provides evaluative, preventive, therapeutic, restorative, and personal care services to meet the psychosocial needs of Mercy patients and their families. The goal is to enable patients to better utilize medical care resources and achieve optimal health by applying psychosocial theories and methods to individuals, couples, families, and groups. This role covers the continuum of care from pre-admission to post-discharge follow-up, serving diverse populations.

Responsibilities

• Obtain social history and identify patient needs through interviews, medical records, and consultations with healthcare providers.
• Analyze and evaluate the patient’s psychosocial situation to understand their needs fully.
• Develop and implement individualized psychosocial case plans in collaboration with the healthcare team, monitoring patient progress.
• Coordinate discharge planning, consulting with physicians, staff, and families to determine post-hospital needs and create post-discharge care plans.
• Educate patients and families on available resources and assist with referrals to appropriate services.
• Provide crisis intervention, prioritizing emergency and non-emergency tasks, and offering immediate supportive counseling.
• Deliver psychosocial counseling and treatment to restore optimal social and physical health adjustments for patients and families.
• Maintain knowledge of public and private welfare and health agencies, making prompt referrals to meet patient needs.
• Screen patients for financial assistance and clarify insurance benefits, helping families cope with economic stresses related to illness or injury.
• Provide clinical social work consultation to physicians and professional staff through evaluations, case conferences, and educational presentations.
• Act as a liaison with community health and social service agencies, establishing professional connections.
• Document all social work activity in patient medical records accurately and timely.
• Collaborate interdepartmentally, recognizing the role of social work in the hospital’s overall patient care function.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work (required).
• Understanding of medical terminology.
• Proficiency in clinical interviewing techniques.
• Familiarity with social work principles, standards, and ethics.
• Basic understanding of Medicare and Medicaid regulations, as well as child/dependent adult laws (desired).
• Completion of Mandatory Reporter abuse training specific to the population served, within three months of hire.

Benefits

Competitive compensation with a full benefits package and opportunities for growth throughout the MercyOne Health System.