Social Worker - Level II

About the Role

This class of positions encompasses professional, supervisory, or administrative work of varying degrees of difficulty and responsibility in the operation of a social work department providing psychosocial and other social work services to different types of patients across various settings. The role ensures patient-centered quality care and services in support of better outcomes and improved patient experience, in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal rules and regulations, and social work standards of care.

Responsibilities

• Screens charts for historical and clinical information, conducts psychosocial evaluations through interviews with patients and/or identified surrogates, and formulates appropriate social work treatment plans.
• Works within healthcare setting offices or in community settings within NYC to provide individual and group counseling, as well as concrete social services, as required.
• Confers and consults with professionals in other disciplines to determine and implement a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, develop treatment plans, evaluate patients’ progress, develop discharge and aftercare plans, and recommend alternative action or treatment.
• Provides outreach services, makes referrals to other governmental, public, and/or community agencies, prepares patients to accept services, provides direct social work services on high-risk cases, and may escort patients in connection with community activities and referrals, as needed.
• As a mandated reporter, documents and reports suspected cases of child abuse or neglect to the New York State Central Registry.
• Appears and testifies at administrative and court hearings, as necessary.
• Assists in plans for institutional or hospital discharge and other post-institutional/hospital care; evaluates alternate care arrangements for patients, where needed.
• Participates in staff conferences, social work meetings, special studies, committees, and/or research projects, as well as internal/external quality assurance/performance improvement (QA/PI) activities, programs, and trainings, as required.
• Prepares reports and related paperwork; keeps appropriate records.
• Ensures ongoing compliance with NYC Health + Hospitals policies and procedures, national standards, and other applicable external regulatory requirements, guidelines, and accreditation authorities, as well as safety and quality management standards.
• Mentors and assists less experienced social work staff in social work techniques and serves as a resource in various aspects of advanced social work practice.
• May supervise graduate and undergraduate social work students, as well as volunteers and other auxiliary personnel, as needed.
• Provides direct clinical supervision and guidance to social work staff, screens and assigns cases, schedules staff, reviews staff work, evaluates work performance, and/or maintains time and leave records.
• As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), provides and documents clinical supervision of NYC H+H Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSWs) toward advanced Social Work licensure in alignment with professional standards and NYS licensure laws.
• Maintains individualized supervision logs documenting clinical supervision and ensures timely completion of attestation forms required by NYSED Office of the Professions to support LCSW licensure applications.
• Conducts or leads special studies and projects, including the collection and evaluation of data related to vulnerable patient populations, and prepares and presents reports related to these service populations.
• Establishes and maintains professional social work standards of performance concerning interview techniques, methods, and practices used in preparing clinical assessments, developing treatment plans, and documenting case histories.
• Interprets clinical information based on case data, histories, and statistics; prepares and submits comprehensive reports of case findings, including chronologies of medical data and social factors necessary to support recommended courses of action.
• Orients and educates members of other professional disciplines by developing training curricula and presenting on social work concepts and functions.
• Trains and instructs staff in agency policies and procedures and in appropriate social work techniques, methods, and practices.
• Ensures compliance with accepted social work practices and principles and operational adherence to government rules and regulations, including compliance with reporting requirements.
• Participates in conferences, committees, and meetings on- and off-site with supervisory/managerial staff, other clinical professionals, and representatives of government and other agencies and/or community organizations.
• Analyzes population health issues relevant to the area of responsibility and serves as a liaison to community agencies and/or groups.
• Liaises with community agencies, facilitating communication between the agencies and the department/healthcare setting and the utilization of available community resources.
• In the temporary absence of the supervisor, may perform the duties of that position.

Requirements

For assignment to Level II, a valid license as an LMSW or LCSW issued by the NYSED is required.