Medical Social Worker - Coastal

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is seeking a Medical Social Worker who is committed to upholding the department’s fundamental mission of protecting children from abuse and neglect to ensure they are able to grow and thrive in a safe and nurturing environment.

The Medical Social Worker performs a variety of functions including physical and behavioral health advocacy and interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to accessing healthcare needs and services of youth in care or custody. They will serve as a member of the DCF Health and Medical Services Team (HMST) and will be instrumental in supporting DCF staff with identifying healthcare demands. 

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Support Area Offices in ensuring that youth have medical screenings, comprehensive examinations, health maintenance visits (“physicals”), and dental care within required timeframes; Ensure that all available relevant medical information is documented in agency database – FamilyNet.

• Track data and metrics to help increase compliance with agency policy.

• Ensure appropriate coordination of healthcare services from the time youth enter DCF custody.

• Establish and maintain effective relationships between the agency and healthcare providers statewide by collaborating, identifying barriers to access, and ensuring that care coordination is established for all youth.

• Identify cases in which further medical consultation should be conducted with the Regional Nurses.

• Collaborate with the Medical Director, the HMST Supervisor, Area Offices, and other specialty units (Regional Nurses, Central Office Medical Social Workers, Substance Abuse Coordinators, Domestic Violence Specialists, and Mental Health Specialists), on individual cases regarding children with complex medical conditions and care coordination.

• Assist DCF staff with identifying youth who need HIV testing, accessing the testing, and documenting the results in the agency database - FamilyNet.

• Support agency staff with pharmacy issues, including Medication Administration Program (MAP) issues when youth are entering group home placements; follow-up on issues around prior authorization for medication and contact prescribers to inquire if the prior authorization request has been submitted. 

• Provide appropriate referrals to community-based healthcare providers; Assist staff with discharge planning.

• Expedite referrals to agency specialists and hospital Child Protection Teams as needed in individual cases.

• Coordinate with agency Area Office staff, Lead Agencies and substitute caretakers to ensure that staff and care providers have appropriate and relevant healthcare information about youth entering custody.

• Identify healthcare trends, staff training needs, and barriers to accessing healthcare services.

• Evaluate and guide social work practice issues in the development, revision, and implementation of healthcare-related policies and practices.

• Utilize the Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) to help resolve Medicaid and Managed Care Organization barriers to youth accessing healthcare services.

• Facilitate agency trainings for Area Offices in regard to healthcare-related policies or directives.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Skilled in coordinatin