Social Worker LCSW/LSW-Gurnee Clinic Full Time Days

Company Description

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better healthcare, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. At Northwestern Medicine, we pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, we take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

Job Description

**This is a Full Time, salaried position at 40 hours per week for our Gurnee clinic that supports patients of Family Medicine.  Schedule is Monday through Friday, 8a-5p with no weekends.  Bilingual in Spanish is preferred.  We are accepting both LCSW and LSW candidates.**

The Social Worker LCSW reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization's Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines, and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

The LCSW will have extensive knowledge of and relationships with organizations providing community resources in northern Lake County and function in a referral capacity, informing patients and their families about available opportunities and eligibility. Patients will be informed about options for assistance during an in-person consult with the LCSW and also receive printed instructions they can take home about connecting directly with organizations. For medication affordability and enrollment in pharmaceutical assistance programs, the LCSW will work in conjunction with Northwestern Medicine’s pharmacy and ambulatory care teams to guide patients to secure enrollment.

Responsibilities:

Psychosocial Assessment and Intervention:

• Meets directly with patient/family to perform a comprehensive assessment including social, emotional, cultural, mental status, environmental and financial circumstances in conjunction with interdisciplinary assessment of the patient.
• Recommends a plan of intervention based on patient needs, preference and mutually established goals.
• Coordinates action plans when barriers are present to facilitate resolution.
• Coordinates discharge planning to ensure a timely discharge through early identification, assessment and intervention for post-hospital care needs.
• Patient assessment, plan coordination and changes to the plan occur, as necessary, to ensure that the patient is discharged when medically ready to:
  • Other acute hospitals;
  • Rehabilitative facilities;
  • Extended care facilities;
  • Sub acute care;
  • Psychiatric and chemical dependency care;
  • Return to home;
  • Other living arrangements.
• Meets directly with patient and family to assess needs, preferences and develop appropriate plan that involves home health care services in collaboration with the physician.
• Ensures/maintains plan consensus from patient/family, physician and payer. Timely discharge is facilitated through early identification, ongoing assessment and intervention for post-hospital care needs.
• Collaborates and communicates with multidisciplinary team in all phases of discharge planning, ensures/maintains plan consensus from patient/family, physician, and payer as indicated.
• Proactively identifies and resolves delays and obstacles to discharge. Utilizes advanced conflict resolution skills as necessary to ensure timely resolution of issues and system problems.
• Seeks consultation from and makes referrals to appropriate disciplines/departments as required.
• Demonstrates knowledge of community resources and an ability to connect patients and families with these resources. Acts as an advocate on behalf of the patient who requires assistance to gain access to needed information, resources, or services.
• Completes timely documentation of activities in the medical record and hospital wide information systems.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the utilization management process which includes level of care assignment, communication with payors and benefit authorization for applicable situations.
• Uses data to drive decisions and plan/implement performance improvement strategies for assigned patients/units, including financial, clinical, quality and patient satisfaction data.
• Assumes responsibility for professional development and meeting social work CEU requirements by participating in workshops, conferences, and/or inservices.
• Provides case management and support to patients with chronic illnesses in order to assist them in achieving medical and social stability. 
• Provides these servic