Social Worker - Inpatient Palliative Care

Overview

The Hospice/Palliative Social Worker is a consultative service within the hospital setting.  In this role you focus on the quality of life while patients are being treated for chronic or serious illness.  These illnesses are life-threatening: though they do not necessarily have to be terminal, but often times are.  Palliative is a multidisciplinary team approach to care focusing on 1. symptom management, 2. decision making and 3. planning future care based on what the patient's wants and wishes are.  This role is highly specialized and offers the opportunity to help patients identify and explore the options they have available to them for their care going forward, which of those options align with their values, how they want to manage their illness, and control their own lives.  This position provides the social worker the chance to work with patients and their families utilizing their medical crisis counseling skills.  This role will receive referrals, and consults for patients from at risk populations from interdisciplinary team members (including physicians, Case Managers, staff nurses and other members of the care team) in addition to case finding. Social work interventions and services may be assigned via phone and/or via telehealth means.

 

Type of Opportunity: Full Time (1.0 FTE)Work Schedule: Varied Days and Hours

 

Sign on Bonuses and Relocation Benefits to qualifed Candidates

 

How you grow, learn and thrive matters here.

• Educational and career development options, including tuition and certification reimbursement, scholarship opportunities
• Staff Safety (a wearable badge that allows nurses to quickly and discreetly call for help when safety is a concern)
• Shift differentials for nights and weekends
• Differentials for higher education, certifications and various lead roles
• Malpractice liability insurance
• Loan forgiveness through the New Mexico Higher Education Department 
• EPIC electronic charting system

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social work required.
• Current license from the State of New Mexico as a Licensed Independent Social Worker-LISW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker-LCSW, or Licensed Master Social Work-LMSW.
• A license with ten years of hospital social work or discharge planning experience in a relevant setting is required.
• Licensed Master Social Work License (LMSW) preferred.
• National Case Management certification preferred.

Responsibilities

On the basis of referral, consultation or case finding assesses patients and family s psychosocial risk On the basis of referral, consultation or case finding assesses patients and family s psychosocial risk factors through evaluation of prior functioning levels, appropriateness and adequacy of support systems, reaction to illness and ability to cope.

 

May provide initial screening in the ED for crisis intervention and overcapacity situations.

 

Intervenes with patients and families regarding emotional, social, and financial consequences of illness and/or disability; accesses and mobilizes family/community resources to meet identified needs: Provides appropriate crisis management to patients and families.

 

Provides support and counseling to patients / families experiencing and/or anticipating issues to adjusting to illness, catastrophic diagnosis, changes in living situations and bereavement.

 

Provides intervention in cases involving child abuse/neglect, domestic violence, elderly abuse, institutional abuse and sexual assault.

 

Advocates for patient and family empowerment and independence to make autonomous health care decisions and access needed services within the health care system.

Participates and arranges discharge planning activities for patients, to ensure a timely discharge and to provide appropriate linkage with post-acute providers.

 

Works with families exhibiting complex family dynamics that impact directly on patient care and discharge.

 

Works collaborates with the case manager and multidisciplinary team members regarding discharge planning and arranges for the appropriate level of care needed as determined by patients continuing clinical care needs.

 

Educates patient/family and physician regarding post-acute options and addresses issues of choice.

 

Actively participates and provides pertinent information in complex rounds discharge planning huddles, unit daily whiteboard rounds.

 

Functions as the lead in assisting patients and families to obtain available financial and other resources including but not limited