Social Service Specialist

Pay range: $39.95 - $59.94

ST. CHARLES HEALTH SYSTEM

JOB DESCRIPTION

TITLE:                                      Mental Health Practitioner/Social Services Specialist      

REPORTS TO POSITION:        Manager Acute Social Services

DEPARTMENT:                         Social Services

DATE LAST REVIEWED:          October 20, 2023

OUR VISION:                            Creating America’s healthiest community, together

OUR MISSION:                         In the spirit of love and compassion, better health, better care, better value

OUR VALUES:                          Accountability, Caring and Teamwork

DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: St. Charles Health Systems Acute Social Services and Psychiatric Assessment Team (PAT) positions may support anyone, or a combination of the following departments: Social Services, Home Health, Behavioral Health, or Hospice. Services provided to the community and region include the following: Acute mental health crisis and triage, inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, treatment for SPMI population, substance use triage, local, regional and state resources for long term care access needs, and collaboration with the outpatient community at discharge. These departments provide system-wide support including, but not limited to working with multi-disciplinary team to assess needs of patients and families, provide appropriate resource referrals, provide supportive counseling as needed, coordinate discharge planning and provide other identified services as needed to support those affected by chronic or acute illness.

POSITION OVERVIEW: The Mental Health Practitioner/Social Services Specialist provides counseling services including assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for patients experiencing medical/social/behavioral/mental health concerns.  Discharge planning; supportive counseling and brief interventions. Assist in meeting the psychosocial needs of patients and their families to help patients utilize services to achieve optimum level of function and to coordinate care throughout the continuum of care.
 

This position does not directly manage any other caregivers.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES:

Participates with team members in facilitating patient’s and family’s learning through the continuum of care. Reinforce patient’s continued health care through teaching and/or referral to community agencies for follow-up needs.
 

Provides diagnostic, preventative and treatment services of a psychosocial nature pertaining to personality adjustment, behavior problems and interpersonal dysfunction.
 

Respects privacy and protect the confidentiality of patients and family members while maintaining boundaries of the professional discipline as outlined in the affiliated licensing board’s Code of Ethics.
 

Functions as a member of the Interdisciplinary Care Team to assure care is accomplished effectively and efficiently in a cost-effective manner.
 

Provides individualized and family-based therapies using a variety of evidenced-based treatment modalities, interventions, and strategies primarily from a DBT, ACT, CBT, Solution-Focused, Motivational Interviewing, or another approved modality.
 

Works in a fast-paced environment at times multi-tasking and triaging numerous needs of patients, their families and community agencies.
 

Completes psychosocial assessments (including substance use), economic assessments, risk assessments, and treatment plans that are individualized and measurable in compliance with the department and state regulatory standards.

Assesses the potential threat of harm to self-and/or others and/or inability to care for oneself. Determine in coordination with the treatment team and county, the legal status of patients in accordance with the treatment team and County, the legal status of patients in accordance with State or Tribal Civil Commitment laws.
 

Provides crisis intervention to a patient in immediate crisis in the emergency department or hospital inpatient unit(s) and to recently discharged patients on an as-needed basis.
 

Provides psychoeducation and case management support to patients and their families. Including psychosocial counseling, support, information and referral to patients and families regarding illness and related issues.
 

Responsible for maintaining knowledge of all state and federal regulations as they apply to the admission, care, and discharge of patients including all pertinent civil commitment procedures and protocols.
 

Coordinates after-care with outpatient providers including th