Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Emergency Department

Using evidenced based guidelines and best practice as a foundation, the Licensed Clinical Social Worker is responsible for performing bio-psycho-social assessments, care coordination and clinical interventions, program development & discharge planning in the Emergency Department. Effectively intervenes with medically and psychosocially complex patients, while demonstrating the ability to understand complex dynamics related to the clinical situation. Licensed Clinical Social Worker ensures that the patient and family experience adheres to Cottage Health Patient First Philosophy and is consistent with the Mission and Vision of our health care organization.

This is not an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Employees will be required to perform any job, with related instruction given by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. 

1. Psychosocial Assessment: Assess the patient’s social situation, dynamics and capacity to cope with the illness, treatment and hospitalization. Coordinate with multidisciplinary team members, including outside agencies or systems and act as liaison between medical team and the patient and family system. Identify and use differential diagnoses as appropriate for the psychological, emotional or social barriers that interfere with medical treatment, positive outcomes, or discharge plan in various adult and pediatric settings. Act as advocate for patients, families and Cottage Health. Provide medical crisis counseling and emotional support to patients, families and staff around psychosocial stressors, adjustment to illness, end-of-life, grief, and bereavement issues. Consult and conduct assessment and make appropriate referrals on suspected child, dependent adult or elder abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse issues and mental illness cases. Act as liaison between patient/family and schools, work sites. Discuss cases as appropriate with relevant stakeholders (such as patient, physicians, other providers and payers) to best align social work case management plan, level of care and funding resources. Provides a high level of clinical expertise, critical thinking and problem solving skills to situations in order to achieve desired outcomes. Maintain timely and accurate records of all activities relating to the assessment process, documenting activities as appropriate in the medical record. 

Percentage of time: 30%

2. Discharge Planning: On admission, participates in the coordination and development of a psychosocial discharge plan. In conjunction with the healthcare team, patient and family stakeholders identifies likely post-discharge needs. Provides appropriate information, education and choice, making referrals as appropriate to implement the discharge plan (i.e. charity applications, Family Assistance Fund, community resources, home healthcare, institutional placements, financial assistance, DME equipment needs and/or alternative/specialized care settings). Resource linkage for uninsured and/or underinsured patients, displaced families, immigrants and refugees who need medication and aftercare placements in shelters/transitional housing, sober living, SNF, substance abuse residential programs, etc. Use multidisciplinary collaboration, hospital programs and resources, community resources, home care services, institutional placements, financial assistance and mental health counseling to plan and coordinate patient's discharge as needed. Intervene with behaviorally challenged patients and/or patients unwilling to leave hospital to facilitate a safe/timely discharge plan. Maintain timely and accurate records of all activities relating to psychosocial assessment, discharge planning, documenting activities as appropriate in the medical record. 

Percentage of time: 30% 

3. Resource Coordination: Ascertain healthcare benefits utilizing both internal and external resources as appropriate to coordinate necessary and appropriate care, while appropriately preserving the healthcare benefits of the beneficiary. Identifies and coordinates appropriate resources to address basic needs of patient and family i.e (meal coupons, transportation vouchers, clothing, housing, medical supplies, social services, humanitarian visas and charity services, etc). Identify and refer situations requiring immediate intervention to the attending physician, risk management, department director and/or physician advisor as appropriate. Refer cases not meeting criteria (including situations involving the timely provision of services) to the department director and/or physician advisor as appropriate. Maintain timely and accurate records of all activities relating to the resource coordination process, documenting activities as appropriate in the medical record. 

Percentage of time: 25% 

4. Quality Assurance: Participates in the improvement of organizational performance through quality assurance and performance improvement ac