Palliative Care Clinical Social Worker - Washington, United States - MEDSTAR HEALTH

Description

General Summary of Position

MedStar Health is looking for a Palliative Care Clinical Social Worker to join our team

Reporting to the Palliative Care Manager of Social Services and the Section Director of Palliative Care, the Palliative Care Clinical Social Worker serves on an interdisciplinary consulting team, which aids in the development of palliative care plans for patients and families facing serious illness and end of life in all hospital departments, including emergency services, heart and vascular, general medicine, oncology, and high-risk obstetrics. Coordinates with physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, discharge planning case managers and other disciplines on primary care teams to expedite appropriate, safe, and timely post-acute care plans. Provides direct clinical counseling, mind-body modalities and crisis/grief interventions to patients and families. Develops in-vivo, didactic, and workshop-based educational opportunities to promote the adoption of primary palliative practice by clinicians across the hospital network and in the broader health care field. Leads medical teams in complex case consultations and actively participates in the orientation, training/development, and education of professional staff. This position includes meeting the needs of and providing services to diverse patient populations.

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Primary Duties:

• Conducts comprehensive psychosocial assessments to identify personal, family, community, and environmental strengths/barriers to coping with illness, understanding of medical information, acceptance of medical recommendations and participation in care planning. Assesses psychosocial facilitators and barriers to safe and timely discharge. Develops intervention plans based on assessment findings. Uses clinical expertise to engage in interdisciplinary management/coordination of care and assist primary teams with safe discharge planning. Works with primary teams to identify opportunities for appropriate post-acute care that decreases unnecessary readmissions.
• Participates in unit- and program-based rounds to integrate palliative care recommendations and practice as part of a comprehensive treatment and discharge planning. Documents all assessments, recommendations, and clinical discharge planning activities in electronic medical records systems according to institutional and social work standards. Provides consultation, assessment, coordination, and referral in cases of child or elder abuse, neglect, domestic violence and/or sexual abuse.
• Provides supportive counseling and other psychosocial interventions to promote patient and family adjustment to illness, catastrophic diagnoses, changes in living situations, and bereavement. Uses evidence-based practices in the delivery of social work interventions to facilitate patient and family coping, and participation in medical decision-making. Identifies powers of attorney to support medical decision making. Organizes and conducts family meetings to provide updates, convey treatment options and identify plans of care. Serves on faculty of palliative care medical fellowship program, participates in didactic and experiential training to facilitate fellow learning and preparation for board certification.
• Develops and manages a nine-month social work training program that includes didactic and experiential learning components. Provides weekly supervision in accordance with Association of Social Work Boards requirements to prepare trainees for MSW (Master of Social Work) and professional licensure exam.
• Serves on advisory committees to provide palliative input to development of institutional policies and practice. Utilizes internal and community-based resources to increase patient and family access to health care services. Participates in improving health services and quality control mechanisms through close collaboration with physicians and other health team members.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
• 1-2 years of progressively more responsible job-related experience in a health care setting.
• LGSW (Licensed Graduate Social Worker) in the District of Columbia.
• LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker) in the District of Columbia.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Minimum Qualifications

Why MedStar Health?
At MedStar Health, we understand that our ability to treat others well begins with how we treat each other. We work hard to foster an inclusive and positive environment where our associates feel valued, connected, and empowered. We live up to this promise through:

About MedStar Health
MedStar Health is dedicated to providing the highest quality care for people in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, while advancing the practice of medicine through education, innovation, and research. Our team of 32,000 includes physicians, nurses, residents, fellows, and many other clinical and non-clinical associates working in a variety of settings across our health system, including 10 hospitals and more than 300 community-based locations, the largest home health provider in the region, and highly respected institutes dedicated to research and innovation. As the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University for more than 20 years, MedStar Health is dedicated not only to teaching the next generation of doctors, but also to the continuing education, professional development, and personal fulfillment of our whole team. Together, we use the best of our minds and the best of our hearts to serve our patients, those who care for them, and our communities. It's how we treat people.

MedStar Health is an Equal Opportunity (EO) Employer and assures equal opportunity for all applicants and employees. We hire people to work in different locations, and we comply with the federal, state and local laws governing each of those locations. MedStar Health makes all decisions regarding employment, including for example, hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, benefit eligibility, discipline, and discharge without regard to any protected status, including race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship status, sex, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, political affiliations, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local EO laws. If you receive an offer of employment, it is MedStar Health's policy to hire its employees on an at-will basis, which means you or MedStar Health may terminate this relationship at any time, for any reason.