Behavioral Health Social Worker

Summary:

FLSA STATUS: Exempt Non-Exempt

MISSION STATEMENT:

Our Mission is to improve the well-being of those we serve with a commitment to excellence: every patient, every encounter, every time.

VISION:

Our Vision is to create a world-class health system to advance medicine and increase access for the communities we serve by empowering caregivers to heal through compassion, knowledge, innovation, integrated care and excellence.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Behavioral Health Social Worker is to provide social work expertise to hospital wide program development and implementation and to be responsible for the coordination and delivery of social services that include conducting comprehensive assessments, development of discharge plans and managing complex psychosocial issues in assigned areas. The BH Social Worker is responsible for assessing and addressing patient needs, maintaining standards of quality patient care, and collaborating as an active member of the interdisciplinary treatment team. The BH Social Worker is on-site and available five days a week, as well as holidays and, therefore, is required to work on a weekend rotation and an occasional holiday and will be on call as required by departmental scheduling.

POSITION EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in social work required
• Valid Social Worker license to practice in the State of Texas
• Four (4) years’ experience, one (1) year with a specific patient population (may commensurate for educational requirements)
• Good knowledge of theory & practices of social work required
• An understanding of psychiatric care, forensic behavioral health, and legal system required

JOB KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

• Four (4) years’ clinical experience is required, with experience in a hospital or acute care setting being strongly preferred
• Resource management/case management experience is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication skills (oral and verbal) required.
• Demonstrate an understanding of community health, welfare, and social agencies.
• Working knowledge of Medicare, and third-party payers preferred.

Responsibilities:

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

All duties are applicable in all units throughout the hospital including adult, adolescent, child, geriatric, state, civil, and state forensic units.

• Functions as a resource to nursing staff regarding patient psychosocial assessment and discharge plan to assure consistent and appropriate care is provided in a patient focused manner.
• Assess the psychosocial needs of the patient and family to develop, communicate, and implement an effective and comprehensive plan for psychosocial interventions and complex discharges.
• Will act as a resource regarding social systems, institutions, and behavioral and relationship patterns.
• Skillfully apply the appropriate interventions to meet the needs of the patient and family.
• Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to assure effective, efficient, appropriate care in order to optimize the health status and assure a smooth transition between levels of care for patients served.
• Provide education and expertise to promote the practice and profession of social work within the hospital.
• Serve on specialty areas within the hospital that require a SW for regulatory or grant funding requirements.
• Analyzes and addresses aggregate variances as well as variances from individual patients and shares this information with staff, physicians, and administration.
• Educates the staff on case management and provides specific information related to case types, including financial data.
• Plans and implements (through multi-disciplinary meetings or rounds) strategies to reduce length of stay, reduce resource consumption, and achieve positive patient outcomes.
• Utilizes appropriate resources in cases that present ethical dilemmas.
• Manages each patient's transition through the system and transfers accountability to the appropriate person upon entry into another clinical service or upon discharge.
• May be called upon to undertake supervision of students, trainees or staff other than Social Workers.
• In accordance with departmental policy, will be required to attend relevant training courses and staff developmental programs when these are made available and recommended by senior staff/training officers.
• Will be required to undertake such other duties, training and/or hours of work as may be reasonably required and which are consistent with the general level of responsibility of this job.
• Required to be on call with weekend rotation as deemed mandatory by departmental scheduling.
• Adheres to internal controls established for department.
• Promotes the facility mission, vision and values by effectively communicating them to others. Considers mission, vision and values in developing services standards and practices.
• Responds to referrals from other health team members regarding patient and/or family issues.
• Documents acknowledgement of referral as soon as possible after notification of need for SW and completes medical record documentation as soon as possible, or by end of shift.
• Maintains personal competencies needed for licensure and attending internal and external educational offerings. Assess the psychosocial needs of the patient and family to develop, communicate, and implement an effective and comprehensive plan for psychosocial interventions and complex discharges.
• Utilizes appropriate resources in cases that present ethical dilemmas.
• Skillfully apply the appropriate interventions to meet the needs of the patient and family.
• Consistently demonstrates ability to exercise independent judgment and recognize strengths and abilities.
• Communicates the discharge plan to patients/patient representatives and pertinent healthcare team members.
• Performs social work assessment of patient and support systems in order to facilitate the most appropriate and timely transition plan.
• Responds to referrals within 24 hours of request for SW services.
• Performs related duties as required.

Other information:

LINES OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

(Chain-of-command)

1. Social Work Program Supervisor
2. Director of Resource Management and Behavioral Health Administration
3. Vice President of Clinical Operations with Resource Management

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Provide excellent customer service to all DHR customers. All employees are required to attend the DHR C.A.R.E.S program which outlines the Customer Service Principles including: Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence through Knowledge and Safety & Social Conscience.

AGE SPECIFIC:

Employees must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served in his/her assigned unit. The individual must demonstrate knowledge of principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient’s status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient’s requirement relative to his or her age.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA):

A. Essential Duties: Indicated by bold print within performance standards, preceding individual numbered criteria.

The following table provides physical requirements that will be associated with, but not limited to, this position:

Light/moderate lifting up to 20 lbs, from the floor to shoulder height.

Yes

Kneeling

Yes

Must be able to assist other employees with lifting more than 20 lbs.

Yes

Walking

Yes

Light/moderate carrying up to 20 lbs.

Yes

Standing/Squatting

Yes

Straight pulling

Yes

Sitting

Yes

Pulling hand over hand

Yes

Pushing

Yes

Repeated bending

Yes

Stooping/Bending

Yes

Reaching above shoulder

Yes

Climbing Stairs

Yes

Simple grasping

Yes

Climbing Ladders

No

Dual simultaneous grasping

Yes

Depth Perceptions needed

Yes

Ability to see

Yes

Identify Colors

Yes

Operating office equipment

Yes

Twisting

Yes

Operating mechanical equipment

Yes

Crawling

No

Ability to read and write

Yes

Ability to Count

Yes

Ability to hear verbal communication without aid

Yes

Operating Personal Vehicle

Yes

Ability to comprehend written/verbal communication

Yes

Other: Ability to deal with stress

Yes

OSHA Category:

III

B. Working Conditions: The individual spends over 95% of his/her time in an air-conditioned environment with varying exposures to noise. There is protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes. The position does have low exposure to malodorous, infectious body fluids from patients and some minimal exposure to noxious smells from cleansing agents.

C. Occupational Exposure: This position has minimal to no exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues and is an OSHA Category III (although situations can be imagined or hypothesized under which anyone, anywhere, might encounter potential exposure to body fluids). Person who performs these duties are not called upon as part of their employment to perform or assist in emergency medical care or first aid or to be potentially exposed in some other way.

D. Aptitudes: HIGH 1 2 3 4 5 6 LOW

Intelligence: General learning ability: The ability to “catch on” or understand instructions and underlying principles. Ability to reason and make judgments. 3

Verbal: Ability to understand meanings of words and ideas associated with them, and to use them effectively. To comprehend language, to understand relationships between words, and to understand meanings of whole sentences and paragraphs. To present information or ideas clearly. 3

Numerical: Ability to perform arithmetic operations quickly and accurately. 2

Spatial: Ability to comprehend forms in space and understands relationships of plane and solid objects. Frequently described as the ability to “visualize” objects or two or three dimensions, or to think visually of geometric forms. 2

Form Perception: Ability to perceive pertinent details and objects or in pictorial or graphic material to make visual comparisons and discriminations and see slight differences in shapes and shadings of figures and widths and lengths of lines. 3

Clerical Perception: Ability to receive pertinent details and verbal or tabular material. To observe differences in copy, to proofread words and numbers, and to avoid perceptual errors in arithmetic computation. 2

Motor Coordination: Ability to coordinate eyes and hands to fingers rapidly and accurately in making precise movements with speed. Ability to make a movement response accurately and quickly. 3

Finger Dexterity: Ability to move hands easily and skillfully. To work with fingers in placing and turning motions. 3

Manual Dexterity: Ability to move hands easily and skillfully. To work with hands in placing and turning motions. 3

Eye-Hand-Foot Coordination: Ability to move the hand and foot coordinately with each other in accordance with visual stimuli. 3

Color Discrimination: Ability to perceive and respond to similarities or differences in colors, shapes, or other values of the same or different color. To identify a particular color, or to recognize harmonious or contrasting color combinations, or to match color adequately. 3

I have read and reviewed my job description with my supervisor or designee and I understand the job I am expected to perform.

If applicable certification will be completed within time frame of hire/transfer date.