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Provided by staff licensed by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners, Social Workers provide a wide range of services to include: emotional support, supportive and goal directed counseling, assessment of patient and family needs, treatment planning, and referral to community resources as they address the impact of illness and/or trauma, and treatment planning. Social Workers provide education to patients, families and hospital staff regarding health, safety and psychosocial issues. They work in collaboration with physicians and other patient care staff and sensitize the team on the social, cultural, and emotional aspects of a patient’s illness and the impact of the illness on the family. Social Workers participate in the care and treatment planning for children of all ages. They assist in discharge planning and work with outside agencies to ensure appropriate continuity of care. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:                                           

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Hospital Specific

• Maintains utmost level of confidentiality at all times.

• Adheres to hospital policies and procedures.

• Demonstrates business practices and personal actions that are ethical and adhere to corporate compliance and integrity guidelines. 
• Follows The Driscoll Way customer service standards set forth by the Hospital. 

• Maintains annual education requirements (web based training).

Department Specific

• Maintains and follows Social Work Code of Conduct set forth by the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners.
• Responsible for professional supervision as required and continuing education to maintain state licensure.
• Attends and participates in staff meetings.
• Participates in the training (precepting) of new employees, supervision of social work students, and cross training of co-workers.
• Provides peer support.
• Participates in the monthly and holiday call schedule and reports to work as necessary when on call.
• Travels to ambulatory clinics for education, patient assessment, and meetings as requested.
• Participates in the review and revision of community resource lists.
• Participates in annual performance improvement activities of the department and assigned units.
• Participates in periodic review and revision of policy and procedures.
• Participates in budget planning.
• Assists with staffing schedule voluntarily or as assigned by supervisor.
• Conducts process and debriefing support opportunities for staff concerning such issues as grief, conflict, and interaction with families.
• Collects data for research relating to social work issues.

Patient Care

• Responds to Physician orders and Nursing functional screening requests timely.

• Makes daily rounds in assigned units.

• Proactively screen for high risk; determine need for/eligibility for services; identify strengths/coping capabilities; and assess informal and formal network of support through psychosocial assessment. 

• Provides comprehensive psychosocial assessment, evaluation, treatment planning, education, and discharge planning to support identified or potential barriers to care related to social support limitations, lack of understanding, complex medical concerns, mental health and substance abuse issues, family violence, emotional stability, and behavioral risks.
• Assists family in understanding medical and treatment information.
• Provides mediation and crisis intervention for families in a supportive environment for discussing problematic behavior or familial discord to ensure safety and following of medical directives.
• Provides supportive end of life care that may include assessment, advocacy, grief and crisis counseling, resource counseling (alternate level of care to include home care and hospice, financial and legal needs, advance directive planning, and information and referral for funeral assistance), memory packets, and team care planning.

• Assists in linking families to services provided by Medicaid Transportation Program’s for transportation, lodging, and meals.

• Coordinates and participates in discharge planning activities to include (but not limited to)…

• care conferences
• information and referral to community resources
• follow-up care needs
• secure needed equipment, supplies, and services
• planning for and arrangement of appropriate school services for patients (homebound and/or information on accommodations for students with disabilities for 504 plan).   

• Upon suspicion/confirmation of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child, elderly, or disabled person…

• notifies appropriate agency (Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services and/or Law Enforcement agency)
• serves as the liaison between the hospital and agency for appropriate discharge planning

• Completes timely documentation in the medical record of contact with patients and families in note and/or doc-flow form as appropriate.
• Plans, coordinates, and attends team and family conferences and actively participates as an advocate in the review and planning of patient care.
• Provides supportive counseling and ongoing emotional support for long-term patients and their families.
• Provides professional consultation to physicians and hospital staff in regards to psychosocial issues, bioethical issues, and discharge planning.
• Ensures clinics are meeting required standards of care form Social Workers
• If familiar with mandated and best practice standards for Social Work Services in assigned clinics.

Community

• Plans and conducts support groups for patients, parents, and families.

• Serves as a liaison and advocate with community programs and agencies related to health, social welfare, and community supports.  
• Provides education to school personnel, students, and the community as requested.
• Works with staff from outside agencies to ensure quality care along the continuum.
• Testifies in court regarding child abuse and/or neglect.

LMSW under Clinical Supervision

• In addition to the above duties, will have the opportunity to

• Include expanded treatment planning to bio-psychosocial assessments
• Expand counseling services provided to patients and their families to include utilization of brief, crisis, therapeutic, and supportive interventions.
• Enhance mental health screening, assessment, and support
  • Administration of mental health screening tools; i.e.; Edinburgh, PHQ-9, GAD, Columbia- Suicide Severity Scale (C- SSRS), CRAFFT, etc.
  • Inclusion of preliminary diagnosis and safety planning to mental health assessments
  • Provision of therapeutic interventions and treatment strategies to include, but not limited to; motivational interviewing, treatment engagement, crisis intervention and intensive crisis stabilization, brief and solution focused therapy, and safety planning.

Education / Experience:

• Bachelors or Master’s degree in Social Work or related field

AND

• One-year experience working in pediatric health care- preferred.
• Experience in the health care field- a plus.
• Familiarity with resources for children of all ages especially as related to medical services- preferred.
• Bilingual skills in Spanish- preferred.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

• Licensure by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners LBSW, LMSW, LCSW
• May consider applicants who can provide proof of passing licensure test 1 month prior to graduation. Licensure must be secured prior to completion of orientation (90 days). Employee will be administratively termed if not licensed within timeframe.