Responsibilities

The Social Worker, MSW provides supportive and informational counseling and discharge planning to adult, pediatric, adolescent and geriatric patients/families as they relate to the patient's emotional, functional, financial and social adjustment to illness, hospitalization and discharge. The goal of the Social Worker is to collaborate with patients, families and healthcare providers to promote health and manage illness. The Social Worker facilitates the use of assessment, coordination and education to achieve quality patient care outcomes while coordinating interdisciplinary, comprehensive and cost-effective care across the continuum.

Essential Functions:

• Provides consultation to members of hospital staff, community agencies and other persons or groups to resolve the problems of patients.
• May facilitate a support group of patients/families/community members to discuss similar concerns related to a specific disease, aspect of care, etc., according to established Grand View Health protocol.
• Obtains and updates information on community resources when indicated to provide patients, families and staff with accurate information.
• Participates in interdisciplinary team meetings as assigned identify patients in need of social work intervention and enhance patient care and communication among the healthcare team.
• Develops and maintains good working relationships with community agencies and reaches out to the community on a regular basis to develop new resources to meet patient needs.
• Participates in community planning activities as assigned and related to the interests of the patients and Grand View Health.
• Works collaboratively with other healthcare disciplines (PT, RT, dietary, nursing, physicians, etc.), utilizing the expertise of all in a team effort, to facilitate discharge planning and care coordination to meet patient/family and organizational needs.
• Intervenes with physicians and ancillary departments concerning clinical and utilization issues to ensure an optimal patient outcome.
• Conducts psychosocial and discharge planning assessments within 1 working day and performs reassessments per departmental policy.
• Participates in quality management projects according to departmental monitors to ensure appropriate Case Management intervention and to provide a mechanism for problem resolution.
• Arranges community services prior to discharge to meet patient's post-discharge needs with recognition and documentation of patient choice of service providers.