HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKER Job at Decatur Memorial Hospital in Springfield

Hospital Social Worker (LSW) Opportunity

Join Memorial Health and make a real difference in the lives of patients and their families. As a Hospital Social Worker (LSW) with an MSW degree, you'll play a critical role in addressing complex psychosocial factors that affect health outcomes, contributing to holistic, patient-centered care.

What We Offer:

• Sign-On Bonus to welcome you to our team!
• 40 Hours of Front-Loaded PTO
• Flexible time off and remote on-call options, with minimal need to return to the hospital.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments to inform healthcare decisions.
• Address social determinants of health to prevent readmissions and adverse outcomes.
• Develop interventions that consider the full psychosocial impact of illness or hospitalization.
• Collaborate with the healthcare team to remove barriers to post-acute care.
• Facilitate timely referrals to community resources and promote patient self-reliance.
• Prevent unnecessary hospital admissions by addressing social needs and avoiding "social admissions."

Bring your LSW license and MSW degree to a dynamic team and help improve patient outcomes through compassionate, proactive care.

Qualifications

Education:

• Master's degree of Social Work from a School of Social Work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Licensure/Certification/Registry:

• Illinois Licensed Social Worker (for Advanced Care Management, required within six months of hire date) required.

Experience:

• Experience working with adults across the life span presenting with chronic or serious illness
• Experience identifying and coordinating the needs of chronically ill patients and families as well as supporting the care team
• Understanding of psychosocial implications of illness, hospice and/or home care death and dying issues.
• Knowledge of local community resources.
• Knowledge and understanding of individual development and human behavior as it relates to the effects of illness and of the influence of culture on healthcare

Embody the Memorial Health Performance Excellence Standards of Safety, Courtesy, Quality, and Efficiency that support our mission, vision and values:

• Provide crisis intervention and supportive counseling for patients and their families as needed
• Serve as patient advocate, assisting with navigation of patient eligible resources and programs
• Provide patients and families with support and information to overcome personal and environmental difficulties which pre-dispose toward illness or interfere with obtaining maximum benefits from medical care
• Assist patients to effectively utilize available resources to meet their personal health needs and help them develop their own capabilities
• Evaluate patients' ability to independently manage self and locate alternative resources when limitations are identified
• Maintains a working knowledge of relevant medical/legal issues that impact patient care, e.g., advance directives, power of attorney, and guardianships.
• When requested, provide group, individual, and family counseling to patients and their families as requested
• Initiate discharge planning when patient is admitted.
• Assure that discharge plans are secured when patient is medically ready for discharge
• Assure that all necessary information has been transmitted to next provider of care.
• Record documentation for all social work activities in the electronic medical record in a timely and thorough manner.
• Psychiatry colleagues must document in record after each session and supports information needed for Utilization Review criteria and the patient treatment plan.
• Adhere to department productivity standards.
• Participate in the monitoring of quality and utilization metrics and participates in improvement efforts to refine the delivery of care to maximize clinical, quality, and fiscal outcomes.
• Assists, as needed, in the staff training, new employee orientation, student education, community education, in-house activities, and general public relations activities.
• Refer to ancillary teams when warranted.
• Aware of and comply with department and hospital policy and procedures.
• Demonstrates knowledge of care for older adults through accurate assessments, treatment and effective implementation of interventions.
• Adhere to the NASW Code of Ethics.
• Comply with the Illinois Mental Health Code and Confidentiality Act.
• Participate in continuing education and in-service training to support professional growth and expertise.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.