Social Worker LMSW - UMC Social Services

Social Worker

Your job is more than a job. You're a life preserver for countless patients because, as a Social Worker, you're the hub of your patients' multidisciplinary team advocating, assessing, counseling, and supporting individual psychosocial needs and discharge planning resources for complex medical problems. As your patient's clinical care partner with expertise in care management, you're a critical asset along the care journey identifying and overcoming barriers and offering resource options, in particular for chronically ill and end-of-life care. Through it all, you remain positive, upbeat and dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes.

In the midst of emotional and physical pain and vulnerability, you're a sanctuary of support and understanding as you celebrate the small victories. If it were your loved one, you'd expect nothing less, so you give so much more. We love that about you.

Your experiences, knowledge, skills, empathy, compassion, and your "little something extra" all add up to you. And we're excited to get to know you and find out what you'll bring to this complex patient advocate and social worker role.

Your Everyday

Conduct assessment of patient's psychosocial needs through intensive interviewing of patient and family members, conferring with interdisciplinary team and reviewing medical records. Evaluate coping skills, cognitive and intellectual functioning, support systems, resources, other factors that could affect responses to illness, treatment and discharge plan. Identify barriers and plans for intervention to overcome or lessen barriers to achieve outcome as evidenced by treatment plan. Communicate findings, plan to interdisciplinary team and documents assessment, plan and interventions in medical records. Provide crises intervention and supportive counseling for individuals experiencing a temporary or situational problem. Assess cases of suspected elder, child, sexual or domestic abuse or neglect. Comply with required reporting, according to state law and hospital policy. Refer patients/families to appropriate community agencies for further intervention or counseling such as palliative or hospice services as needed and facilitate family meetings to help with decision making when there is disagreement or lack of clarity around goals of care and plan of care. Facilitate interactions between staff and DCFS/EPS or other agencies. Identify patients in assigned caseload with complex social and medical issues through case finding and referral process. Review caseload with manager to share findings, needs, barriers and progress to discharge. Evaluate financial assistance needs and eligibility and directs patients/family to appropriate community agencies which can assist in meeting financial needs, or providing food, shelter, transportation or other services. Maintain a working knowledge of payor reimbursement requirements for post hospital services and community resources. Demonstrate knowledge of legal rights advance directives and patient rights with ability to counsel/educate patients/families regarding patient rights, decision making and formulating advance directives.

The Must-Haves Minimum:

Master's degree Licensed Master Social Worker through the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners.