Clinical Social Worker, LICSW Special Care Nursery

The Clinical Social Worker (CSW) is responsible for assisting patients and their families or significant others with the stress and difficulties related to illness, personal issues, financial difficulties, and other emotional/mental health issues. The social worker’s interventions take into consideration the patient’s strengths, resources, insurance coverage, family system, and motivation for change. The clinical social worker collaborates with nurse care managers and other members of the multidisciplinary team to facilitate safe and effective discharge plans. Additionally, the social worker supports the mission of the Hospital and participates in the Hospitals’ performance improvement and patient safety intiatives.

The CSW provides services to patients admitted to med/surg, pediatrics, maternity, critical care units, the Emergency Department and in outpatient areas as needed.

This role is Special Care Nursery and infant focused, see job description addendum (below):

The Special Care Nursey and infant Pedi Social Worker focuses on the wellbeing of families who have an child hospitalized under 1 year of age. This role includes psychosocial assessments for every new admission with 48 business hours, weekly follow up, check-in's with our families, rounding with the multidisciplinary team during morning rounds, arranging for care, family meetings for complex, longer-term admissions, completing discharge assessments and referrals, as indicated, involvement in fetal care cases as consulted/indicated, providing referrals to counseling, behavioral health and substance treatment programs/resources, attending to grief and loss issues, supporting the SCN or Pedi team after a loss or complex case, facilitating a weekly parent group, community referrals addressing social determinants of health concerns. Some of the day-to-day technical needs involve use and knowledge of the epic system, use of word document, concise and accurate, as well as timely, documentation, and a strong base and understanding of community programs that are available for this population.

Responsibilities:

• Works with families exhibiting complex family dynamics.
• Educate caregivers on post partum depression and coping with having a baby in the hospital and adjustment to illness.
• Ensures families have appropriate resources such as WIC, MH, car seat and other resources needs for a safe discharge.
• Communicates with interdisciplinary team regarding the discharge planning status of all patients that are referred.
• Collaborates with CM for medically complex discharge plans including tube feeds and respiratory needs.
• Conducts initial and ongoing psychosocial assessment and interventions and makes treatment recommendations to engage patients and families in adherence to the treatment plan by reducing or eliminating the social, psychological, financial, behavioral and regulatory barriers to successful medical outcomes.
• Serves as a resource person to provide counseling and intervention related to treatment decisions and end-of-life issues.
• Advocates for patient and family by providing intervention in cases involving child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, elderly abuse, institutional abuse and sexual assault.
• Advocates for patient and family empowerment and independence to make autonomous health care decisions and access needed services within the health care system and community.
• Meets core social work competencies and adheres to regulations.
• Remains current with regulations which impact the care of patients and regulatory compliance.
• Promotes individual, professional growth and development and meets mandatory and continuing education requirements.
• Supports department-based goals which contribute to the success of the organization.
• Serves as a preceptor, mentor, and resource to less experienced staff and represents the department on committees.

Master's degree from a graduate program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Previous experience includes work with adults and families with major mental illness, chemical dependency, and other clinical disorders identified in the DSM IV. Licensed in Massachusetts at the licensed independent social work level or licensed clinical social work level. Post master's experience (2-3 years) preferred. Knowledge of the special needs and behaviors of adolescent, adult, and older adult patients preferred.

Experience in the provision of care to Neonates and infants required.