Social Worker

The role of the Social Worker is to assist patients and family members of patients within Steward physician practices. The objective of the Social Worker is to identify psychosocial problems that are often overlooked or go unnoticed. The Social Worker is the bridge that connects primary and behavioral health care.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in the identification, assessment and treatment of mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety.
• Provide case management/care coordination for individuals with chronic and/or complex medical conditions.
• Provide patient navigation, especially for patients moving among different health care levels (inpatient, outpatient, home health or long term care).
• Identify and refer for specialized services, such as drug and alcohol treatment, legal services, financial and employment counseling and housing support.
• Provide education and support programming (diabetes education, parenting classes, domestic violence support programs) for individual and groups.
• Assistance with entitlements, medications, transportation and advance directives.
• Assessment and intervention in domestic violence and child abuse situations.
• Counseling on end-of-life issues.
• Outreach and coordination with other community resources and agencies.
• Encourages adoption of habits that are conducive to a higher quality of life.
• Develop and conduct onsite health-related wellness seminars and training courses for interested employees and family members
• Community-level advocacy on behalf of patients and families.

Required Knowledge & Skills:

• Must be able to effectively communicate with individuals, family members, case managers, treating physicians and community organizations.
• Must possess the interpersonal skills to engage individuals and families in helping relationships. Must be able to cope with the pressure of time limitations while respecting the needs of the individual and the requirements of the organization/department.
• Ability to take action in solving problems while exhibiting judgment and a realistic understanding of issues; able to use reason, even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Ability to remain open-minded and change opinions on the basis of information; perform a wide variety of tasks and change focus quickly as demands change; manage transitions effectively from task to task.
• Possesses a strong belief in an organizational culture that encourages valuing and best service excellence practices demonstrated through personal behavior and work ethic.
• Ability to travel, valid drivers license, auto liability insurance coverage according to company policy.

• Must possess the ability to present and explain complex material to physicians and other providers.

Education/Experience/Licensure

1. Education: Bachelors degree required;
2. Experience: Minimum 5 years experience working within a healthcare environment; experience working in a post-acute care environment strongly preferred. Previous experience as a health coach strongly preferred;
3. Certification/Licensure: LCSW required;
4. Software/Hardware: MS Office Suite;
5. Other: Experience with diverse populations a plus.