The Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology is seeking a full time Sr. Social Worker position to assist and support the social work team of this Division within the UNM Department of Pediatrics.

The Sr. Social Worker is an integral member of the interdisciplinary treatment team responsible for supporting patients and their families as they adjust to the impact of a cancer or bleeding disorder diagnosis and treatment over time, from diagnosis to survivorship, end of life, or transition to adult care. The social work team provides inpatient and outpatient psychosocial support including assessment, intervention, crisis counseling, resource development and referral, community outreach, education and research.

The focus of the Sr. Social Worker is in identifying bio-psycho-social needs related to the child’s diagnosis and treatment. Also connecting the family to interventions and resources to address these. The Sr. Social Worker helps families utilize strengths and connect with local and national resources to support their well-being. Interagency collaboration with local and national resources is core to providing comprehensive patient services. A willingness to learn and problem solve insurance related issues is essential, in addition to an understanding of types of treatment and medication expenditures. 

Throughout the disease trajectory, the Sr. Social Worker assesses the patient and family’s understanding of the diagnosis, treatment, and anticipated outcomes. As families travel from all corners of New Mexico for treatment, social work team is available to assist with travel and lodging options. The social work team is skilled in joining providers and families to discuss transitions in care and goals, such as involving hospice. This position enjoys staffing a week-long oncology and/or hematology summer camps. 

To maintain viability of the program, the Sr. Social Worker will assist with data collection and annual reporting for funding sources. The Sr. Social Worker supervises two other social workers and one case manager, and may cross-cover outside clinics such as Survivorship, Pediatric Hematology, and Adult Hematology.

See the Position Description for additional information.

• Successful candidate must submit to post-offer, pre-employment physical examination and medical history check when working in a child classroom setting.
• CPR and Basic First Aid Certificate may be a requirement for some positions in this classification.
• Must pass a pre-employment criminal background check.
• If located at the UNM Children's Campus, successful candidate must pass a comprehensive post-offer, pre-employment criminal and New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) fingerprint background check, and a continued successful status will be verified by periodic future background checks.
• Must be employment eligible as verified by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Government Services Administration (GSA).
• May be subject to credentialing process; must maintain credentialed status, if applicable.
• Must maintain certification status.
• Employees who provide services or work in patient care or clinical areas are required to be in compliance with the University's influenza vaccination requirement.

Master's degree in Counseling, Social Work, or an equivalent field; at least 3 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified. Certification/Licensure: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) or equivalent OR Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or equivalent OR licensure pending, as documented by temporary license.

Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

• Knowledge of and ability to apply social work theories, principles and techniques
• Ability to provide supervision to the social workers and case manager on the team
• Ability to apply effective assessment and interviewing
• Ability to gather data needed to assess needs of patients and families
• Ability to communicate with the treatment team about the effects of bio-psycho-social, cultural and economic issues on the management of patient/client health needs.
• Identify and utilize appropriate resources for family/child
• Practices and promotes patient/family centered care
• Ability to build positive rapport with families and children
• Demonstrates strong communication skills with internal and external entities
• Demonstrate knowledge and ability to meet requirements of mandated reporting and the necessary documentation
• Ability to maintain records and make written and oral reports to document case activity concerning patient care
• Ability to prioritize various tasks/responsibilities to meet daily requests
• Demonstrates knowledge of de-escalation techniques and the abilities to utilize those techniques with families.
• Knowledge of hospital and medical center resources to access and provide for patient care needs, and act on behalf of client needs to obtain necessary services
• Ability to collaborate with entities within and outside the hospital, local and national resources, etc. in order to address patient needs
• Practices cultural awareness and humility
• Ability to use values-based judgement while assisting supervisees with staffing challenging cases
• Complexity: Work assignment is performed within an established framework, but requires independent decision-making and complex problem-solving. Ability to exercise judgement and discretion in a timely manner is valuable. 
• Communications: Continuous contact with patients, families, healthcare providers, and non-profit entities requiring skill in discretion, confidentiality, and judgement.
• Supervision Received: Expected to carry assignments and projects through to completion with substantial independence. Work is reviewed for adherence to instructions, accuracy, completeness, and conformance to standard practice or precedent. 
• The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Department of Pediatrics, encompasses a network of hospitals, clinics and community- based services that are integrally linked through education and scientific research. Together they are applied to the practice of clinical medicine in caring for pediatric patients throughout New Mexico.

Only applications submitted through the official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this job advertisement on a 3rd party site, please visit UNMJobs to submit an application.

Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.