Social Work Assistant

Overview

Assists and counsels patients and families with health related financial, social and emotional concerns according to the physician's orders under the direction and supervision of a Medical Social Worker who has a Master's degree or a Doctoral degree from a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Responsibilities

• Provides Social Work Services in accordance with the Physician's plan of care.
• Demonstrates competency in the skills required by the care center.
• Performs accurate and comprehensive assessments.
• Ensures that changes in the patient's clinical status are communicated to other healthcare team members and the care center office staff in a timely manner (documented communication in the patient's record).
• Coordinates care planning and delivery with the physician, patient/ family, other healthcare team members to facilitate optimal patient outcomes.
• Provides medical social work interventions and treatment based on an ongoing patient assessment/ reassessment and in accordance with Physician orders.
• Educates the patient and family members and other team members on medical social work interventions and treatment plan.
• Performs care planning, transfer and discharge functions in accordance with care center policy and applicable laws, regulations and standards.
• Participates in interdisciplinary team conferences/ patient care conferences in accordance with care center policy.
• Develops, prepares and maintains individualized patient care progress records with accuracy, timeliness and according to policies. Submits accurate and timely documentation per care center policy.
• Identifies risks or threats to the patient's health in the patient's environment and promptly implements appropriate interventions to reduce risks. Communicates identification of risks/ threats to the patient to the Physician and other members of the healthcare team to coordinate care effectively.
• Maintains knowledge of community resources, identifying appropriate resources to meet patient and family needs to facilitate optimal outcomes.
• Keeps abreast of social work trends and knowledge.
• Adheres to all applicable laws, regulations and standards.
• Complies with the agency's policies.
• Participates in the agency's Quality Assessment Performance Improvement Program and activities.
• Participates in in-service programs and provides educational in-service programs to agency staff as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

Required

• Provides services under the supervision of a qualified social worker and:
• Has a baccalaureate degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or other field related to social work, and
• Has had at least 1 year of social work experience in a health care setting; or
• Has 2 years of appropriate experience as a social work assistant, and has achieved a satisfactory grade on a proficiency examination conducted, approved, or sponsored by the U.S. Public Health Service, except that the determinations of proficiency do not apply with respect to persons initially licensed by a state or seeking initial qualification as a social work assistant after December 31, 1977.
  
  

Amedisys is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified employees and applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, pregnancy, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, genetic predisposition or carrier status or any other legally protected characteristic.