Medical Social Worker I

This position will be located in the IHA Primary Care Arbor Park office in Ypsilanti.

POSITION DESCRIPTION :

The Medical Social Worker I (MedSW-I) provides psychosocial assessment, case management, and social service coordination support to address barriers to patient’s optimal health related to Social Influencers of Health (SIOH). Connects patients with designated community agencies for resources to meet social, financial and environmental needs. The MedSW-I provides advocacy, crisis intervention and resource assistance to patients and families.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS :

• Assesses patients using screening tools and clinical interview regarding their psycho-social factors as it relates to achieving and maintaining patient’s optimum health and wellness.
• Provides advanced problem solving, refers patients to community agencies / resources to address needs and improve outcomes.
• Develops, implements and assesses continuing patient-oriented goals to support patient’s health and wellness, with awareness of social support system deficits and barriers.
• Intervenes with patients and their family / support system to alleviate barriers to health.
• Advocates, educates and facilitates resolution of patient ethical and legal issues, such as advance directives, end-of-life decisions, guardianship, etc.
• Brokers with community agencies to access services to meet patient’s psycho-social needs.
• Coordinates care across interdisciplinary team of providers.
• Delivers crisis interventions and empowers patients with management of personal, social and environmental issues.
• Maintains accurate and timely documentation of patient encounters and care coordination, billing appropriately for services and support provided.
• Provides education and fosters understanding by health care personnel of social influencers of health and the challenges these create to patient wellness.
• Actively participates in ongoing trainings to ensure provision of care considering age, literacy, language barriers, developmental, socioeconomic, gender identity, cultural, spiritual, and other diversity circumstances.
• Maintains established productivity and quality standards; assumes additional responsibilities and performs work within position licensure, as required.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of legal issues impacting patients, such as divorce and custody laws, child / adult abuse / neglect reporting, duty to warn, recipient rights, commitment of inpatient hospitalization, and other relevant laws / processes.
• Assumes additional responsibilities and performs work within position licensure, as required.

ORGANIZATIONAL EXPECTATIONS :

MEASURED BY :

Performance that meets or exceeds IHA CARES Values expectation as outlined in IHA Performance Review document, relative to position.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS :

EDUCATION :  Master’s degree in social work from a school accredited by the Council of Social Work Education.

CREDENTIALS / LICENSURE :  Valid, unrestricted license to practice clinical social work in the State of Michigan.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE :  Minimum of 1 year experience in social work setting with vulnerable populations. Preferred crisis intervention and medical setting experience.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS (ABILITIES & SKILLS) :

MINIMUM PHYSICAL EXPECTATIONS :

MINIMUM ENVIRONMENTAL EXPECTATIONS :

This job operates in a medical facility and requires regular walking to various locations around the hospital / clinic. Employees will be working where there is patient care equipment. Hazardous materials, including bloodborne pathogens and bodily fluids are also present. Exposure to sharps, x-rays, patients' conditions and some unpleasant sights, smells and contagious diseases is possible. This position requires significant interaction with people (many of whom are scared, hurt and / or ill) which can be stressful and result in competing priorities.