Social Worker

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree from an accredited school of social work required.
• Current New Jersey state licensure as an LSW.
• Valid driver's license required for the social workers charged to Case Management, FQHC Services and Hospice departments.
• Minimum 1 year of experience required, preferably within healthcare.

POSITION SUMMARY
The social worker is a member of the interdisciplinary team working in collaboration with the physician. The social worker utilizes the care process consistent with their license or certification, including initiation of interventions within individual scope of practice. The social worker is responsible for overseeing any necessary coordination of the interdisciplinary plan of care and provides for its consistency with the medical treatment plan. The patient care process includes:

• Assessment – an orderly process consisting of the identification, gathering and organization of subjective and objective data pertaining to the patient/family/significant other.
• Planning – an organized step in the process that consists of the identification of actual or potential problems and desired outcomes (goals) that result in a documented plan of care. The plan of care provides direction for the patient/family/significant other and interdisciplinary team.
• Intervention – the specific interventions or orders that are implemented consistent with the plan of care and medical treatment plan.
• Evaluation – a step in the process that involves determining the effectiveness of the interventions in achieving the plan of care and determining the conclusions concerning the achievement or lack of achievement of desired outcomes. The evaluation may initiate the need for reassessment and revisions to the problems, goals, plan of care and interventions. This step provides for documentation of required actions based upon findings identified during assessment and reassessment:
  • Patients have problems identified and prioritized relative to biophysical, psychological, environmental, self-care, educational and social status.
  • Goals are identified consistent with the problem to provide direction for patient care and health promotion.
  • Education is consistent with the identified problem and associated goals and is seen as critical to creating an environment that promotes patient empowerment.

Licensed and registered care providers are responsible for utilizing the care process relative to their scope of practice and knowledge base; may document the assessment, plan, intervention and evaluation. All patient care activities are administered according to standards, procedural guidelines and organizational policy.

The social worker actively supports performance improvement initiatives and provides leadership to other members of the patient care team. By participating in educational activities, the social worker assumes responsibility for continued professional and personal growth.

QUALIFICATIONS

• EDUCATION: Master's degree from an accredited school of social work required.
• LICENSE/CERTIFICATION: Current New Jersey state licensure as an LSW. Valid driver's license required for the social workers charged to Case Management, FQHC and Hospice departments.
• EXPERIENCE: Minimum 1 year of experience, preferably within healthcare. Proficiency in clinical applications preferred at time of hire. Incumbents within position will be trained appropriately and then skill will be required for this position within 30-60 days from date of hire.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

• Demonstrates the ability to perform the department-specific competencies as listed on the Assessment and Evaluation Tool.
• Exhibits the core behavioral competencies as listed on the Assessment and Evaluation Tool.
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients, as defined on the unit-specific Assessment and Evaluation Tool.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Potential for exposure to the hazards and risk of the hospital environment, including exposure to infectious disease, hazardous substances and potential injury.
• Position requires considerable walking and standing.
• Position requires frequent periods of driving a motor vehicle.

Essential functions of this position are listed on the department-specific Assessment and Evaluation Tool.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP
This position reports to department leadership.

The above statement reflects the general details considered necessary to describe the principal functions of the job as identified and shall not be considered as a detailed description of all work requirements that may be inherent in the position.