Director of Social Services

Allen View Healthcare Center, a member of the CommuniCare Family, is seeking a Director of Social Services (LSW) who shares our vision, who can see our residents for who they are and find ways to enrich their lives with dignity, joy, and meaning.

Purpose/belief statement:

The Social Work Director will work with residents in the nursing home by identifying their psychosocial, mental and emotional needs along with providing, developing, and/or aiding in the access of services to meet those needs. Services will be provided in accordance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics along with strict adherence to government regulations. The nursing home social work director is responsible for fostering a climate, policies and routines that enable residents to maximize their individuality, independence and dignity. This climate shall provide residents with the highest practical level of physical, mental and psychosocial well-being and quality of life.

Job duties & responsibilities

PERFORM ALL DUTIES INVOLVED IN RESIDENT ADVOCACY

• The position of Social Service Director functions as a facility leader and  provides planning, assessment, coordination and implementation of services to enhance each resident’s social and psychosocial well-being and assure that care standards are met and the highest degree of quality resident care is provided at all times. 
• The position is that of a working Director with a case load as well as  supervisory responsibility and must function as both a team member, team leader, and supervisor to ensure that work is accomplished and quality care is delivered, supporting team members and leading the way in celebrating team successes. 
• While focusing on delivering quality care, the position must also manage the resources within their control and assist others in managing resources.

Responsibilities

• Completes all required UDA’s and assessments timely
• Completes all advance directives as needed
• Completes all required care plans timely
• Completes assigned MDS sections timely
• Completes initial care plan and care planning meetings in required time period
• Initiates and maintains PASRR records and completes all reviews in required time period.
• Accurately maintains PASRR tracking to assure timely completion of screenings and resident reviews.
• Completes LOC as necessary and timely
• Initiates discharge planning upon admission and coordinates a safe transition back to community
• Presents all advance beneficiary notices timely
• Assures room change notifications are administered, signed and uploaded into medical record
• Develops and maintains a good working rapport with the interdisciplinary team to coordinate all aspects of care and to assure their participation and support of all programs/services to benefit the resident’s psychosocial well-being.
• Participates in pharmacy and therapeutics meeting
• Participates in all initial/quarterly/annual care conferences and attends any other meetings
• Reports all grievances and complaints and make necessary oral/written reports to the Administrator/designee.
• Participates in orienting new staff to the facility 
• Maintains confidentiality of all resident/family information at all times.
• Maintains contact with resident’s families inviting them to care conferences, encouraging them to remain involved in the care and life of the resident and informing them of any change in the resident’s psychosocial well-being as needed.
• Completes short term and long term surveys with residents/representative
• Places initial follow-up call to residents discharged to home
• Hires, trains, supervises and reviews  all social service employees

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF ALL SOCIAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONS

Advocacy

• Work with the interdisciplinary team and administration to promote and protect resident rights and the psychological well-being of each resident.
• Prevent and address resident abuse as mandated by law and professional licensure.
• Identify community changes and opportunities such as legislation, regulations and programs that affect nursing home residents.
• Work with residents, families, significant others and staff to provide support, information and organization for taking a proactive role and function as an advocate to improve the quality of life/care for individual residents and those who live and work within the nursing home and the community at large.

MAINTAIN PROPER DOCUMENTATION AND PERFORM GENERAL DUTIES

• Prepares, evaluates and charts social service documentation on each resident according to State and Federal regulations, to include MDS’s, and Raps.
• Documents initial social assessment, social history, discharge plan, progress notes and other assessments per company policy, federal and state regulations.
• Maintains clean office area, organized and presentable at all times in order for you to be able to meet with resident families and other service providers
• Maintain a professional appearance, manner and approach while on duty.

ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN SCHEDULED TRAINING, EDUCATION CLASSES, AND ORIENTATION PROGRAMS TO MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE QUALITY OF CARE and ADHERE TO STATE AND LICENSING REGULATIONS.

• Mandatory attendance at all scheduled supervision as required by state regulations for social work compliance in long term care.

• Attend all required in-service and training programs required within your department.
• Attend any mandatory meeting as required by your center.

PERFORM OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES AS ASSIGNED OR REQUESTED.

MAINTAIN AND WORK WITHIN ESTABLISHED DEPARTMENTAL, CENTER, AND HOME OFFICE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, OBJECTIVES, QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, AND SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND INFECTION CONTROL STANDARDS.

Qualifications & Experience requirements

• Required 4 year college degree in social work or related field as per federal and state requirements, bachelor or master’s degree in social work preferred.
• Academic credentials as mandated by federal and state licensure requirements
• Licensure: As per federal and state requirements and preferred for all social work graduates.
• 3-5 years of prior work in a healthcare setting skilled nursing and/or long term care setting preferred.
• 3-5 years of prior supervisory experience and management training preferred
• Prior experience preferably with related software applications.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Administrative

• Review facility policies and procedures as part of the facility’s interdisciplinary team to assure compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Participate in reviewing and setting policies concerning resident care and quality of life.
• Participate in developing facility and company social work policies.
• Develop, maintain and utilize a listing of current community resources that are useful to in discharge planning and for residents and families.
• Participate in quality assurance interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Understand and meet all government requirements for social service documentation
• Document progress in meeting the psychosocial needs of residents.
• Must have strong communication skills.
• Must have the ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action.        
• Must be willing to seek out new methods and principles and be willing to incorporate them into existing practices.
• Basic computer literacy and skills.

Clinical

(Level of clinical intervention is dependent on education and licensing of the individual)

• Complete a social history and psychosocial assessment for each resident that identifies social, emotional, and psychological needs.
• Participate in the development of a written, interdisciplinary plan of care for each resident that identifies the psychosocial needs/issues of the resident, the goals to be accomplished for those needs/issues, and the appropriate social worker interventions.
• Ensure or provide therapeutic interventions to assist residents in coping with their transition and adjustment to a long-term care facility, including their social, emotional, and psychological needs.
• Ensure or provide support and education to residents/family members/significant others to assist in their understanding of placement and facility issues in addition to referring them to the appropriate social service agencies when the facility does not provide the needed services.
• Provide or ensure groups for residents/family members/significant others as appropriate to their needs.
• Provide or ensure clinical interventions to address catastrophic events that occur during the resident’s stay in the facility.
• Coordinate the resident discharge planning process and make referrals for appropriate home care services prior to the resident’s return to the community.

Work environment

• May work beyond normal working hours, on weekends and holidays, when necessary.
• Is subject to frequent interruptions.
• Field based work required.  Occasional overnight travel will be required as times with field based assignments.  

Physical effort/demands (With or Without the Aid of Mechanical Devices)

• Ability to move (sit, stand, bend, lift) intermittently throughout the workday.
• Ability to lift, push, pull, and move a minimum of 50 pounds.

Mental effort/demands (With or Without the Aid of Mechanical Devices)

• Ability to function independently and have flexibility, personal integrity, and ability to work effectively with staff and support agencies.
• In good health and demonstrating emotional stability.
• Ability to cope with the mental and emotional stresses of the position.

Communication (With or Without the Aid of Mechanical Devices)

• Must be able to read, write and speak the English language in an understandable manner.

Sensory requirements (With or Without the Aid of Mechanical Devices)    

• Ability to see and hear or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately to assure that the requirements of this position can be fully met.

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