Palliative Care LCSW

Job Title: Palliative Care Social Worker

Department: Palliative Care

Position Summary:

Palliative Social Worker:  Core responsibilities include conducting psychosocial assessments, coordinating care, providing counselling and psychotherapy, intervening in client crisis situations, and educating patients and families about their treatment plan and the available resources and support systems.  Works collaboratively as a part of the multidisciplinary team to provide palliative education and support to patients, families, and members of the healthcare team.

Requirements:

Masters Degree in Social Work.  Advanced social work assessment skills, communicate effectively, critical thinking skills.  Able to collaborate as part of a multidisciplinary team.  Minimum of one year post Masters experience in a health care setting.  LSW required, LCSW preferred.  

Essential Function of the Job:

• Psychosocial assessment including patient and family history, presenting concerns, and assessment of strengths, needs and vulnerabilities.
• Assesses patient/family/caregiver (PFC) physical, psychological, socioeconomic, spiritual and symptom management needs.
• Assesses Patient/Family/Caregiver advance care planning needs and actively participate in goals of care conversations.
• Develops a social work treatment plan based on a biopsychosocial and spiritual assessment of PFC including variables such as environment, support systems, family dynamics, roles & relationships, finances, culture, perception of illness, cognitive and emotional integration of diagnosis, prognosis, history of loss, and expressed needs.
• Provides liaison function between system-wide outpatient palliative care team and inpatient palliative care team, discharge planning, and social service departments.
• Provides liaison function between palliative care team and community hospice, home care agencies, long-term care facilities and other community services as needed.
• Participates in palliative care quality improvement initiatives.
• Facilitates communication between patient and/or family and team including active participation in family meetings.
• Functions as an integral team member by receiving and offering feedback, building respect and trust.
• Designs and provides education on palliative care to other health care professionals
• Keeps current with social work and health care developments and seeks to enhance job related knowledge through involvement with local, state, and national palliative care initiatives
• Provides ongoing psychotherapeutic intervention, counseling, and education to alleviate emotional factors related to loss, complex medical issues, adjustment to chronic/terminal disease, and anticipatory grief.