Licensed Social Worker
Harbor Light Hospice seeks a compassionate, supportive Social Worker to provide care for our Hospice Care Patients on a full-time basis. This position will report to our Winfield, IL office.
Harbor Light Hospice seeks to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and families who are facing terminal illness. We focus on life and the quality of living while accepting the reality of death as a part of life. We provide comfort, company, and active treatment of distressing symptoms, with the patient and their family as the focus of care. Services are provided by a team of professionals and volunteers who are physician directed and nurse coordinated.
The Social Worker, under the direction of a physician, and as a member of the interdisciplinary group, provides medical social services, counseling, and community resourcing for hospice care patients and their families.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Makes contact with each patient and/or family within 2-5 business days of admission. Completes a comprehensive social services assessment and individualized Plan of Care for each patient/family within five calendar days of patient/family election of hospice care.
2. Provides counseling services to each patient and family based on the assessed need and plan of care.
3. Initiates an assessment and care plan as part of the initial comprehensive assessment.
4. Resources and acts as a liaison for the patient and family in accessing needed community services and support systems.
5. Documents services provided in the medical record.
6. Participates as a member of the IDG, actively coordinating all aspects of the patient’s palliative care, in accordance with current professional standards and practice, including participating in ongoing interdisciplinary comprehensive assessments, developing and evaluating the plan of care, and contributing to patient and family counseling and education.
8. Participates in the training and, where assigned, supervision of volunteers.
9. Attends agency-sponsored education / in-service training.
10. Provides educational information/in-services on hospice care, social services, grief, and bereavement to staff, referral sources, and community groups as requested.
11. Participate in Quality Assessment/Performance Improvement activities as appropriate and as requested.
12. As requested, initiate the admission process with palliative program explanation to patients/families; obtain consents and election forms.
13. Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
1. Masters Degree from an accredited School of Social Work preferred; minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree required. (See Medicare Condition of Participation for Hospice, 418.114 (b) (3) for specific minimum education requirements)
2. Licensed by the State of Illinois (LCSW or LSW).
3. Two years of experience as a medical social worker.
4. Knowledge of available community services/resources.
Required Skills:
1. Able to read 12-point or larger type.
2. Must be able to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing, sufficient to prepare and send documentation/reports, and to interact with clients, staff, and peers.
3. Must show considerable initiative, judgment, and organizational skills to work independently.
4. Display advanced proficiency using all MS Office applications, standard office equipment, and business technology.
5. Skilled in all aspects of planning and project management.
6. Familiar with Hospice philosophy and regulations as appropriate to job responsibilities.