Employment Opportunities
Health Care Social Worker
This position has been filled.
Public?:
Public
Division:
Health
Reports To:
Patient Services Director/Risk Management Director
Type of Position:
Regular Full Time
Location:
Little Axe Health Center / 15951 Little Axe Dr. / Norman, OK 73026
General Description
Social workers in medical centers provide frontline services to patients with conditions spanning the entire health care continuum. Hospitals, Health Systems, and Home Health/Hospice Agencies are the most common primary employment setting for health care social workers. The AST Health System Social Worker provides a variety of general and specialized post-acute care discharge plan of care planning from medical facilities, surgery centers, and other specialty care services. The AST Health Care Social Worker effort is increasingly responding to specialized environments, and is frequently assigned to specific departments to de-conflict social/medical care needs that are based on diagnosis, age, or gender and removes barriers to care. Examples of social work specialization within a health system include pediatrics, oncology, nephrology, pre/post-transplant, and post-emergency/trauma medical plan of care and allocation of available pay sources and other programs such as mental health, aging or community outreach. Social workers help patients and their families understand a particular illness, work through the emotions of a diagnosis, and provide counseling about the decisions that need to be made to include end of life diagnosis/planning. Social workers are also essential members of interdisciplinary case management teams. Working in concert with providers, nurses, and allied health professionals, social workers sensitize other health care providers to the social and emotional aspects of a patient’s illness and other needs. Social workers use case management skills to help patients and their families address and resolve the social, financial, and psychological problems related to their health condition.
ResponsibilitIes & Duties
Initial screening and evaluation of patient and families;
Comprehensive psychosocial assessment of patients using industry standard processes/practices;
Helping patients and families understand the illness and treatment options, as well as consequences of various
treatments or treatment refusal;
Helping patients/families adjust to pre/post-hospital admission; possible role changes; exploring emotional/social
responses to illness and treatment;
Educating patients on the roles of health care team members; assisting patients and families in communicating
with one another and to members of health care team; interpreting information;
Educating patients on the levels of health care (i.e. acute, sub- acute, home care); entitlements; community
resources; and advance directives;
Facilitating decision making on behalf of patients and families;
Employing/activating crisis Intervention;
Diagnosing underlying mental illness; providing or making referrals for individual, family, and group
Psychotherapy and/or Substance Abuse ;
Educating staff and family members on patient psychosocial issues;
Promoting communication and collaboration among health care team members;
Coordinating patient discharge and continuity of care planning;
Promoting patient navigation services;
Arranging for resources/funds to finance medications, durable medical equipment, and other needed services;
Ensuring communication and understanding about pre/post-hospital care among patient, family and health care team members;
Advocating for patient and family needs in different settings: inpatient, outpatient, home, and in the community; and
Championing the health care rights of patients through advocacy at the policy level.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Master’s in Social Work (MSW) degree from a CSWE-accredited institution. Medical social workers typically combine a strong understanding of clinical social work practices and modalities (such as psychosocial assessments, crisis interventions and psychotherapy) with knowledge of medical environments, health care continuum, and related protocols.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; effective interpersonal skills that will include professional and non-professional staff.
Excellent public relation skills, including ability to interact with the person's immediate management, the Tribe's elected officials, the Tribe's citizens, and Federal and State officials.
Excellent problem solving skills including the problems inherent to a health clinic setting sensitive to Native American and Tribal issues affecting population health and state of services/access to care.
Strong business skills and working knowledge of accounting and database systems. Computer literate.
Requires routine communication with supervisor.
Must possess a valid Oklahoma Driver’s License.
Must be able to pass a comprehensive background check.
Environmental Conditions & Required Physical Demands:
Keyboarding/Dexterity: Occasionally; activity exists up to 1/3 of the time Standing/Walking: Constantly; activity exits up to 2/3 of the time Strength (Lift/Carry/Push/Pull): Medium (Exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, or 10 to 25 pounds of force constantly to move objects) Talking (Must be able to effectively communicate verbally): Yes; Seeing: Yes; Hearing: Yes; Color Acuity (Must be able to distinguish and identify colors): Yes.
Moderate exposure to hazardous risks, including potential for exposure to infections and communicable diseases, blood and body fluids, electrical equipment, chemicals. Potential for bodily injury related to lifting and incidents of workplace violence. Must follow universal safety precautions. Exposed to constant interruptions, noise, disagreeable odors, and assorted chemicals.
Physical Requirements and Working Conditions
Must be able to sit, stand, stoop, bend or kneel for long periods of time.
Sitting or standing or walking for long period of time; occasional bending, squatting, kneeling, stooping; good finger dexterity and feeling; frequent repetitive motions; talking hearing and visual acuity.
Frequent lifting (up to 15 lbs)
Occasional lifting (up to 30 lbs)
Native American Preference/EEO/Drug Free Workplace
Posted Date:
1 year 6 months ago