Overview
To assess identify and cordinate care needs of patients and families with substance exposed pregnancies and facilitate comprehensive care with internal and external services and/or organizations while maintaining maximum benefits from medical and welfare services and optimal communication with all involved care team memebers.
Responsibilities
- Performs assessments to obtain information on home environment, family relationships, health history, addication treatment, health history and patietn's personality traits.
- Evaluates data gathered for medical paln treatment, available social service programs and knowledge of casework or group work and creates pertinent therapy programs to provide maximum benefits.
- Assists patients and/or families through various conferences to understand, accept and follow medical recommendations and instructions.
- Acts as patient advocate and participates in conferences on behalf of patients with other hospital personnel and community agencies.
- Provides advisory services on social problems, arranges for discharge or postoperative care at home or in recovery organizations.
- Provides and coordinates discharge planning and follow-up to aasure continuity of care.
- Provides counseling services to attempt to alleviate anxieties and/or fears cocerning child care, personal care, addication services, medically assisted treatment programs or an uncertain future as to assist the patient in returning to community life. Offers advice on financial assistance to patients or families during illness and treatment.
- Performs or assists in studies, research projects, and data collection concerned with problems occuring in the field of medical social work.
- Prepares various statistical and follow-up reports for use in planning further programs and avaluating departments performance.
- Participates in planning and implementing education and social programs with community organizations, hospital and home health.
- Serves as consultant and resource person for other medical team members on the social and personal aspects of patient care.
- performs other related duties within the scope of the job classification as assigned.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Sociology, Social Work, or a related field required.
Experience
- Minimum of two (2) years of casework experience preferred in one or more of the following settings:
- Healthcare organizations
- Child welfare agencies
- Psychiatric clinics
- Family counseling services
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Knowledge of case management principles and community resources.
- Ability to assess individual and family needs and develop appropriate service plans.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and counseling skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information professionally.
- Strong organizational, documentation, and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to work collaboratively with patients, families, healthcare providers, and community agencies.
