Clin Social Worker LICSW [Palliative Care], 32 Hour Days, University Campus

Everyone Is a Caregiver

At UMass Memorial Health, everyone is a caregiver regardless of their title or responsibilities. Exceptional patient care, academic excellence and leading-edge research make UMass Memorial the premier health system of Central Massachusetts, and a place where we can help you build the career you deserve. We are more than 20,000 employees, working together as one health system in a relentless pursuit of healing for our patients, community and each other. And everyone, in their own unique way, plays an important part, every day.

Provide psychosocial support to palliative care patients and families and collaborate as an interdisciplinary team member for the development and delivery of treatment plans. In addition, this candidate would share the role of inpatient social navigator with another full-time social worker to ensure smooth and efficient daily operations of the inpatient consult team at University campus to improve patient care and flow and assist in facilitating the complex discharge needs of patients and families. Provides assessment of patients/families and their adaptation to patient's illness. Provides counseling as needed and ensures maximum patient participation in plans for discharge and recovery. Identifies system or discharge problems and develops discharge plans and presents options to patients. Assessment of all potential cases of abuse: child, elderly, disabled and/or domestic violence.

Major Responsibilities:

• Participate in daily team rounds and weekly interdisciplinary team meetings and contribute to case reviews, teaching and quality improvement.
• Ensure every patient has a comprehensive psychosocial assessment and plan of care documented and communicated with the clinical teams and case managers.
• In collaboration with the interdisciplinary team, help facilitate discussions with patients and families about goals of care and care planning, including education about community-based hospice and outpatient palliative care.
• Provide emotional/psychological support and counseling for patients and families (in both inpatient and outpatient settings as needed), including the use of integrative therapies such as breathing, energy work, mindfulness, cognitive reframing and other modalities.
• When in navigator role, carry the pager and respond to calls using a standardized intake & triage form. Assign and manage team members' caseload via the Epic patient list to ensure efficient and timely responses to consults and quality care.
• When in navigator role, ensure timely completion of urgent new consults including taking the lead on initial patient assessments as needed and reporting back to the clinical teams.
• Participate in the process of complex discharges and timely care coordination to ensure optimal care and smooth transitions.
• Identify with referring and palliative care teams which patients and families need psychosocial and care coordination support and participate in those encounters.
• Provide liaison function between the palliative care team and social work, care coordination and patient representative departments.
• Provide liaison function between palliative care team and community hospice agencies, home care agencies, long-term care facilities and other community services as needed.
• Provide training and continuing education for hospital staff on palliative care and hospice.
• Teach students, residents and fellows in palliative care concepts during bedside rounds, scheduled didactics and clinical rotations.
• Participate in development of a bereavement program, including condolence cards, post-hospitalization calls and identification of loved ones at high risk of complicated grief with referral to community-based resources. Future program development may include memorial services and support programs, among other possibilities.
• Participate in palliative care quality improvement initiatives. Evaluate the work process, seek feedback from team and suggest any improvements.

Position Qualifications

License/Certification/Education: Required:

• Masters in Social Work
• Current Massachusetts Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) licensure.
• Additional training or experience in palliative care preferred but not required. Getting certification in palliative care within 3 years of starting would be an expectation.

Experience/Skills: Required:

• Minimum of 2 years clinical experience in hospital, long-term care or hospice setting
• Demonstrated ability in psychosocial assessment, knowledge of community resources, crisis intervention skills, ability in discharge planning, and ability to work with a multidisciplinary team.
• Data compilation and analysis skills.
• Excellent written and communications skills.
• Basic computer skills.

Unless certification, licensure or registration is required, an equivalent combination of education and experience which provides proficiency in the areas of responsibility listed in this description may be substituted for the above requirements.

Department-specific competencies and their measurements will be developed and maintained in the individual departments. The competencies will be maintained and attached to the departmental job description. Responsible managers will review competencies with position incumbents.

III. Physical Demands and Environmental Conditions:

Position requires work indoors most often in an office environment. However, work may also include monitoring patients' movements and activities resulting in the need for rapid physical response to unsafe patient movements. This includes standing, walking, running, reaching, bending, lifting, and stooping.

ADDENDUM FOR CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER LICSW IN PALLIATIVE CARE

Position Summary:

Collaborates as a member of inter-disciplinary treatment team for the development and delivery of treatment plan and discharge plans for palliative care patients. Performs a variety of duties involving patient assessment, emotional support, family meetings, bereavement support, and complex care transitions.

Major Responsibilities:

• Conducts intake interviews with patients and families to develop psychosocial evaluations.
• Participates in team planning of treatment during initial interview and family meetings for goal setting and care planning. Coordinates discharge planning for own case load. Plays key role in case management. Collaborates with outpatient providers to coordinate treatment and discharge planning.
• Provide liaison function between palliative care team and social service, care coordination and patient representative departments. Provide liaison function between palliative care team and community hospice, home care agencies, long-term care facilities, government agencies, and other community services as needed. Develop referral network as directed.
• Attend weekly interdisciplinary team meetings and contributes to cases and teaching. Teaches students, residents and fellows in palliative care concepts during bedside rounds, scheduled didactics and clinical rotations. Provide training and continuing education for staff.

Difference in Qualifications: Experience Required:

• Minimum of 2 years clinical experience in hospital, long-term care or hospice setting.
• Must possess or actively work toward Palliative Care certification by National Association of Social Workers upon hire.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, UMass Memorial Health recognizes the power of a diverse community and encourages applications from individuals with varied experiences, perspectives and backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity and expression, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io. We will make every effort to respond to your request for disability assistance as soon as possible.