Social Worker

Description

New! We are opening a new Portland Kidney Center in 2026, and Northwest Kidney Centers is hiring a Social Worker to join our Social Work team in Portland, OR (on-site). This position will begin in Fall 2026.

Purpose The Social Worker provides comprehensive psychosocial services to patients receiving care at Northwest Kidney Centers (NKC), including in-center and home dialysis patients. As a core member of the interdisciplinary team (IDT), this role completes psychosocial assessments, develops care plans, and supports patient education, adherence, and quality of life outcomes in alignment with ESRD Conditions of Coverage.


Shift: Part-time (0.4FTE), Monday - Friday

Required qualifications:

• Must have a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with a specialization in clinical practice from a school of social work accredited by the Council of Social Work Education.
• Social Workers should have an Oregon State Clinical (LCSW) or Advanced (LMSW) license or should have an Associate license (CSWA).

Essential Functions:

1.Clinical Care Delivery and Psychosocial Assessment:

• Conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments and evaluations
• Develop individualized care plans and interventions
• Participate in IDT care planning
• Administer KDQOL-36 assessments
• Conduct depression screenings
• Provide counseling and referrals
• Support dialysis adjustment
• Document all interventions

2. Patient Education, Transplant, and Resource Coordination

• Educate patients and families on rights, responsibilities, grievance process, and treatment options
• Assess barriers to treatment
• Track transplant readiness and status and address barriers
• Provide advance care planning support
• Connect patients to community resources

3. Continuity of Care and Coordination

• Collaborate with Patient Finance and Billing departments
• Collaborate with IDT to address patient grievances and behavior concerns
• Coordinate patient care with NKC Palliative Care Team

4. Quality Improvement and Outcomes Management

• Participate in QA/PI and IDT huddle meetings
• Analyze KDQOL results and transplant status
• Implement unit quality initiatives

5. Program Development and Organizational Contribution

• Maintain CMS knowledge
• Ensure compliance
• Participate in committees
• Provide staff education
• Lead process improvements

Learn more about us, NKC on YouTube


Benefit offerings for eligible employees (.6-1.0 FTE):

• Choice of 3 medical insurance plans: Premera Blue Cross (HDHP, Low Option PPO, High Option PPO)
• Delta Dental & Vision Services Plan
• 401 Retirement Plan, Employer Match dollar for dollar up to 4% of your wages and an additional 1% Discretionary Match
• Disability benefits: Short-term & Long-term Plans
• Life & AD&D Plans
• Tuition Reimbursement of up to $4,000 annually
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Scholarship Program
• Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts
• 100% employer subsidized Commute/Transit Benefits available
• Paid Time Off (PTO) includes personal time off and holidays. Employees may earn up to 192 hours of PTO in their first year.
• Paid Sick Time (PST) - Employees will earn 1 hour for every 30 eligible hours of work.

Founded in 1962 as the world's first outpatient dialysis provider, Northwest Kidney Centers operates 19 dialysis clinics across the Puget Sound region in addition to hospital-based services and a large home-based dialysis program. We are a not-for-profit, community-based organization and consistently rank among the top dialysis providers in the United States in quality of care, patient outcomes and transplant rates. We're expanding to Portland in late 2026 to bring our compassionate, high-quality dialysis care to more people.

At Northwest Kidney Centers, teamwork, integrity, respect, excellence and stewardship guide our approach to how we work. We differentiate ourselves by our patient centered approach and active commitment to advancing kidney research and dialysis innovation. Key to our success is the compassion and expertise of our dedicated team of staff that care for those we serve.


Equal Employment Opportunity
Northwest Kidney Center is an equal employment opportunity employer. Every employee has the right to work in surroundings that are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination. NKC will not engage in or tolerate any discrimination in the workplace prohibited by local, state, or federal law. Specifically, no employee will be discriminated against on the basis of their race (including physical characteristics historically associated with race, such as hairstyle or hair type), sex/gender, religion/creed, pregnancy, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, genetics/genetic markers, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, including gender expression or identity, actual or perceived victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.


Preboarding Requirements: At Northwest Kidney Centers, we are committed to maintaining a safe work environment for all employees and patients. As part of our hiring process, we conduct pre-employment background checks, drug screenings (we do not test for THC), employment verification and references, which are contingent to be hired on with NKC. These checks ensure we are in compliance with regulatory requirements and uphold our standards of safety, excellence, stewardship, and integrity. We value transparency and respect your privacy; any information obtained during these screenings will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. Should you have any questions regarding this process, please feel free to reach out to our People Team.


Please note: To protect our vulnerable patient population and our workforce, NKC strongly encourages all staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.


Salary Range: 28 $37.50 - $46.00 - $58.87