Social Worker

Social Worker

The primary purpose of your job position is to assist in planning, organizing, implementing, evaluating, and directing the overall operation of facility's Social Services Department in accordance with current, federal, state and local standards, guidelines and regulations, our established policies and procedures, and as may be directed by the Director of Social Services and/or Administrator, to assure that the medically related emotional and social needs of the resident are met/maintained on an individual basis.

Must possess, as a minimum, a Bachelor's Degree from an approved school of Social Work. Must have, as a minimum, three (3) years' experience in a hospital, nursing care facility, or other related medical facility.

Every effort has been made to identify the essential functions of this position, however it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or is an essential function of the position.

• Assist the Quality Assessment & Assurance Committee in developing and implementing appropriate plans of action to correct identified deficiencies.
• Interview residents, or family members, as necessary, to obtain social history.
• Ensure that charted social service progress notes are informative and descriptive of the services provided and of the resident's response to the service.
• Maintain a reference library of written material, laws, etc., necessary for complying with current standards and regulations, and that will provide assistance in maintaining quality social service.
• Involve the resident/family in planning objectives and goals for the resident.
• Meet with administration, medical and nursing staff, as well as other related departments in planning social service programs and activities.
• Agree not to disclose assigned user ID code and password for accessing resident/facility information and promptly report suspected or known violations of such disclosure to the Administrator.
• Agree not to disclose resident's protected health information and promptly report suspected or known violations of such disclosure to the Administrator.
• Report any known or suspected unauthorized attempt to access the facility's information system.
• Provide the facility with a signed and dated business associate agreement in accordance with current HIPAA rules, regulations, and guidelines.
• Review resident assessment data relative to social services, quality indicators, quality measures, survey results, etc., and make recommendations to correct identified problem areas.
• Others as deemed necessary and appropriate, or as may be directed by the Administrator.
• Meet with social services personnel, on a regularly scheduled basis, and solicit advice from inter-department supervisors concerning the operation of the social services department, assist in identifying and correcting problem areas, and/or the improvement of services.
• Assist in the recruitment, interviewing, and selection of social services personnel as necessary.
• Assist in determining departmental staffing requirements necessary to meet the social service department's needs, to ensure that a sufficient number of social services personnel are on duty.
• Recommend termination of personnel when necessary, documenting and coordinating such actions with the Personnel Director and/or Administrator.
• Assist in standardizing the methods in which social services tasks will be performed.
• Maintain a productive working relationship with department directors
• Report occupational exposures to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals in accordance with the facility's policies and procedures governing accidents and incidents.
• Create and maintain an atmosphere of warmth, personal interest and positive emphasis, as well as a calm environment throughout the facility.
• Report known or suspected incidents of fraud to the Administrator.
• Ensure that departmental computer workstations left unattended are properly logged off or the password protected automatic screen-saver activates within established facility policy guidelines.
• Assist in the development, administering, and coordinating of department policies and procedures.
• Keep abreast of current federal and state regulations, as well as professional standards, and make recommendations on changes in policies and procedures to the Social Services Director or Administrator.
• Assist in developing and implementing policies and procedures for the identification of medically related social and emotional needs of the resident.
• Participate in discharge planning, development and implementation of social care plans and resident assessments.

Provide leadership training that includes the administrative and supervisory principles essential for the social services department. Encourage the social services supervisory staff to attend and participate in outside training programs. Assist support services in developing, implementing, and conducting in-service training programs that relate to the social services department. Attend and participate in continuing educational programs designed to keep you abreast of changes in your profession, as well as to maintain your license on a current status.

• Assist in developing preliminary and comprehensive assessments of social service needs of each resident.
• Assist in developing a written plan of care (preliminary and comprehensive) for each resident that identifies the problems/needs of the resident and the goals to be accomplished for each problem/need identified.
• Encourage the resident/family to participate in the development and review of the resident's plan of care.
• Assist in the scheduling of care plans and assessments to be presented and discussed at each committee meeting.
• Ensure that all social services personnel are aware of the care plan and that care plans are used in providing daily social services to the resident.
• Review nurses' notes to determine if the care plan is being followed. Report problem areas to the DONS.
• Review and revise care plans and assessments as necessary, but at least quarterly.
• Develop and maintain a good rapport with all services involved with the care plan to ensure that a team effort is achieved in developing a comprehensive plan of care.

Maintain the confidentiality of all resident care information including protected health information. Report known or suspected incidents of unauthorized disclosure of such information. Knock before entering a resident's room. Ensure that all social services personnel are knowledgeable of the resident's rights and responsibilities, including the right of refusal. Review complaints and grievances made by the resident and make a written/oral report to the Administrator indicating what action(s) were taken to resolve the complaint or grievance. Follow facility's established procedures. Maintain a written record of the resident's complaints and/or grievances that indicates the action taken to resolve the complaint and the current status of the complaint. Provide residents with information concerning resident rights, living wills, etc. Explain as necessary. Participate in resident/group council meetings as requested and provide support services to such council.

Works in office areas as well as throughout the facility. Moves intermittently during working hours. Is subject to frequent interruptions. Is involved with residents, personnel, visitors, government agencies/personnel, etc., under all conditions and circumstances. Is subject to hostile and emotionally upset residents, family members, etc. Communicates with the medical staff, nursing service, and other department supervisors. Works beyond normal working hours, on weekends, and in other positions temporarily, when necessary. Is subject to call back during emergency conditions (e.g., severe weather, evacuation, post-disaster, etc.). Attends and participates in continuing educational programs. Is subject to injury from falls, burns from equipment, odors, etc., throughout the workday, as well as to reactions from dust, disinfectants, tobacco smoke, and other air contaminants. Is subject to exposure to infectious waste, diseases, conditions, etc., including TB and the AIDS and Hepatitis B viruses. Maintains a liaison with other department directors to adequately plan for social services/activities. May be subject to the handling of and exposure to hazardous chemicals.

Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday. Must be able to speak and write the English language in an understandable manner. Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position. Must possess sight/hearing senses or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately so that the requirements of this position can be fully met. Must function independently and have flexibility, personal integrity, and the ability to work effectively with residents, personnel, and support agencies. Must meet the general health requirements set forth by the policies of this facility, which include a medical and physical examination. Must be able to relate to and work with ill, disabled, elderly, emotionally upset, and, at times, hostile people within the facility. Must be able to push, pull, move, and/or lift a minimum of 25 pounds to a minimum height of 5 feet and be able to push, pull, move, and/or carry such weight a minimum distance of 50 feet. May be necessary to assist in the evacuation of residents during emergency situations.