BWH Social Worker - LCSW FT

Job Summary :


Provides direct clinical service to assigned in-patients, inclusive of individual and family treatment interventions, case management, disposition planning and care consultation. Is responsible for psychosocial assessments for each patient. Attends all treatment teams and consults on an as needed basis with other team members around issues of his/her expertise, including case management and disposition planning.

Essential Functions :

• Meets with patients as indicated to complete the written psychosocial evaluations within 48 hours of case assignment.
• Assumes role of social worker for those patients assigned. May be assigned to a unit or may be required to float to units as needed.
• Facilities groups for patients/families as assigned on unit and documents patient family participation on group notes.
• Communicates findings and progress of individual sessions, family therapy, and disposition planning to treatment team and documents progress in patients medical record.
• Provides consultation to outpatient providers for patient and involved agencies as needed.
• Advocates for and educates family about resources and agency involvement to provide recommended levels of services upon discharge. Documents this activity in progress notes.
• Meets with patients, on the day of case assignment, and contacts family within one day due to short stays of case assignment. Individual and family interventions will be consistent with the assessment.
• Maintains progress notes twice weekly in the medical record on unit.
• Presents case assessment, interventions, collaborates with other disciplines and initiates planned interventions at the treatment planning meeting.
• When indicated, involves family in aftercare planning and educational interventions. Documents in progress notes reasons that interventions may not be possible.
• When patient is involved in ongoing outpatient therapy, initiates contact with outpatient therapist with patients permission. Coordinates and collaborates with the outpatient therapist during the patients inpatient stay at a mutually agreed upon frequency.
• When a patient is involved with an agency or private treatment program, initiates contact with appropriate providers within one business day of initial assignment and documents this contact in a progress note.
• Makes recommendations for the level of care and structure patient needs upon discharge and actively educates patients and family (when indicated) with respect to those needs and identifies resources for meeting the patients needs. Advocates for agency involvement when necessary.
• Initiates applications for services (DMH, Medicare application, Ma Health Application, etc) within 24 hours of identified need for service and sends completed applications within 48 hours maintaining a copy of document in the clients record for future reference. Follows up with agency to ensure application received and documents follow-up in progress notes. Notifies supervisor if assistance is needed with external agencies in obtaining services for clients.
• When needed, organizes a meeting of all those providing outpatient services to the patient before discharge and documents the outcome of meetings in progress notes. When conflict in discharge plan occurs with outside agency, notifies team and supervisor of the conflict.
• When child abuse or neglect is suspected, notifies the proper authorities following Massachusetts Law and professional standards of practice. When neglect or abuse of a disabled person and or the elderly is suspected and disclosed directly to the social worker s/he notifies the proper authorities following Massachusetts Law and professional standards of practice.
• Maintains communications with and coordinates information and interventions with team disciplines, including psychiatry, nursing and rehabilitation services as well as other collateral providers across the continuum and documents this contact and collaboration.
• Establishes aftercare appointments with providers and communicates these to the patient and family. Ensures that pharmacology appointment is in place if client is discharged on medication or alerts supervisor and attending MD of reason why appointment is not in place. At times, these may be more effectively organized by others and this should be documented by the social worker.
• Is responsible for completing psychosocial assessments for each assigned patient on the unit. If assigned an intern the social workers must cosign a students evaluation and complete the diagnostic summary as needed.
• Provides psychosocial education relating to diagnosis, symptom management, resources for supporting recovery to patients and families and documents pt/family understanding of information provided and barriers to learning as well as plan to address barriers in progress notes.
• Utilizes information from assessment and subsequent patient /family/opt provider information in developing an aftercare plan. Completes discharge planning and documents patients understanding of same in progress notes.
• Attends all treatment team meetings, documents specific interventions planned by worker, adds problems identified from assessment, and consults on an as needed basis with other team members around issues of her/his expertise including case management.
• Completes required discharge forms or QI initiatives for managed care companies as required in specified time frames
• If LICSW may be required to provide clinical supervision to MSW/LCSW staff.

Essential Competencies :

• Knowledge of major mental illness, i.e. schizophrenia and the impact of family
• Knowledge of developmental stages and clinical implications regarding trauma informed and patient centered care.
• Knowledge and understanding of biological and sociocultural changes influencing the aged (geriatric population), adults and adolescents
• Knowledge of substance use disorders and treatment issues
• Knowledge of family systems dynamics
• Is competent in delivering patient care that is trauma informed and patient centered. As indicated by:
  • Provides care that is kind, collaborative and compassionate.
  • Able to defuse power struggles and doesnt need to win.
  • Appropriate assessment of clients for a history of trauma
  • Recognize/assess a range of trauma-related behaviors
  • Implement trauma-sensitive interventions with people served

Minimum Qualifications :


Masters Degree in Social Work or equivalent. Inpatient field placement experience is preferred. Must be licensed or license eligible. If license eligible, licensure application must be filed with the Board of Registration, and proof of this must produced to the Social Work Supervisor upon completion of the initial appraisal period.

Physical Criteria :

• Must be able to walk up and down stairs
• Must be able to use a telephone
• Must be able to sit for up to 8 hours

Reports to : Manager of Social Services