Social Worker-MSW LSW

Job Description

Position Title: Social Worker - MSW LSW

Location: Gateway Plaza

Shift: Full-Time, Days

Position Overview: The Virtual Integrated Social Work team is a compassionate group dedicated to helping patients overcome barriers to care through timely virtual support, resource navigation, and community connections. This role involves meeting face-to-face with patients and families, collaborating with healthcare teams to facilitate safe and effective care, and providing expert psychosocial assessments and interventions. The Social Worker supports patients across the continuum of care, including complex discharge planning, crisis intervention, and addressing social determinants of health.

Key Responsibilities:

Meet face-to-face with patients and families to assess psychosocial needs.


Communicate and collaborate with all members of the healthcare team to ensure safe, timely, and resource-appropriate care.


Interpret and communicate complex patient and family needs, modeling caring practices for other caregivers.


Evaluate psychosocial risk factors, including prior functioning, support systems, reactions to illness, and coping abilities.


Counsel patients and families on emotional, social, and financial impacts of illness/disability.


Access and mobilize family and community resources to meet identified needs.


Conduct mental health assessments upon physician referral and provide therapeutic interventions.


Facilitate complex discharge planning to ensure safe transitions of care.


Serve as the primary liaison for cases involving child abuse/neglect, adult/elderly abuse/neglect, institutional abuse, and domestic violence; coordinate with protective services.


Provide intervention in guardianship, foster care, adoption, and mental health placements, including Level II services.


Deliver specialized mental health services, including crisis intervention, addiction assessments, and psychiatric referrals.


Lead clinical interventions during dangerous or potentially dangerous situations, utilizing de-escalation techniques.


Support individuals undergoing acute crises, employing effective de-escalation principles to prevent violence.


Conduct interviews with victims, perpetrators, and significant others, applying evidence-based principles.


Provide intervention support for end-of-life, guardianship, foster care, and adoption cases.


Develop and maintain strong working relationships with hospital administrators, medical teams, law enforcement, APS/DCS, schools, probation, and community agencies.


Document all clinical activities thoroughly within electronic medical records.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) from an accredited program.


Permanent licensure as an LSW in the state of Indiana is required.


Certification in Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) or an equivalent de-escalation training within 6 months of hire.


Knowledge of evidence-based psychosocial assessment, short-term therapeutic counseling, and crisis intervention techniques for mental health and substance use disorders.


Understanding of disease processes and human behavior related to health and social needs.


Strong discharge planning skills to ensure safe patient transitions.


Knowledge of legal mandates for child and adult protective services at the state and county levels.


Familiarity with growth and development principles across the lifespan, including end-of-life care.


Ability to identify decision-makers and facilitate goals-of-care conversations.


Experience in adapting services for geographically, culturally, and financially diverse populations.


Proficiency in electronic medical record documentation and general computer skills.


Ability to respond appropriately to violent or threatening situations using de-escalation techniques.


Flexibility to work on-call and holiday rotations as scheduled.

Why IU Health?

Join Indiana's leading healthcare system committed to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care. We offer opportunities for professional development, a collaborative team environment, and a focus on improving community health.

Benefits: Benefits Designed for You

About Us

• Indiana University Health has nearly 40,000 team members, including more than 3,600 physicians and 1,200 advanced practice providers, and we're home to the largest nursing network in Indiana with more than 9,000 nursing team members at over 800 sites of care.
• IU Health is ranked No. 1 in Indiana by U.S. News & World Report, Riley Children's Health is ranked among the top children's hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
• A unique partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine - one of the nation's largest medical schools - gives patients access to groundbreaking research and innovative treatments, and it offers team members access to the latest science and the very best training - advancing healthcare for all.
• With 15 hospitals, including seven with Magnet designation and eight with Pathways to Excellence designation, our team members are leading the way through excellence.
• At Indiana University Health, your personal and professional growth is a top priority. You will have access to many diverse opportunities to learn and develop in meaningful ways that matter most to you, such as advanced clinical training, leadership development, promotion opportunities and cross training development.
• Indiana University Health is invested in the lives of Hoosiers, leading the transformation of healthcare to make Indiana one of the nation's healthiest states.

About the Team

Indiana University Health is Indiana's most comprehensive health system, with 15 hospitals and nearly 40,000 team members serving Hoosiers across the state. We're looking for team members who are inspired by challenging and meaningful work for the good of every patient. People who are compassionate and serve with a purpose. People who aspire to excellence every day.