Social Worker (Perinatal Program)

Nemours Children's Health is seeking a Social Worker to join our Perinatal Program team Orlando, FL.

The Nemours Maternal Fetal Medicine service line is expanding the scope of service to include coordinated maternal-fetal care throughout the Fetal Care Network throughout our Florida sites in Orlando, Panama City, and Lakeland. Care for women whose unborn child has been diagnosed with a birth defect or complex medical condition that will require immediate multidisciplinary pediatric care in the neonatal period are a particularly vulnerable population for which we care. Care counseling in this setting also includes complex care consultation/planning, including but not limited to the option of perinatal palliative care in cases of life-limiting fetal/neonatal conditions.

This position is responsible for providing comprehensive social work services to patients and their families in accordance with the job responsibilities described in this document. Core functions include:

• Perinatal psychosocial assessment and support of patient/family coping skills and medical decision making
• Protective services including assessment of Child Abuse and Neglect
• Crisis Intervention and Behavioral Health Assessment in the perinatal setting
• Linkage to community resources for expectant families.

These services are provided in accordance with the policies, procedures, and guidelines established by Nemours Children's Hospital and its Social Work Department.

The Advanced Social Worker contributes to advancement of clinical skills through the support of training and precepting experiences, supervision of volunteers and student learners.

The Social Worker in the NCH Maternal Fetal Medicine setting will:

• Conduct comprehensive assessments for maternal safety, patient resources, risk and mental health for patients referred by MFM staff
• Assist patients with transportation, local housing and relocation needs if their unborn baby requires neonatal care at NCH
• Champion universal perinatal mental health screening services for expectant patients and partners
• Participate in identified Maternal Fetal Medicine consults and ongoing psychosocial support for MFM patients
• Provide individual therapy and clinical guidance within the perinatal mental health scope of care
• Support psychosocial aspects of care
• Serve a collaborative role in weekly patient reviews, identification and discussion of high risk psychosocial patients and care planning
• Support bereavement and partake in birth plan coordination for expectant families with life limiting diagnoses
• Identify funding options for funeral expenses and coordinate with funeral homes for affordable arrangements.
• Support coordination of care for psychosocial emergencies
• Provide crisis intervention services as indicated for the management of interpersonal violence, psychiatric crisis, child abuse, and family disputes.
• Interface with community service providers including healthcare, legal, child welfare, and government programs.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships across disciplines and coordinate family meetings within the MFM care environment. Assist in facilitating recommendations resultant of team meetings.
• Bridge transition of psychosocial care between the antenatal and postnatal environment and to referring physicians to facilitate warm family handoff
• Document social work notes in the patient medical record according to Social Work Department policy.
• Provide community resources and information in response to assessed patient/family needs.
• Coordinate safe and sustainable discharge needs of patients in an efficient, effective, and timely manner while including the family in the process.
• Work with patient care coordinators to assist in family resources on referral to the center
• Help families apply for Social Security Disability and Disabled Children's Medicaid (state-specific).
• Connect families with financial resources for utilities, phone bills, water, heat, and oil.
• Maintain a professional manner at all times with associates, families and community partners.
• Provide training, supervision, modeling, clinical support, coaching, and feedback to social work students and volunteers. May precept newly hired social workers.
• Representation on hospital projects with approval by department leadership.
• Additional miscellaneous duties and responsibilities, as may be assigned from time to time by employee's supervisor.
• Attend patient care unit and/or medical division rounds in accordance with team expectations and provide inpatient admission screening on assigned patient care unit.

Job Requirements

• Must have a Masters Degree in Social Work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• Minimum 2 (two) years of post-masters experience required.
• Must have an active LMSW, LSW or LCSW required.
• Graduate school internship may be applied to job-related experience at the discretion of the Director.
• Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) preferred.

What We Offer

• Competitive base compensation in the top quartile of the market
• Annual incentive compensation that values clinical activity, academic accomplishments and quality improvement
• Comprehensive benefits: health, life, dental, vision
• 403B with employer match.
• Licensure, CME and dues allowance
• Not-for-profit status; eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• For those living and working in Florida, enjoy the benefit of no state income tax. Those based in Delaware benefit from the state's moderate tax structure.

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