Hospice Social Worker

Provide medical social work to terminally ill persons/families in collaboration with the transdisciplinary team in a variety of settings.

Primary Functions:

• Address the emotional, spiritual and psychosocial needs of the patient and family related to the patient’s illness, need for care, response to treatment and adjustment to care in accord with the Team’s Transdisciplinary Plan.
• Assist with group support programs for patients and families/caregivers.
• Maintain and promptly complete all required records and reports according to agency standards.
• Participate in care conferences and bereavement program.
• Assist with discharge planning.
• Assist patients and family members with referrals to community resources.
• Exhibit flexibility for emergency situations.
• Demonstrate positive customer service responsiveness according to agency standards.
• Flexible in meeting patient/family needs that require working evenings and weekends.
• Participate in the on-call rotation as scheduled.
• Assist in preparation of financial assessment and payment agreement.
• Participate in chart review, quality improvement activities and other meetings as assigned.
• Complete annual competency requirements.
• Assist with completion of Medicaid application process.
• Assist with orientation of new employees.
• Assist with in-service programs and outside public relations activities as requested.
• Serves on committees as assigned.
• Masters prepared Social Worker.
• Experience (2 yrs.) in social work or related work with individuals, families and groups.
• Experience preferred in hospice, medical facilities or nursing homes.
• Knowledge of community resources.

Language Skills:
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Reasoning Ability:
Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:
Valid State of Florida Driver’s License and Master’s Degree of Social Work.

Physical Demands:
The position requires the ability to travel extensively in a geographic area. If traveling is by automobile, a copy of driver's license must be supplied. Must be able to access clients' homes which will not be routinely wheelchair accessible. Hearing, eyesight and physical dexterity must be sufficient to perform a physical assessment of the client's condition and to perform and demonstrate client care. There must be the ability to give and receive information orally. On occasion, may be required to bend, stoop, reach and lift and/or carry up to 30 pounds.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary functions while performing the duties of this job. This position requires employee to regularly stand and walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; talk or hear; frequently stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; taste and smell; and occasionally sit.

The employee must regularly lift up to 25 pounds frequently and occasionally lift up to 50 pounds while utilizing proper body mechanics and appropriate mechanical lifting devices provided. Must be able to lift with the use of lift devices or assistance for residents with weight in excess of 100 pounds.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet or humid non-weather conditions, working near mechanical parts, and toxic or caustic chemicals. Regular exposure to fumes or airborne particles.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Minimum Experience: 2
Required Degree: MASTER