Lead Social Worker

Position Summary

The Lead Social Worker is responsible for managing the treatment activities offered to the patients, which may include facilitating therapy groups on patient units; complete thorough assessments; assessing patients' needs and compiling a treatment plan within a multidisciplinary team; planning and/or providing care, treatment, and services; collaboration and exchanging of information with the treatment team, external providers, collateral contacts, and/or managed care organizations; and implementation of the discharge planning process including completion of a thorough risk assessment and arranging for follow-up care and resources.

The lead social worker is expected to review and sign discharge process checklist for administration, assist in the education and training process of recently hired staff, fulfill the tasks of float and provide support to units within the hospital as needed, facilitate group therapy as needed, fulfill the task of chemical dependency counselor as needed, and facilitate Writ, Riese, and Certification Hearings as needed.

Primary Responsibilities

Clinical Oversight & Leadership

• Provide direction, guidance, and case consultation to unit social workers.
• Support complex, high-risk, or behavioral cases to promote stabilization and an appropriate level of care.
• Assist in staff training, onboarding, and performance support.
• Escalate unresolved clinical or operational concerns to the DCS.

Assessments

• Complete thorough assessments and documentation within the allotted timeframes.
• Include patients' behavior, criteria for hospitalization, and risk assessment in documentation.
• Use the hospital criteria for continued evaluation for hospitalization and make appropriate recommendations for level of care upon discharge.
• Complete initial discharge planning and risk assessments.
• Integrate assessment information with the attending physician's initial treatment plan and compile a Master Treatment Plan with individualized, measurable, and observable problems, interventions, and short-term goals.
• Update Master Treatment Plan integrating the patient's progress, obtained collateral information, and identified resources.
• Assess and document patient's ongoing progress including progress towards treatment goals and make changes to the identified plan for discharge/safety as appropriate.
• Complete a Chemical Dependency Assessment as needed.

Case Management

• Engage, collaborate, and problem-solve with patients, families, treatment team members and community providers regarding patient status and progress towards discharge.
• Ensure/assist that the patient attends the appropriate level of care or program as indicated on the treatment plan or as needed when there are changes in the patient's status.
• Interface with the staff of the appropriate level of care to facilitate a smooth transition at the time of transfer.
• Maintain necessary documentation of all services and the quality of care.
• Communicate and enforce the documentation requirements with all levels of staff to meet accreditation and certification body regulations.
• Maintain knowledge of a variety of resources to assist in patient care.
• Promote an effective use of resources for patients, customers and the facility with sensitivity to the cost of health care.
• Follow through on case management tasks such as discharge planning, documentation, and auditing chart compliance.
• Ensure that patient's rights are upheld.
• Advocate for the lowest level of care consistent with patient needs.
• Function as a resource for patient/families/significant others.
• Coordinate high risk cases requiring reporting and coordination/communication with other involved agencies.
• Facilitate family meetings with patients, support systems, and service providers (if applicable) to enable appropriate discharge with safety and crisis plans in place.
• Use current systems and materials to provide "hand off" communication.

Discharge Planning

• Coordinate discharge plans with the patient/family/significant other that were identified by the treatment team.
• Provide, monitor and document discharge planning activities including but not limited to identification of discharge planning needs, involvement of patient, family and significant others as appropriate, completing referrals for aftercare follow-up, coordination of referrals to other agencies including transmission of necessary information.
• Identify and provide appropriate resources to assist with potential risk factors and the patient's identified needs.
• Organize the use of resources to keep the patient as close to home as possible, provide liaison to aftercare providers and follow up after discharge to ensure efficacy of the discharge plans.

Treatment Planning

• Provide support and assistance to the patient and the patient's support system.
• Formulate an initial discharge plan from information gathered during the assessment process.
• Planning/assist in an episode of care to identify services that will be provided if the patient is moved to a greater or less intensive level of care depending on the needs of the case.
• Communicate with attending practitioner and treatment coordinator, and other providers of service, to assure continuity of care and expedite the flow of services and transition between levels of care.
• Provide feedback to the attending practitioner and treatment team members concerning continuing certification of days/services.

Group Therapy

• Implement a variety of techniques, approaches, and activities to engage patients in active treatment based on their identified needs and limitations in learning while adhering to group schedules.
• Provide Active Treatment to all patients throughout the hospital.
• Document active treatment provided including group goals, patients' response to treatment, and the progress in their treatment plan and file in patients' medical records.
• Assure proper tracking, record keeping, and monthly reports with accurate data and conclusions and/or suggestions.

Programming & Quality Assurance

• Ensure consistent implementation of therapeutic programming and active treatment on the unit.
• Participate in support of random documentation audit.
• Compile and submit unit compliance data to the DCS using designated tracking tools.
• Monitor adherence to regulatory, accreditation and internal documentation standards.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrate strong leadership skills.
• Knowledge of case management techniques.
• Knowledge of patient assessment, family motivating treatment planning techniques.
• Knowledge of external review organizations (i.e. managed care, Medicare, Medicaid, state gate keep for Medicaid).
• Knowledge of patient's rights, advanced directives, adult and child abuse laws, and emergency detention.
• Knowledge of complex patient care planning.
• Knowledge and utilization of crisis intervention techniques.
• Knowledge of payer resources and financial planning.
• Excellent leadership and negotiation skills.
• Excellent customer relations skills.
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal communication skills.
• Skill in interacting with multiple individuals with diversified roles and perspectives.
• Skill in organizing and prioritizing workloads to meet deadlines.
• Skill in telephone etiquette and paging procedures.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to handle conflicting situations.
• Ability to focus on details in a busy environment.
• Ability to assess various situations/circumstances and develop a thorough case study.
• Ability to operate in an unstructured environment, orchestrate a myriad of activities and to manage multiple priorities within complex systems.
• Ability to tolerate ambiguity, uncertainty, and change.
• Ability to work at a rapid pace.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients and co-workers.
• Ability to adhere to safety policies and procedures.
• Ability to use good judgment and to maintain confidentiality of information.
• Ability to work as a team player.
• Ability to demonstrate tact, resourcefulness, patience and dedication.
• Ability to accept direction and adhere to policies and procedures.
• Ability to recognize the importance of adapting to the various patient age groups (adolescent, adult and geriatric).
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to meet corporate deadlines.
• Ability to react calmly and effectively in emergencies.