Clinical Social Worker (LCSW/LICSW) - Palliative Care

Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 68,000 - 126,000; Full time

Job summary

Mass General Brigham's Palliative Care Service seeks a social worker to join the inpatient team on Charles Street. The role focuses on psychosocial assessments, counseling, and coordination to maximize quality of life for patients with serious illness.

Requirements include a Master's in Social Work and licensure (LCSW/LICSW). The position involves independent work within a collaborative multidisciplinary environment and a 40-hour work week.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Social Work is required.
• State licensure: LCSW and LICSW as applicable.
• Clinical social work experience in medical settings preferred.
• Ability to work independently within an inpatient team.

Responsibilities

• Develop bio-psychosocial assessments responsive to age and culture.
• Provide psychotherapy, counseling, crisis intervention, and care coordination.
• Document all practice with patients and maintain compliance with HIPAA and Joint Commission.
• Participate in palliative care consults and interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Advocate for patients and families to access services and resources.
• Provide liaison support with community hospice and long-term care facilities.
• Mentor fellows and supervise MSW students when needed.

Skills

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Excellent communication skills

Organizational skills

Independent work

Leadership

Advocacy

Problem solving

Education

Master's Degree Social Work

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

Job description

Site: The General Hospital Corporation

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

Job Summary

SIGN ON BONUS available for eligible Non-MGB employees:
$3,000 for LCSW and $10,000 for LICSW

The Palliative Care Service provides patient and family care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing, and treating suffering through the continuum of illness. The social worker is a member of the Palliative Care clinical inpatient team within the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine. The position requires one who works effectively, efficiently, and collaboratively as an employee of the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine adhering to professional social work standards expected at MGH, meeting the clinical and administrative requirements. The role provides clinical services to patients/families that address psychosocial, environment, age specific and cultural issues to maximize emotional, social, and physical well-being and the effective use of healthcare and community resources; conducts bio-psychosocial assessments, provides intervention and treatment as indicated. The social worker is expected to be highly organized, work independently, receive minimal supervision and guidance, and is expected to identify opportunities for improvement and seek out responsibility to enhance their ability to perform the work required. They will be HIPAA and Joint Commission compliant, for the Service's code of conduct and be guided by the MGH Mission, Credo and Boundaries.

Relevant Activities

• Develop comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessments responsive to age appropriate and cultural needs and concerns, specific to patients with chronic and terminal illness and their families
• Assess patient-family-caregiver, physical, psychological, socioeconomic, spiritual and symptom management needs
• Employ a range of clinical interventions such as psychotherapy (individuals, couples, families, and group), psychosocial counseling, crisis intervention, care coordination, complementary therapies, information and referral and safety planning. Advocate on behalf of patients and families to gain access to services and resources
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of the theoretical and bio-psychosocial factors essential to caring for patients with chronic and terminal illness and their families
• Conduct and/or participate in initial palliative care consults
• Designated clinical time on Supportive Care Unit (In-patient Palliative Care)
• Provide psychosocial consultation on patient-care planning and patient/family management
• Incorporate assessments in developing and implementing intervention plans that enhance the clients' abilities and decisions in palliative and end of life care
• Identify barriers and risk factors that may impede symptom management, response to treatment and patient/family care
• Appropriately document all practice with patients
• Assist the palliative care team and/or directly facilitate patient-family-team meetings
• Work independently and collaboratively on an interdisciplinary team
• Serve as an effective liaison between the palliative care service and social service, including effecting necessary hand-offs with unit/service-based social work colleagues
• Work effectively as part of the palliative care team, as well as with various clinicians throughout the hospital
• Provide guidance and psychosocial dynamics instruction to fellows (I.e.: psychosocial assessment, conducting family meetings, etc.)
• Recognize and intervene in issues of loss and adaptation along the illness continuum and through bereavement
• Assess bereavement risk
• Provide liaison function between palliative cate team and community hospice and long-term care facilities and other community services as needed
• Participate in formal and informal clinical case reviews and seminars
• Assist community information request specific to palliative care social work
• Attend palliative care service meetings (IDT, Business and Division meetings, Seminars, Grand Rounds, etc.)
• Attend required Social Service Department meetings
• Ability to understand the role of a palliative care social worker in a health care setting and to work independently in a complex, fast-paced environment
• Excellent organizational skills
• Effective communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills enabling effective collaboration and teamwork
• Demonstrates initiative and leadership in developing services that respond to patient care needs

Qualifications

Education

Master's Degree Social Work required

Can this role accept experience in lieu of a degree?
No

Social Worker I:
Clinical experience in medical setting 0-1 year required
Licensed Clinical Social Worker [LCSW - State License] required

Social Worker II:
Clinical Experience in a medical setting 2-3 years required
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker [LICSW - State License] required

Senior Social Worker:
Clinical social work experience 3-5 years required
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker [LICSW - State License] required

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrates a mastery of a range of specialized clinical diagnoses and interventions.
• Conducts clinically competent complex and high-risk assessments, treatment plans and interventions.
• Demonstrates mastery in problem solving abilities, conflict resolution, efficiency, and communication skills.
• Formulates advanced psychosocial assessments and treatment plans.
• Supports other staff in developing assessments and plans in complex cases.
• Demonstrates advanced clinical judgment and innovation in advocating for clients.
• Demonstrates advanced working knowledge of internal and external resources and refers appropriately.
• Demonstrate ability to identify problems in order of urgency and initiate treatment plans towards timely solutions and appropriate time management skills.
• Demonstrates the ability to articulate SW clinical perspective in team meetings, effectively collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to comprehensively problem solve and optimize a plan of care.
• Escalates to Social Work leadership all operational issues and high risk and complex cases.
• May provide clinical supervision based on department need (MSW students and/or social work staff).
• Seeks opportunities in the department and hospital or may be asked by SW leadership to participate in initiatives, projects, quality reviews, and committees and participates in these at an entity and Enterprise level.
• Creates content for skill-based groups.
• Promotes timely and concise collaboration among all disciplines and invested parties to enhance patient care (including but not limited to, Ethics Committee, SDoH Committee, Office of General Counsel, Case Management Department, etc.).

Additional Job Details (if applicable)

Remote Type

Onsite

Work Location

265 Charles Street

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Employee Type

Regular

Work Shift

Day (United States of America)

Pay Range

$68,224.00 - $126,027.20/Annual

Grade

8

EEO Statement

1200 The General Hospital Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. To ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veteran's Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact Human Resources at (857)-282-7642.

Mass General Brigham Competency Framework

At Mass General Brigham, our competency framework defines what effective leadership "looks like" by specifying which behaviors are most critical for successful performance at each job level. The framework is comprised of ten competencies (half People-Focused, half Performance-Focused) and are defined by observable and measurable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace effectiveness and career success. These competencies are used to evaluate performance, make hiring decisions, identify development needs, mobilize employees across our system, and establish a strong talent pipeline.