Medical Social Worker

Advocate Health; Park Ridge (IL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocate Health in Park Ridge, IL seeks a skilled Social Worker for hospital discharge planning. The role focuses on assessing patient needs, coordinating care with physicians and care teams, and arranging post-discharge resources while maintaining clear medical records.

Responsibilities include counseling families, providing education, and ensuring timely, safe discharges in alignment with NASW ethics and hospital policy. Full-time, 40 hours/week.

Qualifications

• MSW from an accredited school of Social Work.
• Licensed Social Worker (LSW/LSW-C) in good standing.
• Experience in hospital discharge planning and CMS/NASW guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Discharge planning for hospital inpatients.
• Assess patients for discharge planning needs and document findings.
• Collaborate with physicians, case managers, PT, nursing and other staff to plan post-discharge care.
• Coordinate with referral sources to arrange community resources and timely discharges.
• Prepare and maintain documentation of assessments and plans in the medical record.
• Provide counseling and education to patients and families; address crisis situations when indicated.

Skills

Discharge planning

Counseling

Documentation

Collaboration

Education

MSW (Licensed Social Worker)

Job description

Department:

11202 Advocate Lutheran General Hospital - Administration: Care Management

Status:

Full time

Benefits Eligible:

Yes

Hours Per Week:

40

Schedule Details/Additional Information:

Monday - Friday 8:00AM - 4:30PM with rotating weekends and holidays.

Pay Range:

$30.70 - $46.05

Major Responsibilities:

Discharge planning for hospital inpatients

• Assess patients for discharge planning needs.
• Complete initial evaluation and place in medical record according to department policy.
• Collaborate with Physicians and other hospital disciplines to proactively develop plans for continued care after discharge.
• Collaborate and coordinate with Physicians, HMO, PPO, Case Managers, Physical Therapy, Nursing and other personnel regarding discharge needs.
• Develop and update the discharge plan and document the plan in the medical record according to departmental policy.
• Act as community liaison to arrange resources and enhance safe and timely discharges.
• Organize and attend patient care conferences to further identify each patient’s potential discharge needs.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with all referral sources.

Provision of counseling services to patients and families:

• Utilize crisis intervention techniques when indicated.
• Evaluate patient/family support systems, financial support, lifestyles for patients and/or families.
• Provide adjustment counseling with emphasis on education/support.
• Provide information regarding community resources for ongoing counseling services.
• Provide age specific appropriate assessment and counseling for patients and family support systems.

Timely and complete documentation to meet licensure and third party payor requirements:

• Documentation of assessment and/or plan entered in the medical record adhereing to hospital policy.
• Documentation reflects accurate psychosocial assessment, case progress, and plan of action

Provision of inservices to assigned units and attendance of educational seminars as appropriate:

• Continuing education is a professional responsibility
• Continuing education units (CEU’s) required for licensure will be completed and documented within NASW timeframes.
• Conducts inservices on assigned units as indicated and appropriate
• Conducts support groups as assigned
• Provides patient, family, significant other education as needs are identified.

Preparation of statistical records:

• Conducts monthly audits and enters data as per department policy.

Functions as a member of the care management team:

• Attends patient care conferences and multi-disciplinary team conferences.
• Keeps staff informed of Social Work progress on open cases and notifies appropriate personnel of updates and changes.
• Collaborates with members of the health care team as indicated
• Evaluates the patient/family’s psychosocial needs in relation to the medical situation.
• Continuously collaborates with the assigned case manager.
• Prioritizes referrals.

Contributes to Continuous Process Improvement activities:

• Offers innovative ideas to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the department.
• Collects data as requested by department head.

Licensure: Social Worker, Clinical Education/Experience Required: MSW from accredited school of Social Work and field experience within a hospital setting. The candidate must recognize age specific needs and behaviors. Must adhere to NASW code of ethics and standards. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: Demonstrates competence in counseling and discharge planning. MSW (Licensed Social Worker Masters) from accredited school of Social Work and field experience.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: N/A If position has direct patient care or direct patient contact the following lifting requirement supersedes any previous lifting requirement effective 06/01/2015. Ability to lift up to 35 pounds without assistance. For patient lifts of over 35 pounds, or when patient is unable to assist with the lift, patient handling equipment is expected to be used, with at least one other associate, when available. Unique patient lifting/movement situations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.

Our CommitmenttoYou:

Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:

Compensation

• Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
• Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate’s job
• Incentive pay for select positions
• Opportunity for annual increases based on performance

Benefits and more

• Paid Time Off programs
• Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
• Educational Assistance Program

Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview.

About Advocate Health

Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.