Medical Social Worker/Licensed Professional Counselor

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education; Jermyn (Lackawanna County); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education is seeking a Medical Social Worker/Licensed Professional Counselor to help patients navigate social, emotional, and practical barriers affecting health in an FQHC setting.

You will conduct psychosocial assessments, provide counseling, coordinate referrals, and advocate for access to services, while collaborating with a broad healthcare team to develop patient-centered care plans.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Work or Counseling is required.
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) is required.
• Must possess valid PA driver’s license.
• Current BLS Certification or willing to obtain upon hire.
• 5 years of experience as LCSW or LPC in healthcare, community health, behavioral health, case management, or a related field preferred.
• Knowledge of community resources, public assistance programs, and social service systems.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds.

Responsibilities

• Conduct psychosocial assessments to identify patient needs, strengths, and barriers to care.
• Provide supportive counseling, short‑term counseling, crisis intervention, and emotional support to patients and families.
• Assist patients with accessing community resources related to housing assistance, food insecurity, transportation services, insurance coverage, financial assistance, employment, behavioral health treatment, substance use treatment, and other social services.
• Facilitate and coordinate referrals to internal and external providers, community agencies, and specialty programs.
• Collaborate with primary care providers, behavioral health clinicians, dental and specialty providers, care managers, and other healthcare team members.
• Support care transitions, including hospital discharge planning, follow‑up coordination, and appointment scheduling.
• Advocate for patients and families to ensure access to appropriate services, resources, and benefits.
• Assist with screenings and interventions related to social determinants of health.
• Stay informed of available community resources and develop collaborative relationships with local service providers.
• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings, case reviews, care coordination activities, and quality improvement initiatives.

Skills

Crisis intervention

Counseling skills

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Master's degree in Social Work or Counseling

Tools

EOS People Analyzer Tool

Job description

Position Summary

The Medical Social Worker/Licensed Professional Counselor is responsible for helping patients navigate the social, emotional, economic, and practical challenges that impact their health. In a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) setting, this role supports individuals and families experiencing barriers to care, including financial hardship, housing instability, transportation issues, food insecurity, behavioral health concerns, difficulty accessing healthcare and social service systems, and other factors affecting their overall well-being.

Job Type: Full-time

Reporting Relationships

This position reports to the Director, Behavioral Health Integration, Case Management, and Social Services.

Essential Job Duties And Functions

• Conduct psychosocial assessments to identify patient needs, strengths, and barriers to care.
• Provide supportive counseling, short‑term counseling, crisis intervention, and emotional support to patients and families experiencing emotional, behavioral, or social challenges.
• Assist patients with accessing community resources related to housing assistance, food insecurity, transportation services, insurance coverage, financial assistance, employment, behavioral health treatment, substance use treatment, specialty programs, and other social
• Facilitate and coordinate referrals to internal and external providers, community agencies, and specialty programs to ensure patients receive appropriate services and support.
• Collaborate with primary care providers, behavioral health clinicians, dental and specialty providers, care managers, and other members of the healthcare team to develop comprehensive, patient-centered care plans.
• Support care transitions, including hospital discharge planning, follow‑up coordination, and appointment scheduling as appropriate.
• Advocate for patients and families to ensure access to appropriate services, resources, and benefits.
• Assist with screenings and interventions related to social determinants of health.
• Stay informed of available community resources and develop collaborative relationships with local service providers.
• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings, case reviews, care coordination activities, and quality improvement initiatives and other organizational projects as assigned.
• Assist with outreach efforts and patient engagement activities as needed.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation in the electronic health record.

Requirements

• Meet The Wright Center for Community Health and its affiliated entity The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education EOS© People Analyzer Tool
• Buy in and experience working in the EOS® model (strongly preferred)
• Mission-oriented; represents the enterprise in a professional manner while demonstrating organizational pride
• Master’s degree in Social Work or Counseling required
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) required
• Must possess valid PA driver’s license
• Current BLS Certification or willing to obtain upon hire
• 5 years of experience as LCSW or LPC in healthcare, community health, behavioral health, case management, or a related field preferred
• Knowledge of community resources, public assistance programs, and social service systems
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds