Medical Social Worker/Licensed Professional Counselor

The Wright Center; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Wright Center is seeking a Medical Social Worker/Licensed Professional Counselor to help patients navigate social, emotional, and practical barriers to care. This role works within an integrated healthcare team in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) setting.

You will provide counseling, crisis intervention, and resource coordination with a focus on diverse populations and coordinated care plans across primary, behavioral health, and specialty services.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Work or Counseling is required.
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) is required.
• Valid PA driver’s license is required.
• 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 related field is preferred.
• Knowledge of community resources and social service systems; ability to work with diverse populations.

Responsibilities

• Conduct psychosocial assessments to identify patient needs, strengths, and barriers to care.
• Provide supportive and crisis counseling to patients and families.
• Facilitate access to housing, food, transportation, and other social resources.
• Coordinate referrals to internal/external providers and community programs.
• Collaborate with the care team to develop patient-centered care plans and support transitions.

Skills

Counseling

Crisis intervention

Care coordination

Community resource navigation

Education

Master’s degree in Social Work or Counseling

Tools

EOS© People Analyzer Tool

Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Job description

Description

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.

As a member of an integrated healthcare team, the Medical Social Worker/Licensed Professional Counselor works closely with medical providers, behavioral health staff, care managers, case managers, and community organizations to deliver coordinated, patient-centered care. This position assists patients with accessing community resources, addressing barriers to care, providing short-term counseling, crisis intervention, and care coordination, and ensuring patients receive the support and services they need. Serving a diverse patient population, the Medical Social Worker/Licensed Professional Counselor supports the mission of providing accessible, high-quality healthcare to all individuals regardless of their ability to pay.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

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

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS

While living and demonstrating our Core Values, the Medical Social Worker/Licensed Professional Counselor will:

• 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 needs.
• 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.