PD Social Worker

RWJBarnabas Health; Rahway (NJ); On-site; USD 56,000 - 79,000; Full time

Job summary

RWJBarnabas Health seeks a Per Diem Social Worker to join the Case Management team at RWJUH Rahway Hospital. The role emphasizes clinical assessments, crisis intervention, resource coordination, and discharge planning for adult and geriatric patients.

You will collaborate with physicians and a multidisciplinary team to support families, ensure smooth transitions, and maintain diligent EMR documentation. MSW and active licensure are required, with 2–3 years of hospital social work experience

Qualifications

• MSW degree required from CSWE-accredited program.
• Active LSW or LCSW licensure in good standing required.
• 2–3 years hospital/healthcare social work experience preferred.
• Proficiency with EMR and standard office software required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments and initial social work evaluations in the EMR.
• Provide direct clinical counseling and crisis intervention to patients and families.
• Coordinate discharge planning and multi-agency referrals for adult and geriatric patients.
• Collaborate with Case Management, physicians, and multidisciplinary teams to address bio-psychosocial needs.
• Maintain accurate and compliant documentation of interventions and outcomes.
• Provide supervision or mentorship to staff or students as needed.

Skills

EMR proficiency

Office software proficiency

Interpersonal skills

Education

Master of Social Work (MSW)

Tools

EMR platforms

Job description

PD Social Worker

Job Title: PD Social Worker

Location: RWJUH Rahway Hospital

Department Name: Case Management

Req #: 0000260647

Status: Hourly

Shift: Day

Pay Range: $49.34 - $49.34 per hour

Pay Transparency:

The above reflects the anticipated hourly wage range for this position if hired to work in New Jersey.

The compensation offered to the candidate selected for the position will depend on several factors, including the candidate's educational background, skills and professional experience.

Job Title: Per Diem Social Worker

Our Social Workers work collaboratively to promote optimal development, navigate complex healthcare landscapes, and prevent psychological trauma in hospitalized patients and their families. By providing comprehensive clinical assessments, crisis intervention, and strategic resource coordination, our specialists proactively engage our adult and geriatric patient populations to provide structure, advocacy, connection, and support. We view our social workers as a critical component of the interdisciplinary care plan and recognize the incredibly positive impact they have on the healing journeys and overall healthcare outcomes of our patients. We hope you are excited by the opportunity to deliver clinical care in a way that redefines the patient experience through teamwork, compassion, and excellence within the RWJBarnabas Health network!

As a Per Diem Social Worker within our case management infrastructure, a typical day might include the following:

• Completing comprehensive initial social work evaluations and psychosocial assessments in the electronic medical record (EMR) to accurately identify social determinants of health.


• Providing direct clinical counseling and crisis intervention to patients and families navigating acute illness, hospitalization adjustments, and short- or long-term recovery goals.


• Conducting daily rounding on designated medical units and collaborating with the Emergency Department to deliver robust information, triage, and outpatient referral workflows.


• Partnering fluidly with Case Managers, physicians, and the multidisciplinary team to interpret complex bio-psychosocial needs and coordinate patient care plans during team meetings.


• Engineering and executing detailed discharge plans, multi-agency referral pathways, and specialized transportation logistics for adult and geriatric patient populations.


• Facilitating individual or family care conferences and providing essential community linkage for external resources, insurance coverage education, Advance Directives, and POLST information.


• Executing critical clinical screening protocols, including Level 1 PASRR screens, EARC-PAS assessments, and actively monitoring for indicators of patient abuse or neglect.


• Maintaining precise, ongoing, and compliant electronic documentation of all social work interventions, data collection, and quality monitoring activity.


• Providing professional clinical supervision, orientation training, and mentorship to incoming staff, social work students, or community youth program participants as required.

This Role Might Be For You If:

• You are deeply passionate about creating and delivering a highly differentiated, supportive healthcare experience for adult and geriatric populations navigating medical milestones.


• You excel under pressure, maintain an exceptional professional demeanor, and stay current on acute crisis intervention, cultural competency, and patient advocacy practices.


• You set a high bar for yourself and others to maintain a safe, welcoming, and highly organized therapeutic environment for patients and their families.


• You recognize and respect the direct impact you have on a patient's daily healing journey and how their support networks engage in the treatment plan.


• You are highly adaptable, cross-trained to adjust to various hospital units, and meet all physical and baseline administrative standards required of an office and clinical setting.

To be considered for this opportunity, you must meet the following criteria:

• Education: Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from an accredited program recognized by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is required.


• Licensure: Active state licensure as a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in good standing is required.


• Experience: A minimum of two to three (2-3) years of full-time clinical Social Work experience within a hospital, healthcare, or related medical care setting is required.


• Core Skills: Demonstrated proficiency with electronic medical record platforms (EMR), automated office software tracks, and building strong relationships across diverse population demographics.

RWJBarnabas Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer