Social Worker (MSW) | Oncology

UPMC; Williamsport (Lycoming County); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is seeking a compassionate MSW to join our oncology team serving patients across Williamsport, Wellsboro, and Coudersport offices. You will provide emotional support, counseling, resource coordination, and advocacy for patients and families throughout their cancer journey.

You will work with a multidisciplinary care team to address social, emotional, financial, and practical challenges associated with cancer care.

Qualifications

• Counseling and psychosocial support skills.
• Knowledge of community resources and payer systems.
• Ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrates expertise in accessing social systems by providing resource-specific information to patients and families, initiating contact with appropriate resources and facilitating the patient / family's ability to accept referrals.
• Maintain extensive knowledge of federal, state and local assistance programs and community resources that affect patient needs.
• Acts as a mentor to social work students and/or serves as a field instructor to MSW students.
• Successfully utilize therapeutic counseling methods such as crisis intervention, psychosocial support, brief goal-directed therapy, CISM and/or other appropriate therapeutic methods that may be appropriate to the clinical situation.
• Provides accurate, timely and appropriate documentation of all social work interventions in the medical record per regulatory policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate a knowledge of reimbursement systems, the ability to educate patients and families regarding payer requirements / coverage for post-acute care services and the ability to effectively advocate on behalf of the patient to obtain authorizations for continued care as appropriate.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify, assess, counsel and effectively intervene with medically and psychosocially complex patients with the ability to understand complex dynamics related to the clinical situation.
• Continue to monitor and evaluate the plan of care, options and available services throughout the hospital stay to effectively meet the patient and family's need. Reassess the plan of care as status changes or at a minimum of every 3 days.
• Demonstrate appropriate professional practice, maintaining respect for confidentiality and freedom of choice as outlined by the Code of Ethics by the National Association of Social Workers as well as the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors.
• Collaborate effectively with the healthcare team, patients and families and relevant community resources to develop and implement and individualized plan of care.
• Educate and advocate for patients and families to enhance their ability to make informed decisions regarding medical care, discharge planning, advance directives and end of life care including actively participating in the guardianship process when appropriate.
• Complete a psychosocial assessment that includes social, economic, cultural, age-related and behavioral factors, history of child, elder or domestic abuse, prior psychiatric or substance abuse treatment, family and social support systems and all other available resources as appropriate to the clinical situation.

Skills

Counseling

Resource coordination

Advocacy

Mentoring MSW students

Education

MSW (Master of Social Work)

Job description

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is seeking a compassionate and experienced Social Worker (MSW) to join our oncology team serving patients across our Williamsport, Wellsboro, and Coudersport medical and radiation oncology offices.

In this rewarding role, you will provide emotional support, counseling, resource coordination, and advocacy for patients and their caregivers throughout their cancer journey. You'll work closely with a multidisciplinary care team to help address the social, emotional, financial, and practical challenges that can accompany a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

This position offers a Monday through Friday schedule from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with no weekends, holidays, or on-call responsibilities, allowing you to maintain a healthy work-life balance while making a difference every day.

Your home base will be Williamsport, with travel to Coudersport and Wellsboro as needed to support patients requiring in-person services. Many patient needs can be managed virtually, and the role offers occasional opportunities for remote work when appropriate.

We’re looking for a social worker who is passionate about patient-centered care and thrives in a collaborative healthcare environment. Previous oncology or hospital-based social work experience is strongly preferred.

Join UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and help bring hope, guidance, and compassionate care to the patients and communities we serve.

Responsibilities:

• Demonstrates expertise in accessing social systems by providing resource-specific information to patients and families, initiating contact with appropriate resources and facilitating the patient / family's ability to accept referrals.
• Maintain extensive knowledge of federal, state and local assistance programs and community resources that affect patient needs.
• Acts as a mentor to social work students and/or serves as a field instructor to MSW students.
• Successfully utilize therapeutic counseling methods such as crisis intervention, psychosocial support, brief goal-directed therapy, CISM and/or other appropriate therapeutic methods that may be appropriate to the clinical situation.
• Provides accurate, timely and appropriate documentation of all social work interventions in the medical record per regulatory policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate a knowledge of reimbursement systems, the ability to educate patients and families regarding payer requirements / coverage for post-acute care services and the ability to effectively advocate on behalf of the patient to obtain authorizations for continued care as appropriate.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify, assess, counsel and effectively intervene with medically and psychosocially complex patients with the ability to understand complex dynamics related to the clinical situation.
• Continue to monitor and evaluate the plan of care, options and available services throughout the hospital stay to effectively meet the patient and family's need. Reassess the plan of care as status changes or at a minimum of every 3 days.
• Demonstrate appropriate professional practice, maintaining respect for confidentiality and freedom of choice as outlined by the Code of Ethics by the National Association of Social Workers as well as the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors.
• Collaborate effectively with the healthcare team, patients and families and relevant community resources to develop and implement and individualized plan of care.
• Educate and advocate for patients and families to enhance their ability to make informed decisions regarding medical care, discharge planning, advance directives and end of life care including actively participating in the guardianship process when appropriate.
• Complete a psychosocial assessment that includes social, economic, cultural, age-related and behavioral factors, history of child, elder or domestic abuse, prior psychiatric or substance abuse treatment, family and social support systems and all other available resources as appropriate to the clinical situation.