Social Worker, Transplant, Per Diem, 1st shift, Camden

Virtua Health; Cherry Hill Township (NJ); On-site; USD 71,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Virtua Health in New Jersey seeks a Social Worker to provide ongoing psychosocial support and navigation for patients with advanced organ disease, transplant candidates and recipients, and living donors. The role spans inpatient and outpatient settings, collaborating with the multidisciplinary care team and ensuring regulatory documentation.

Heavy emphasis on counseling, crisis intervention, and resource coordination.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) and NJ LCSW license.
• Two to three years of transplant/advanced organ disease experience.
• New Jersey State Social Worker License required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct psychosocial assessments in inpatient and outpatient settings with attention to patient needs, family dynamics, social histories and financial needs.
• Communicate psychosocial data to transplant and advanced organ disease teams and referral sources.
• Provide counseling and coordinate with psychiatry/behavioral health teams as needed.
• Develop inpatient/community programs, support groups and community outreach.
• Maintain documentation of psychosocial assessments and follow referrals to behavioral health and social work resources.
• Assist with advanced care planning and facilitate palliative care or hospice consults.
• Advocate for patients and families throughout the continuum of care.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Problem solving

Conflict management

Organization

Planning

Education

Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW)

Job description

Schedule

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 8 hour days, as needed.

Schedule

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 8 hour days, as needed.

Job Summary

Provides ongoing psychosocial support and navigation services to patients with advanced organ disease, transplant candidates and recipients, mechanical circulatory support candidates and recipients, living donors and caregivers throughout all phases of care. This role spans inpatient and outpatient care settings where the Social Worker collaborates closely with the multidisciplinary care team, ensuring compliance with regulatory documentation standards and is available after hours as needed for emergent evaluations and candidate selection meetings. The Social Worker also provides counseling, crisis interventions, referral to community agencies, education, bio-ethics consultation and complex discharge planning coordination. Works with patients, families and caregivers in a compassionate, culturally competent, age-appropriate manner to facilitate access to transplantation and advanced care services. The Social Worker will participate in multidisciplinary rounds, multidisciplinary selection meetings, as well as outreach initiatives designed to enhance patient and community education about transplantation and advanced care disease services.

Position Responsibilities

• Uses culturally competent skills to conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments in both inpatient and outpatient setting addressing patient needs, family dynamics, social histories, and financial needs. Interviews family members and others to obtain relevant information required to develop an individualized care plan based on psychosocial assessment, including age and other factors, throughout all phase of care.
• Communicates pertinent psychosocial data to the transplant and advanced organ disease teams and referral sources.
• Provides supportive counseling in collaboration with patients and families as needed through all phases of care and collaborates and refers to the psychiatry or behavioral health team as needed for additional guidance and support.
• Participate in and develop inpatient and community programs that benefit patients, families, and staff. Implements support groups for specified disease processes or biopsychosocial issues to assist community outreach and development.
• Maintains appropriate and complete documentation of the psychosocial assessment in the inpatient and outpatient setting appropriate interventions, plans, and referrals. Follows up on all referrals from the provider for behavioral health, /psychiatry, substance use disorder treatment, end of life supportive care and other biopsychosocial needs. Make appropriate referrals with respect to patient, family, and transitional needs. Provides education on available resources and strategies for utilizing or gaining access to resources.
• Assist patients with advanced care planning and collaborate with teams to facilitate palliative care or hospice consults as clinically indicated.
• Acts as an advocate for patients and families throughout the continuum of care.

Caseload Management And Care Coordination

• Maintain a cumulative caseload of patients, providing indefinite support unless a patient relocates or expires. Continually assess and identify the need for emotional support due to illness, financial assistance, medication assistance, lodging and other community resources.
• Manage follow-up for each patient, offering continuous check-ins to monitor psychosocial needs and updating care plans accordingly.
• Prioritize and balance the psychosocial needs of all patients based on the acuity and complex needs of the patients in collaboration with the clinical teams.
• Regularly update the team on patient progress and address any new changes that arise across the care continuum.

Navigation And Coordination Of Outpatient And Inpatient Services

• Primary point of contact for patients and families, coordinating resources across the inpatient and outpatient setting and supporting through the phases of care.
• Participates in multidisciplinary team meetings such as case discussions, discharge rounds and chart review, to formulate discharge plans for patients.
• Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary team members, including physicians, nurses, coordinators, dietitians, pharmacists, financial coordinators in the inpatient and outpatient setting.
• Coordinate follow-up appointments, home health referrals and other outpatient resources to ensure ongoing access to the necessary support.
• Develop comprehensive discharge plans in collaboration with the clinicians, interdisciplinary care team and outcomes managers to ensure they are connected to outpatient and community follow up and resources.
• For outpatients, provide guidance through transplant and mechanical circulatory support evaluations, selection processes, including medication, financial and housing support needed for post procedure recovery.

Education And Support Across The Inpatient And Outpatient Setting

• Educates patients and families on essential aspects of transplant and advanced organ disease management.
• Provides or assists with in-service education and orientation of new and existing staff.
• Participates in conducting clinical research on important psychosocial aspects of transplantation, living donation and advanced organ disease. Works towards publication and/or presentation of research at local and national social work and transplant related meetings.
• Offers workshops, group sessions, and individual counseling to help patients and care givers to adapt to quality-of-life changes.
• Facilitate support groups to provide a space for shared experiences and coping strategies.

Documentation And Compliance With Regulatory Requirements

• Document all patients’ assessments, encounters, interventions, and care plans in compliance with hospital policies and state and federal governing bodies.
• Ensure all documentation meets the standards set by applicable regulatory bodies.
• Track and report psychosocial indicators as required for compliance, quality assurance and performance improvement.

Position Qualifications Required

Required Experience

• Two - three years of experience in healthcare with a focus on transplant, chronic illness or advanced organ disease in the inpatient and outpatient setting.
• Strong understanding of the complex and ongoing needs of transplant and advanced organ disease patients.
• Proficient in care navigation, crisis intervention, discharge planning and managing cumulative caseloads.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, problem solving, conflict management, organization, and planning skills.
• Demonstrated competence in providing clinical social work services including psychosocial counseling for supporting patients and families in high stress situations.
• Ability to understand medical terminology, diagnostic criteria, with the ability to communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds.

Required Education

Minimum education of Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW), from an accredited school of social work.

Training / Certification / Licensure

Current valid New Jersey State Social Worker License. LCSW required.

Valid driver's license may be required.

Salary:

$70,935 - $110,268 Yearly

Benefits:

Virtua offers a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time colleagues, including, but not limited to: medical/prescription, dental and vision insurance; health and dependent care flexible spending accounts; 403(b) (401(k) subject to collective bargaining agreement); paid time off, paid sick leave as provided under state and local paid sick leave laws, short-term disability and optional long-term disability, colleague and dependent life insurance and supplemental life and AD&D insurance; tuition assistance, and an employee assistance program that includes free counseling sessions. Eligibility for benefits is governed by the applicable plan documents and policies.