Medical Social Worker

Duties:

The Medical Social Worker is responsible for supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of patients at Satellite Healthcare. The Social Worker conducts psychosocial assessments, participates in care planning and team review of the patient's current psychosocial needs and provides management of services to patients to assist them in coping with issues associated with chronic kidney disease and dialysis treatments. The Medical Social Worker will fulfill the Satellite Dialysis Mission Statement: "Making Life Better for Those Living with Kidney Disease”.

Skills:

Evaluates patient's social and emotional status and needs through comprehensive psychosocial assessments following regulatory and professional guidelines. Develops an individualized plan of care for each patient to support goals of care, adjustment to dialysis treatment and lifestyle and communicates this plan of care to the interdisciplinary team (IDT). Provides supportive brief counseling interventions, crisis interventions, and referral to external providers for long-term counseling needs. Possesses or develops knowledge about ESRD/CKD and its treatments, ie. psychosocial implications for individuals and families, appropriate social work interventions, systems of entitlements, community resources and services. Communicates relevant psychosocial information/status to other treatment providers to ensure ongoing care when patients transfer to another facility/modality or require concurrent care/evaluation from outside agencies, hospitals, clinics, etc. Participates actively in Interdisciplinary Team activities, including patient care conferences, QAPI meetings/projects, physician clinics, and home visits. Develops and facilitates support groups or psychoeducation meetings for patients as appropriate. Maintains social work-related documentation in the medical record (SPIN). Provides social/emotional/behavioral related in-service education for center staff as appropriate/requested.

Education:

Master's degree

Skills Required:

DOCUMENTATION

PATIENT CARE

COPING

DIALYSIS

Additional

Minimum Degree Required:        Master's Degree