Director, Pediatric Social Work

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center: Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of diverse individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health recognizes that diversity is essential for excellence and innovation. We are committed to an inclusive environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your diversity of culture, thinking, learning, and leading is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization: MCJCHV Administration 10

Job Summary: Responsible for leading, developing, and directing a comprehensive social work program designed to meet the needs of patients and their families. Responsible for overall program development and direction including establishment of goals, policies, procedures and budget accountability. Represents the social work program in the community and ensures working relationships among community agencies and organizations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop work goals for the Social Worker staff consistent with institutional and departmental goals and policy.
• Lead, develop, and direct a comprehensive social work program designed to assess and treat the psychosocial needs of patients and their families.
• Plan scope and emphasis of social services program for inpatient and outpatient services.
• Oversee day to day operations and administration of the Clinical Social Work Program and community based assessment programs, including development and management of budgeting and financial resources.
• Participate in strategic planning and public policy development for Social Work related programs.
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, JCAHO and other applicable regulatory standards and practices.
• Analyze long-range impact of decisions and plans including reviewing trending data of readmission, denial reporting for strategic planning, and dashboard data.
• Ensure the most effective use of Social Work interventions through program development, process improvement and coordination of processes across functions.
• Ensure smooth coordination of care by providing cross covering services for enhanced customer service.
• Standardize services, processes, resources, and practice to improve efficiency.
• Adjust work schedules or project priorities to meet emergencies or changing conditions.
• Analyze and evaluate ongoing department programs to identify areas where adjustment/improvements are needed.
• Participate in periodic management meetings to keep top management informed of problems and concerns.
• Collaborate with a multitude of departments on a variety of new programs to ensure consistency of practice specifically with Case Management and Bed Management.
• Define and achieve budgeted financial targets, consistent with the departmental financial plan.
• Prepare an annual operating budget for the Social Work Department including direct labor and other expenses.
• Present and provide justification of budget for Senior Leadership Review.
• Frequently prepare ad hoc financial and budget reports.
• Closely monitor revenues and expenditures for all salary expenditures for Social Work and resolve all discrepancies.
• Exercise judgment and prepare supporting or correcting documentation as deemed appropriate.
• Develop and manage budget independently by utilizing all tools provided by the Department of Finance.
• Project future budgets based upon analysis of current and projected operations.
• Identify trends which impact avoidable days and readmissions.
• Implement/oversight of process to manage outlier patients.
• Exceed defined service standards for Social Work Departments.
• Ensure that the service standards established for the Social Work Department are met or exceeded.
• Evaluate employees to ensure all staff are meeting or exceeding competency standards.
• Use patient/customer satisfaction data to improve systems, processes, and outcomes.
• Participate on Elevate and hospital committees to ensure a continued focus of exceeding service goals.
• Ensure a safe, satisfying and enriching environment for employees and provides a qualified, competent staff.
• Define the qualifications and performance expectations for all staff positions through the Performance Development system, including department specific job descriptions, and measurable performance standards.
• Ensure that staff qualifications are consistent with job responsibilities. Verify for each employee or contracted personnel that, where relevant, education and training are consistent with applicable legal and regulatory requirements and hospital policy, that the individual is licensed, certified or registered, and that the individual's knowledge and experience are appropriate for the job assignment.
• Create an environment that encourages and supports self-development and learning for all staff through regular feedback, by assuring the development of staff through orientation, training programs, work experiences and assessing competencies by meeting the performance expectations stated in his or her job description in a timely manner (normally annually).
• Develop and ensure staff retention goals are being met and encourage an environment of growth for staff members.
• Identify, establish, and evaluate quality assurance standards, programs, and procedures within each department.
• Lead efforts to ensure regular QA compliance monitoring which will result in education of staff and development of performance improvement goals.
• Ensure compliance with current laws, regulations and standards, addressing issues prior to due dates or within short time frames if unexpected changes are posted by outside agencies.
• Establish and evaluate standards of performance to ensure safe, effective, and efficient operation of the departments.

Minimum Requirements:

• LCSW
• Five years of relevant work experience

Preferred:

• Project management
• Visitor management experience
• Behavioral Health Program development
• Leadership experience, 3-5 years
• Pediatric Medical Social Work environment experience
• Business/Public Health Education a plus

Technical Capabilities:

Allied health is among the fastest growing occupations in healthcare today. This area can be defined as credentialed professionals who perform supportive, diagnostic, and therapeutic health care services to promote health and prevent disease in a variety of settings.

These areas are crucial to Vanderbilt Health’s reputation for excellence in these areas that has made us a major center for patient referrals from throughout the Mid-South.

Each year, people throughout Tennessee and the southeast choose Vanderbilt Health for their health care because of our leadership in medical science and our dedication to treating patients with dignity and compassion.

Core Accountabilities:

• Organizational Impact: Implements strategies for a sub function with direct impact to the function results.
• Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Resolves highly complex business issues that are often unprecedented that have immediate impact on own sub-function or entity and wider implications to the organization.
• Breadth of Knowledge: Applies expertise within professional/technical area and uses advanced business knowledge to develop objectives.
• Team Interaction: Leads a sub-function serving the organization at large or across one or more entity(s).

Core Capabilities:

• Supporting Colleagues: Develops Self and Others, Builds and Maintains Relationships, Communicates Effectively.
• Delivering Excellent Services: Serves Others with Compassion, Solves Complex Problems, Offers Meaningful Advice and Support.
• Ensuring High Quality: Performs Excellent Work, Ensures Continuous Improvement, Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements.
• Managing Resources Effectively: Demonstrates Accountability, Stewards Organizational Resources, Makes Data Driven Decisions.
• Fostering Innovation: Generates New Ideas, Applies Technology, Adapts to Change.

Position Qualifications:

Certifications:

• LIC-Licensed Master of Social Work - Tennessee

Work Experience:

• Relevant Work Experience: 5 years

Education:

• Master's

Vanderbilt Health recognizes that diversity is essential for excellence and innovation. We are committed to an inclusive environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and to the principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. EOE/AA/Women/Minority/Vets/Disabled