Social Worker

The Social Worker I provides social work services for patient families throughout the treatment trajectory of a catastrophic or chronic illness diagnosis. Social work services to be provided include psychosocial assessment, counseling, information/referral/case management, pre-admission planning, discharge planning, on-call crisis coverage, social work consultation, facilitation of patient and family groups as well as bereavement follow-up. Additional supervision is provided by the team leader or Director for high acuity cases.

The Social Worker I provides social work services for patient families throughout the treatment trajectory of a catastrophic or chronic illness diagnosis. Social work services to be provided include psychosocial assessment, counseling, information/referral/case management, pre-admission planning, discharge planning, on-call crisis coverage, social work consultation, facilitation of patient and family groups as well as bereavement follow-up. Additional supervision is provided by the team leader or Director for high acuity cases.

Job Responsibilities:

• Completes psychosocial assessment of patient/family at time of diagnosis/start of treatment. Initiates contact with newly diagnosed/admitted patients and families within departmental standards. Assesses relevant social, financial, developmental, religious and cultural needs of patient /family. Addresses patient/family response to diagnosis and treatment of catastrophic and/or chronic illness. Completes the electronic psychosocial assessment within the departmental standards.
• Demonstrates knowledge and skill necessary to provide care appropriate to any age-related needs of the patients served on the assigned unit. Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development for all ages served. Demonstrates the ability to assess and interpret age-specific data about the patient's status. Identifies the patient's age-specific needs. Provides age-appropriate care for all ages served. Services the following age groups: Infants (birth-1 year), Toddler (1-3 years), preschooler (3-5 years), School-age (6-11 years), Adolescent (12-17- years), young adult (age 18 and older).
• Provides social work services for patient families throughout the treatment trajectory in accordance to department objectives, policies and procedures. Activities include: Responds to referral for services within department time standards. Identifies patient/family risk factors, concerns and challenges via interview(s) with patient/family and hospital staff. Through collaboration with patient family, establishes treatment plans which identify unique family needs, family strengths and proactively address potential barriers to treatment. Carries out treatment plans in a timely manner through patient education, discharge planning, counseling, and promotion of family centered care. Mobilizes resources from community, social, health and welfare agencies as needed by patient family. Consults and collaborates with hospital medical team regarding continuity of patient car. Evaluates the outcome of service delivery upon completion of treatment in collaboration with patient/family/multidisciplinary team. Routinely documents service provision, consultation and correspondence in the patient(s) electronic medical record.
• Provides crisis intervention to patient family. Responds to patient and caregiver response to diagnosis, recurrence, end of life, mental health crisis, family violence, etc. Participates in on-call/call back crises as part of the social work on-call after hour's coverage.
• Participates in interdisciplinary Psychosocial Rounds. Verbally presents patient/family social history. Shares in identification of high-risk patients. Contributes to minutes of meeting.
• Provides Case Management Services: Participates in scheduled hospital team meetings, psychosocial and medical rounds as indicated. Participates in patient care, agreement to facilitate care, discharge planning and child abuse interdisciplinary conferences. Assists in educational activities such as posters, seminars, workshops. Assists with research activities and QI initiatives. Assists with the development of patient/family/community education materials that are culturally sensitive and supported by current research. Identifies service areas needing improvement. Meets department standards for completion of statistical entries and electronic documentation, reports, etc. Seeks and maintains awareness of department, division, hospital quality improvement efforts. Contributes to the implementation and evaluation of Department Performance Improvement program by following policy and procedures while striving to improve performance. Documents quality improvement activities as requested. Follows clinical supervision requirements of TN Department of Health's pathway to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, (LCSW) within 3 years of SJ employment. Seeks training and education necessary to maintain social work licensure and to meet annual professional development goals. Participates in hospital, divisional, and department in-service training activities. Maintains an annual record of professional development activities including evaluation of these activities. Annual evaluation of participation in professional development activities in relation to personal.

Minimum Education and/or Training:

• Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum of undergraduate or graduate internship or experience in a medical, mental health, or child services setting; pediatric or child/clinical experience preferred.

Licensure, Registration and/or Certification Required by Law:

• None

Licensure, Registration and/or Certification Required by SJCRH Only:

• Tennessee Licensed Master's Social Work (LMSW) or Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker (LAPSW) through the Tennessee Department of Health is required. For those not yet licensed in Tennessee (or already licensed in another state), the LMSW, LAPSW, or LCSW must be obtained within 6 months of hire. This includes the successful passage of the Association of Social Works Board (ASWB) licensure exam within 3 months of hire.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and talk or hear
• The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus
• The work is performed in a hospital environment
• Occasional exposure to infectious agents, body fluids, secretions or blood products
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
• An essential function of the job is to be able to comply with all applicable federal, state and local safety and health regulations that would apply to the job
• The employee must move about the work space to access work surface and shelves, cabinets, drawers, and equipment that are at, below or above the work surface.
• Nothing in this job description limits management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time as business needs dictate. This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions; it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. The information contained herein is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the job, nor is it intended to be an all-inclusive list of the skills and abilities required to do the job.

Compensation

In recognition of certain U.S. state and municipal pay transparency laws, St. Jude is including a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This is an estimate offered in good faith and a specific salary offer takes into account factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $60,320 - $105,040 per year for the role of Social Worker.

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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has a diverse, global patient population and workforce, built on the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our founder Danny Thomas envisioned a hospital that would treat children of the world-regardless of race, religion or a family's ability to pay. Learn more about our history and commitment.

Today, we continue the mission to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. As we accelerate this progress globally, we believe our legacy of diversity, equity and inclusion is foundational to success. With the commitment of leaders at all levels of the organization, we strive to ensure the St. Jude culture, leadership approaches and talent processes are equitable and culturally responsive. View our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report to learn about the hospital's roots in diversity, equity and inclusion, where we are today and our aspirations for an even better future.

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