Demonstrates knowledge of and complies with all hospital and department policies.

Demonstrates an awareness of responsibility and accountability for own actions and assigned responsibilities.

Demonstrates ability to work with minimal supervision.

Demonstrates consistent ability to listen effectively.

Uses resources constructively and time productively.

Establishes and updates resource files as needed.

Prioritizes cases appropriately and demonstrates ability to prioritize multiple cases appropriately to meet patient needs, emergencies and departmental needs and deadlines.

Able to handle multiple interruptions and distractions due to volume of work, details and deadlines.

Demonstrates ability to perform effectively in emergency situations following established protocols, informing appropriate persons, and documenting events as required.

Demonstrates the knowledge and ability to assess patients’ psychosocial status and needs.

Promotes patient and family involvement in all aspects of their care.

Demonstrates ability to provide information as needed to patients regarding Advance Directives.

Demonstrates ability to verify Advance Directives and to ensure that the patient's wishes are recorded in the medical record in the event that the Advance Directive is not immediately available.

Serves as a social work informational resource for other members of the healthcare team.

Assists the healthcare team in developing and maintaining structures to ensure patient and family involvement in care.

Aids the healthcare team, the patient, and the patient’s family to understand the social, economic, and emotional factors that affect the patient’s illness, treatment, and recovery.

Assists the healthcare team in understanding and meeting the needs of the dying patient and family members.

Communicates pertinent patient information, both in writing and verbally, to appropriate members of the healthcare team in a timely manner (as prescribed by policy).

Medical Record entries include date, time and signature and name, relationship to patient, and telephone number (if applicable) on all contacts.

Maintains accurate, complete, and timely social service records including patient assessment, care, response, planning.

Informs other members of the healthcare team the patient plan of action so they can reinforce, support and be a part of the plan as indicated.

Provides assistance to other Social Workers/Case Managers as needed.  Assumes the duties of the other Social Worker as needed.

Actively participates by presenting suggestions, problems, and concerns relevant to overall improvement of services.

Participates in hospital-sponsored social service educational activities with the hospital staff and members of the outside community.

Refers possible quality of care, risk management, or utilization management problems promptly and appropriately.  Communicates with superiors regarding situations that differ from the usual.

Evaluates the effectiveness of the social work program on an ongoing basis, identifies opportunities for improvement and implements processes to improve the program.

Ensures that an assessment and reassessment, as indicated, of psychological, social, environmental, and financial impact of illness on all patient referrals and on those identified as having a potential need is conducted in a timely manner (as prescribed by policy) to determine the patient’s and family’s capabilities in relation to the patient’s anticipated needs.

Consistently looks beyond the identified reason for referral to assess physical or emotional needs that may impact planning.

Contributes to the multidisciplinary plan of care as indicated according to the needs of the patient/family.

Ensures that visits, including problem identification, plan of action and resolution are documented appropriately and in a timely manner (as prescribed by policy).

Documents all patient/family education provided on the Education Record.

Ensures that social service attends care conferences as indicated  to provide social information/input to the primary nurse and the health care team.

Demonstrates the ability to effectively assist patients with pharmaceutical subsidies as indicated

Ensures that all regulatory requirements for social services in home health and hospice are met.

Ensures that the social work needs of Home Health and Hospice patients and their families are met.

Ensures that a care plan is developed according to the patient/family needs and contributes to the multidisciplinary plan of care as indicated according to the needs of the patient/family.

Ensures that social service attends weekly care conference to provide social information/input to the primary nurse and the health care team.

Ensures that initial home visits are conducted in a timely manner.

Ensures that follow-up home visits are conducted in a timely manner. 

Ensures that home visits, including problem identification, plan of action and resolution are documented appropriately and in a timely manner.

Documents all patient/family education provided in the Clinical Record.

Ensures that patients with inadequate food and/or medical supplies are identified and appropriate assistance is provided.

Ensures that patients at high risk for suicide are identified and appropriate actions are implemented.

Ensures that patients at risk for being physically or mentally abused and/or neglected are identified and appropriate actions taken.

Ensures that hospitalized hospice patients needs are met and continuity of care is provided.

Ensures that Home Health or Hospice patients are provided counseling and/or assistance with applications/paperwork required for various forms of assistance.

Ensures that hospice bereavement is provided.

Ensures that assistance is provided as needed to bereavement and other support groups.

Ensures participation in Hospice IDT meetings.

Ensures that assistance is provided with training of Hospice Volunteers as needed.

Demonstrates the ability to effectively manage the Targeted Case Management Program.

Ensures that the patient is appropriately assessed for the need for long-term care.

Ensures that home and/or family situations are effectively evaluated for safety.

Ensures that home and/or family situations are effectively evaluated for the need for community resources.

Ensures that appropriately counseling and assistance is provided when out-of-home placement is indicated.

Ensures that goal-oriented interventions are directed toward management of a terminal illness.

Assists with strengthening the family support system.

Assists with resolution of conflict related to the chronicity of illness.

Required

Preferred

Education:

Arkansas LCSW or LMSW with current supervision to become LCSW

LCSW

Experience:

Previous healthcare related experience

Previous experience in Hospice & Home Health

Degrees, Licensure, and/or Certification:

BLS

Certification in Hospice & Palliative Care

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. 

Demonstrates the knowledge and ability to assess patients’ psychosocial status and needs.

Demonstrates respect for the rights and autonomy of the patient.

Demonstrates understanding and complies with the code of Ethics/Standards for Practice as described in the “Regulations of the Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board”.