Social Worker

Are you a compassionate, dedicated professional looking to make a meaningful impact in the lives of patients and their families during their most vulnerable moments? As a Hospice Social Worker, where your work will play a critical role in providing comfort, support, and dignity to those nearing the end of life.
 

Our Culture

Our culture is cultivated using the following values:

• Integrity: We are honest and professional.
• Trust: We count on each other.
• Excellence: We strive to always do our best and look for ways to improve and excel.
• Accountability: We accept responsibility for our actions, attitudes, and mistakes.
• Mutual Respect: We treat others the way we want to be treated.

An Average Day: 
(Includes, but not limited to)

• Assess the psychosocial status of patients and families/caregivers related to the patient's terminal illness and environment and communicates findings to the registered nurse and other members of the interdisciplinary group
• Provide an assessment in the patient's identified residence and assistance when this is not safe, and another plan is required
• Carry out social evaluations, including family dynamics, caregiver abilities, communication patterns, high risks for suicide, neglect or abuse and plan intervention based on evaluation findings
• Counsel patient and family/caregivers as needed in relationship to stress, and other identified coping difficulties; provide crisis intervention when necessary
• Assess for, and educate interdisciplinary group, on any special needs related to the culture of the patient and family, including communication, role of family, space, and any special traditions or taboos
• Maintain clinical records on all patients referred to social work
• Educate patients and families on, and assist in, preparation of advanced directives
• Provide information and referral services for organization patients and families/caregivers regarding practical and environmental needs
• Provide information to patients and families/caregivers and community agencies
• Serve as liaison between patients and families/caregivers and community agencies
• Maintain collaborative relationships with organization personnel to support patient care
• Maintain and develop contacts with public and private agencies as resources for patient and personnel
• Participate in the development of the individualized plan of care, involving the patient and family, and attend regularly scheduled interdisciplinary group meetings, assist the team in recognizing the effects of the psychosocial stresses on symptoms of the terminal illness
• Assist physician and other team members in understanding significant social and emotional factors related to health problems and death/dying issues
• Actively participate in quality assessment performance improvement teams and activities
• Assist family and patient in planning for funeral arrangements, financial, legal, and health care decision responsibilities
• Perform other duties as delegated by the Clinical Supervisor

Requirements: 

• Must have a master’s degree in social work from an accredited university.
• Must have minimum of two (2) years of documented supervised experience in health care, hospice experience preferred
• Must understand hospice philosophy, and issues of death/dying.
• Certified Hospice and Palliative Social Worker is desirable
• Must be flexible in work hours and have the ability to travel throughout the assigned Bristol Hospice service area 
• Must demonstrate a willingness to maintain comprehensive working knowledge regarding information systems and applicable software programs