Career Center

Job Summary:

The social worker will provide palliative care focused and other supportive services to oncology patients at Westchester Medical Center. The role is primarily based in the outpatient oncology setting with some relevant inpatient service to ensure continuity of care across clinical settings. The social worker will report jointly to the oncology and palliative care sections for relevant activities. The social worker performs comprehensive biopsychosocial-spiritual assessments with the purpose of assisting in the creation and implementation of interdisciplinary treatment plans for adults diagnosed with cancer and their supportive family members. The social worker offers individualized, person-centered, evidence-based support to adult patients related to the impact of cancer diagnosis, admission, treatment, discharge, continued care, and post treatment.This position requires independent judgement in dealing with individuals while working collaboratively across disciplines and specialty services, with a primary focus on oncology and palliative care. Leadership and training of recent graduates, entry level social workers, and social work students is a feature of this class.

Responsibilities:

• Performs psychosocial assessments of patients and families by securing significant data for presentation to the interdisciplinary team, and participates in decisions and planning for treatment and after care.
• Provides interventions to assist patients/families, including counseling, education, advocacy, referral, conflict resolution, crisis intervention, problem solving, coordination of family/team meetings and the provision of concrete services.
• Provides psychosocial counseling, with minimal supervision, to patients and families related to the impact of and adjustment to illness or injury and compliance to the medical treatment plan.
• Participates in and/or directly facilitates patient-family meetings and goals of care discussions in conjunction with other member of the oncology and palliative care services.
• Facilitates care coordination and resource utilization with community hospice/palliative care, home care agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and other community services.
• Reviews advanced directives in paper chart and identifies health care proxy/surrogate decision makers; educates and assists patients with completion of health care proxy forms and other advance directives.
• Participates in educational programs of medical students, residents, and allied health professionals within and outside of hospital.
• Participates in and contributes to formal interdisciplinary rounds and conferences.
• Provides in-service training to social work staff and other disciplines on selected topics within the area of expertise.
• As appropriate trains and provides leadership to social work students and entry level social workers.
• Completes required statistics and recording for the Social Work Department.
• Participates in ongoing research and quality improvement projects on an as-needed basis.
• Keeps abreast of developments in the field, particularly in the area of medical specialization.
• May represent the hospital at community meetings and act as a liaison and coordinator between community and hospital programs.
• Documents all clinical interactions and services provided in the electronic medical record.
• When applicable bills for appropriate services through mental health or advance care planning roles.
• Does related work as required.

Experience:

New Graduates accepted. 1-3 years where the primary function of the position was professional social work in a medical, mental health or human service setting as a member of a multidisciplinary treatment team, preferred. At least 1 year in a setting which focuses on oncology or palliative social work, preferred.

Education:

Master's degree in Social Work (M.S.W.) from a School of Social Work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, required.

Licenses / Certifications:

Possession of a valid social work license and current registration as an LMSW or LCSW, issued by the New York State Office of Professions, LCSW, required. Board Certified Hospice and Palliative Social worker (APHSW-C) or Board Eligible within 1 year, preferred. Certified Oncology Social Worker or certification eligible within 1 year, preferred.

Other:

Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of medical social work; thorough knowledge of disease entities and processes, and their psychosocial impact on patients and families; thorough knowledge and understanding of medical technology and medical treatment modalities; thorough knowledge of case work techniques; skill in assessing personality development, ego functions, defense mechanisms, transference, and counter-transference phenomena; skill in crisis intervention techniques, and in conducting interviews and interventions with complex and problematic clients to obtain social and medical information necessary to independently make a diagnostic and treatment plan; ability to work effectively with patients and their families in the face of catastrophic illnesses, traumatic injuries, and medical anomalies; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships; ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; ability to function as a member of a multi-disciplinary team; ability to lead and train subordinate social work staff; ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the essential duties of the position; ability to effectively use computer applications such as spreadsheets, word processing, calendar, e-mail and database software in performing work assignments; sound professional judgment; initiative; resourcefulness; integrity; tact; emotional maturity; physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.Special Requirements: : Must maintain license and registration as an LMSW or LCSW throughout the course of employment in this title.

About Us:

WMC Advanced Physician Services PC