Hiring for several Hospice Social Workers (one for Malden territory and one for Haverhill territory)
Title: Medical Social Worker (LCSW)
Location: Community-Based/Hybrid
- EITHER: Malden, MA territory OR Haverhill, MA territory
Hours: 8:00am – 4:30pm (40 hpw)
Pay rate: $55-65/hour (based on experience) – mileage is built into the pay rate so mileage would not be reimbursed.
Daily Caseload: Typically 4 – may vary
Job Overview
The Hospice Social Worker is a core member of the hospice Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) and provides medical social services in accordance with the CMS Hospice Conditions of Participation to address the psychosocial, emotional, spiritual, environmental, and financial needs of hospice patients and their families. The Hospice Social Worker contributes to comprehensive assessment, care planning, coordination, counseling, discharge planning, and bereavement support to promote patient dignity, coping, and quality of life throughout the terminal illness and dying process.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Initial and Comprehensive Psychosocial Assessment
- Participate in hospice admissions and complete required admission documentation and signatures in coordination with nursing staff.
- Conduct a comprehensive psychosocial assessment within five (5) days of admission, addressing emotional, social, spiritual, financial, cultural, and environmental factors that impact care.
- Identify psychosocial problems, strengths, needs, interventions, and measurable goals for incorporation into the individualized hospice plan of care.
- Continuously reassess and document changes in patient and family coping, support systems, caregiving capacity, and emotional status.
Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) Participation and Care Planning
- Serve as an active participant in IDG meetings, including development, implementation, review, and updates of the patient’s plan of care.
- Provide professional consultation to IDG members regarding social, emotional, family system, cultural, and environmental factors affecting patient care.
- Facilitate discussion of patient and family psychosocial concerns and advocate for appropriate interventions.
- Continue monitoring and consultation even when social work services are declined by the patient or family.
Provision of Medical Social Services (Core Hospice Service)
- Provide emotional support, counseling, crisis intervention, anticipatory grief support, and coping strategies to patients and families.
- Encourage open communication among family members and support expression of grief, fear, anger, denial, and loss throughout the disease trajectory.
- Assess the family’s capacity and readiness to provide care in the home setting and support caregiver education and resiliency.
- Prepare patients and families for end of life transitions, including education on advance directives and advance care planning.
Financial Counseling, Benefits Education, and Resource Coordination
- Educate patients and families on the hospice benefit, patient rights, and coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, and other payers.
- Assess financial stressors and assist families with applications for available financial assistance and community resources.
- Evaluate eligibility for hospice fee subsidization and complete required documentation in accordance with agency policy.
- Facilitate referrals to community agencies and non hospice services when needs exceed the hospice scope of care.
Care Coordination, Discharge Planning, and Bereavement Support
- Participate in discharge planning related to changes in level of care, care setting, or revocation of hospice services.
- Coordinate with case managers and IDG members to ensure continuity of care and visit scheduling.
- Support the hospice bereavement program and contribute to pre death and post death grief support as appropriate.
Clinical Documentation and Regulatory Compliance
- Maintain accurate, timely, and complete clinical documentation within the hospice electronic medical record, including:
- Psychosocial assessments
- Plan of care contributions
- Progress notes and visit documentation
- Evaluation of intervention effectiveness
- Ensure documentation supports regulatory compliance, quality of care, and survey readiness.
Quality Assessment, Performance Improvement, and Risk Management
- Participate in QAPI activities, utilization review, and risk management initiatives as requested.
- Identify trends, barriers, and opportunities related to psychosocial care and contribute to improvement efforts.
Professional Development and Supervision
- Maintain current licensure and practice within the scope of state and federal regulations.
- Engage in ongoing professional development through education, training, conferences, and self directed learning.
- Provide supervision to social work interns or fellows when assigned, in accordance with state supervisory requirements.
Education and Licensure
- Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) from a CSWE accredited program.
- Current licensure or certification in accordance with Massachusetts and New Hampshire regulations.
- Minimum of one (1) year of social work experience in a healthcare setting.
Required Competencies and Attributes
- Demonstrated commitment to hospice philosophy and patient centered end of life care
- Strong assessment, counseling, documentation, and interdisciplinary collaboration skills
- Ability to maintain therapeutic boundaries and ethical practice
- Flexibility, reliability, cultural sensitivity, and emotional resilience
- Effective verbal and written communication skills
How to apply.
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