MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKER/BEREAVEMENT and VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR - Liberty Healthcare Management

Liberty Cares
With Compassion

At Liberty Hospice we understand the unique needs of our patients and families facing terminal illness.  That is why Liberty Hospice provides our hospice patients with state-of-the-art care and pain management services, delivered by our specially trained staff with emphasis on strength, dignity and compassion.

We are currently seeking an experienced:

MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKER/BEREAVEMENT and VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Full Time, Days

JOB SUMMARY:

• Conduct comprehensive psycho-social assessments to include bereavement risk, patient/family/caregiver needs, social, spiritual, and cultural factors, coping and identify any limitations, barriers or safety issues while evaluating for strength-based coping skills.
• Provide best practice care to develop, maintain and assist patient/family/caregiver to establish a patient-centered care plan including treatment goals and interventions in collaboration with the IDT team.
• Engage in critical thinking skills to assist patient in developing patient-centered goals, which address financial, spiritual, emotional, physical and psychological needs as well as support for closure, reconciliation, and a good death.
• Assess /reassess the psychosocial and emotional strengths and limitations of coping and resolution skills of the patient/ caregiver/ family related to the patient’s illness, need for care, response to interventions, anticipatory grief, disease progression, and death and dying.
• Assist with level of care changes for patients as needed to include updates of required facility protocol documentation, including but not limited to PSSAR, FL2, and coordination with facility personnel.
• Coordinates with hospice team to identify and address changes in clinical care plan and visit frequencies to meet increased patient and family needs, at transition to end of life.
• Complete all visits as ordered and approved by MD, unless declined by patient or authorized family representative.
• Attend facility  patient care coordination meeting
• Accurately document all observations. Interventions, and concerns with patient/family related care in the patient electronic medical record for pre- bereavement and for bereaved in bereavement electronic chart.
• Document sustained continuum of care from start of care through discharge.
• Responsible for maintaining a current community resource book with information on the counties served by the respective office.
• Educate patients/family on how to access and use community resources available at evaluation visit, follow-up visits and at discharge intervention.
• Develops and oversees the implementation of the regional bereavement programs and services as necessary to meet the needs of patients, families and the community.
• Manages the bereavement program to effectively meet the bereavement needs of hospice patients and hospice families.
• Promotes compliance with regulations and standards particular to state, federal, local and accrediting bodies AHHC, COPS as well as Liberty Hospice standards, policies and procedures.
• Develops and maintains a program of staff and community education related to bereavement issues as well as psycho-social concerns of hospice patients/families utilizing Hospice staff and volunteers in coordination with IDT team.
• Ensures the education and utilization of volunteers in providing services in the bereavement program.
• Coordinates appropriate mailings and risk assessments in the assigned office(s).
• Coordinates and plan appropriate visits and phone calls for assigned office(s).
• Participates in the orientation and training of new employees and volunteers working in Hospice and educates staff on ongoing grief resources, education and issues for increased knowledge.
• Coordinates all aspects of the volunteer program for Liberty Hospice in an assigned regional/geographical area.
• Develops and initiates plans to motivate and retain volunteers to ensure volunteer involvement in Hospice at the required Medicare participation.
• Responsible for all human resource needs of hospice volunteers.
• Monitors reports from the volunteers and brings urgent items to the attention of the appropriate hospice Clinical
• Maintains working knowledge of CMS/Medicare requirements for a Hospice Volunteer program and adheres to all company policies and procedures.
• Promote teamwork and shared responsibility for achieving the agency mission and vision.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and one year of experience or experience in a health care setting; or Baccalaureate of Social Work degree (BSW) from an institution accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; or a baccalaureate degree (BS/BA) in psychology, sociology, or other field related to social work and is supervised by an MSW; and has 1 year of experience in a health care setting; or Baccalaureate degree from a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, was employed by the hospice before December 2, 2008, and is not required to be supervised by the MSW; and has 1 year of experience in a health care setting.
• Requires strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively communicate within a multidisciplinary setting.
• Requires knowledge of computer skills and the ability to learn Microsoft Word, Excel and use of company approved documentation program.
• Requires ability to work autonomously with skills in organization, timeliness and the ability to provide effective care for hospice patients and the family unit.
• Requires ability to engage a working knowledge of psycho-social principles and family dynamic development.
• Requires knowledge that allows for identification and reassessment of social, emotional, financial and environmental factors, which may affect the medical plan of treatment and desired outcomes.
• Knowledge of the stages a reaction to anticipatory grief and grief work.
• Participate as an active member of the interdisciplinary team.
• Occasional exposure to blood and body fluids, sharps, and infectious disease. 
• Frequent exposure to dangerous animals and traffic hazards while making home visits.
• Frequently encounters patients and other situations that present a potential threat to personal safety.
• Occasionally encounters temperature change and weather extremes. 
• CPR certification required. 
• Must accept travel based on agency need.
• This position requires verbal communication with client, families, community resources and team throughout the workday.
• Occasional evening and weekend work when necessary and needed.

Visit www.libertycareers.com for more information.
Background checks/drug-free workplace.
EOE.