ABOUT THE HSC HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

The HSC Health Care System is a nonprofit organization combining the resources of a care coordination plan; (Health Services for Children with Special Needs, Inc.), pediatric specialty hospital (The HSC Pediatric Center), home health agency (HSC Home Care, LLC), and parent foundation (The HSC Foundation) to offer a comprehensive approach to caring, serving and empowering people with disabilities. The HSC team of 750 employees and more than 100 volunteers together serve children and young adults with special health care needs and their families at our District of Columbia and Maryland locations.

Mission Statement
HSC Health Care System provides and coordinates innovative, high quality, community-based care for individuals with complex needs and their families. HSC empowers all we serve to improve the quality of their lives.

Organizational Beliefs
HSC supports individuals and families to maximize their potential. The following beliefs drive our work.
HSC believes that:
- A culturally diverse community is a strength.
- Inclusiveness for individuals, families, and staff promotes positive outcomes.
- Everyone should be treated with compassion and empathy.
- Our skillful, dedicated, and resourceful staff is key to our success.
- We must continually adapt to the changing needs of our community.
- Increased independence is an important goal for individuals and their families.

POSITION SUMMARY

Social Workers assist all families/caregivers at HSC with their adjustment to the health conditions and the hospitalization of those children/teens admitted to the Hospital. He/she also enhance the problem solving and coping capacities of patients and their families, utilizing various treatment modalities. In addition, the social worker links clients with systems that provide them with resources, services and opportunities. Manages the care coordination and discharge planning process for patients through effective communications with the payers and interdisciplinary team.

• Provides assessment of the psychosocial, environmental, age specific, community resource availability and financial impact of illness on patients and their family system, need for care, response to treatment and adjustment to care.

• Refers patient/families to appropriate human service resources and follow- up to ascertain need fulfillment, assuming an advocacy role, when indicated, to facilitate holistic care. Resources include financial, health, educational, relief aid and equipment.

• Participates in the development of the plan of care.

• Participates in individual case conferences as necessary to facilitate coordination of care and a broader understanding of social and emotional needs. Contribute toward identifying social problems, their severity, and interrelatedness to the medical situation, in addition to assessing family strengths/weaknesses with focus upon methods to alleviate the situation.

• Documents evaluation, treatment and response to the plan of care in an accurate, complete, clear and timely manner.

• Provides counseling and emotional support and/or crisis intervention as per professional standards.

• Communicates patient/family assessment information and service plan to providers and health care team. Provides comprehensive assessment to referrals.

• Ensures that patient's/family's goals are taken into account when the plan of care is formulated.

• Is knowledgeable about and locates appropriate community resources to meet needs of patients and families.

• Serves as a liaison/advocate between patient and community resources, always keeping the patient's best interests foremost.

• Performs initial assessment of patient/families spiritual needs and requests. Makes appropriate referrals.

• Assists with the anxiety and stress precipitated by illness, hospitalization, loss, disability, and death by implementing problem solving and supportive care which will work to reduce the patient's and family's emotional discomfort and facilitate adjustment to present life situation.

• The social worker will interview and assess for potential referral to appropriate entitlement programs and community agencies. Works with patients/families on financial issues as needed. Will coordinate identified billing problems with the Case Manager.

• Provides terminal care planning and grief counseling to patients, families and staff.

• Demonstrates broad knowledge of options available and ability to communicate those options in a supportive manner.

• Coordinates and participates in family meetings.

• Keeps up-to-date referral information on all human services organizations in the locality and directs the client to the most appropriate agency and services in a timely manner as appropriate. Performs frequent reviews of all inpatients to identify any social service needs.

• Participates in regularly schedules hospital committee meetings, interdisciplinary team meetings and individual conferences to facilitate coordination of care in the hospitals Social Work Program as appropriate.

• Adheres to all current professional standards for social workers and Joint Commission standards for social services, and implements appropriate changes in treatment modalities, policies, procedures, and programs as required.

• Maintains all appropriate documentation in an accurate, complete and timely manner.

• Attends court hearings and DHS/other administrative review hearings as appropriate.

• Provides clinical oversight for Social Worker/Social Work student.

• Schedules clinic and post-discharge follow up appointments.

• May perform other duties in addition to those outlined in this job description.

• Demonstrates understanding of quality of service and collaborates with co-workers to ensure excellence standard is achieved

• Innovates through improvement of care and/or efficiency of operational processes.

• Dedicated to a standard of performance excellence and high quality

• Embraces changes/improvements and actively participates in the implementation of new/improved programs, technology, new equipment, systems and resources that promote quality of care, safety and efficiency

• Identifies, prioritizes and selects alternative solutions to determine best outcome

• Maintains a high level of activity/productivity, meeting deadlines and appropriately prioritizing tasks to meet business demands

• Anticipates problems and attempts to solve before they develop

• None

• Category II: Job may expose incumbent occasionally or in emergency situations to blood, body fluids, non-intact skin or tissue specimens.

• Level IV - Full Access Incumbents in this job may access any protected health information associated to a customer's needs, the service(s) rendered and the position's functions.

• This job operates in a hospital or office environment.

• Light Work: Lifting 25 lbs. maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 lbs.

• None