Current Job Opening:
Geriatric Social Worker – Job Posting
Spring Adult Day Health Care is currently looking for a Geriatric Social Worker to join its company. The Geriatric Social Worker coordinates the care of elderly patients, including conducting intake assessments to determine patients’ mental, emotional, and social needs; collaborate with a larger team of physicians, nurses, psychologists, case managers, and other health care staff to develop and regularly update patient treatment plans as well as discuss treatment plan options with patients and their families.
Specifically, the Geriatric Social Worker is responsible for supporting and coordinating the mental and physical health care of patients on an assigned patient caseload with the patient’s medical provider and, when appropriate, other mental health providers and Spring Adult Day Health Care’s clinical care team.
Responsibilities and Duties shall include the following:
- Conduct comprehensive biopsychological assessments; such assessments help social workers determine if a client is at risk of experiencing certain adverse mental, physical, and/or behavioral health outcomes;
- Conduct evaluation of risk to clients, also known as risk assessments, will determine if a client is at risk of experiencing certain adverse mental, physical, and/or behavioral health outcomes;
- Based on identified needs resulting from comprehensive assessment, an individual care plan is developed;
- Provide patient education about common mental health disorders and the available treatment options, provide brief behavior interventions using evidence-based techniques such as behavior activation, problem solving treatment, motivational interviewing, or other treatments as appropriate;
- Provide or facilitate in clinic or outside referrals to evidence-based psychosocial treatment, such as problem-solving treatment or behavioral activation as clinically indicated;
- In care coordination, the Geriatric Social Worker will also participate in meetings between different providers to discuss patient treatment and health outcomes, and connecting patients and caretakers with resources within the larger community that can provide additional support;
- Provide counseling and therapy to clients to help them cope with psychological, emotional, social, and financial challenges that come with aging. During these sessions, the social worker can employ a variety of various different psychotherapeutic techniques to help their clients manage negative emotions, set objectives for life improvement, address behavioral problems or psychological barrier to meet certain goals and (where applicable) make end-of-life preparations;
- Assist patients and their families understand and apply for health care benefits as well as other financial or social assistance at federal, state, and local community levels.
Requirements
- Master’s Degree in Social Work, Nursing Health, or Gerontology from an accredited school;
- Knowledge of evidence-based clinical management;
- High level of understanding of community resources, treatment options, medical necessity criteria;
- Culturally competent skills to work effectively, respectfully, and sensitively within the patient and family cultural context and belief system;
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills, written and verbal;
- Case Management or community experience working with individuals with chronic health, behavioral health and social challenges preferred;
- Geriatric experience preferred.