Responsible for providing professional social work services (i.e., screening, counseling, resource identification and navigation, and patient advocacy) to patients and their caregivers. Collaborates with Fred Hutch partner institutions to ensure continuity of care across systems. Uses clinical judgment and problem-solving skills to address patient and caregiver emotional/psychological, social and developmental issues. Facilitates referrals to internal and community resources. Strives to achieve the highest in patient (customer) satisfaction. Supports the mission of Fred Hutch and its affiliates. Provides consultation to staff at All Fred Hutch locations, UWMC, and to community resources as needed. At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, all employees are expected to demonstrate a commitment to our values of collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity, and respect. This is a Full-Time (40 Hours) TEMPORARY role working Monday thru Friday out of our South Lake Union Campus. Responsibilities

• Supports the mental and physical health care of an assigned oncology patient caseload in close collaboration with oncology, psychiatry, psychology, and other interdisciplinary team members to address psychological, social, and emotional issues, including mental health and substance-related conditions, in support of patient-centered treatment planning.
• Conducts distress, mental health, and substance use screenings to identify psychological/psychiatric conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance use, cognitive changes) that inform oncology care planning and facilitate patient engagement and follow-up.
• Provides therapeutic emotional support through brief therapy, individual and family counseling, grief and loss counseling, and crisis intervention for patients and caregivers coping with cancer, using evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation, problem-solving treatment, and motivational interviewing as appropriate.
• Collaborates with Psychiatry and Psychology colleagues under the Collaborative Care model with duties including: providing education on common mental health and substance use conditions and treatment options; supporting psychotropic medication management (adherence, side effects, and treatment response); systematically tracking treatment response and outcomes in a registry; monitoring patients in person and by telephone; participating in regular caseload consultation; and documenting patient progress and treatment recommendations in the electronic medical record.
• Coordinates referrals and patient navigation to internal Fred Hutch services, local and regional support networks, and tangible-needs resources, partnering with inpatient social workers to support transitions between inpatient, outpatient, and home settings.
• Advocates for and promotes the needs of culturally diverse and socially, intellectually, or physically challenged patients, and assists the medical team in addressing disruptive behavior, including development of Patient Care Agreements when necessary.

Qualifications

Required: 

• Master's degree in Social Work from an accredited graduate School of Social Work
• Licensed Social Worker Associate Independent Clinical (LSWAIC) or Licensed Social Worker Associate – Advanced (LSWAA) through Washington State Department of Health

• Computer skills: Outlook, Word, Excel

• Strong assessment and crisis intervention skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients/families from diverse cultural backgrounds
• Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams

• Counseling individuals and families

Preferred: 

• Experience with counseling individuals and families required; experience working with oncology patients and family members/significant other and working effectively with multidisciplinary teams

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy training

• Skills in screening for distress and mental health conditions, including substance use disorders

• Brief interventions training

• Motivational interviewing training

• Grief and loss training

The annual base salary range for this position is from $93,164.00 to $139,713.00 and pay offered will be based on experience and qualifications. This is a Full-Time (40 Hours) TEMPORARY role working Monday thru Friday out of our South Lake Union Campus. Although Fred Hutch is not sponsoring most H-1B visas at this time, candidates who already hold an H-1B sponsored by another organization and are currently in the U.S. may be eligible for this position. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center offers employees access to a retirement savings plan, an employee assistance program, paid sick leave (1 hour for every 30 hours worked), and prorated paid holidays (up to 11 days per year).