Social Worker (LMSW)

Location: Saratoga Springs, NY

Employment Type: Full-time

Shift/Schedule: Day shift

Department: Care Management

Salary Range: $63,065.60 - $103,563.20 annually, based on experience and qualifications

About the Role

We're looking for a dedicated Social Worker to join our team and help us continue delivering the level of care our patients and families deserve. In this role, you'll be a vital part of our administrative team, ensuring excellent service, collaboration, and patient outcomes in a fast-paced healthcare environment. As the Social Worker, you will be responsible for providing social work assessment and interventions to develop safe discharge plans that are compatible with medical treatment plans and recommendations, advocating for patient's rights. This Social Worker position will interface in collaboration with RN care managers and interdisciplinary team to develop comprehensive care plans across the care continuum, as well as facilitate avocation, liaison coordination, nursing home placement and crisis intervention. This role will assist the CM with assessments, OMRDD population and HHIH patients as needed. This position interfaces and collaborates with community resources such as Child Protective Services, Adult Services, Domestic Violence and other regulatory agencies for patient safety and disposition. You will manage and oversee long term rehab/placement cases and provide recommendations to expedite transfers. Efforts are made to prevent, assess, evaluate, develop, and implement a plan of action based on patient's strengths. The Social Worker intervenes to address mental, social, emotional, behavioral, addictive disorders and conditions experienced by patients. Additional responsibilities include ED SW lead and women's health SW lead. SW will assess these high-risk populations for social determinants of health and provide resources for safe discharge planning.

What You'll Do

• Interviews patients, family members and others to obtain relevant information, social histories and family assessments, and develops appropriate plans & documentation requirements (i.e. discharge planning) based on patient/family and psychosocial support needs. Evaluates discharge assessment data accurately in relation to medical treatment plan and utilizes available social service programs and community resources for safe discharge planning according to scope of service.
• Facilitates patient and family meetings to initiate discharge planning and nursing home placement. Educates patient and family regarding appropriate level of care, long term planning, eligibility requirements for entitlement programs, and Medicare guidelines for pursuing transfer to a skilled nursing facility from the acute hospital setting, maintaining all regulatory requirements. Is a liaison with other community agencies and skilled nursing facilities.
• Provides psychosocial assessments and consults for at risk patients as indicated. Strategically plans for high-risk patients in Women's Health Services, Pediatrics and those patients that may be victims of abuse, domestic violence, and substance abuse. Facilitates Child Abuse Hotline Registry and Adult protective Service referrals when indicated. Collaborates with Adult Protective Agencies, Child Protective Services (CPS), Adoption Agencies, Domestic Violence,
• Public Health Programs, and other community resources to develop safe plans.
• Participates in complex patient conferences, committees and task force activities to problem solve and achieve safe quality patient outcomes. Appropriately notifies patients and families of custodial care determinations, which includes IM and HINN notices from Medicare, Screen & Level II PASRR regulations and other regulatory & compliance requirements per policy.
• Assists Care Management Team to facilitate discharge goals based on patient progress and anticipated LOS targets. Works to minimize discharge delays, problem solve difficult issues and achieve appropriate discharge times. Works with social worker team, Care Management Manager and Director to create solutions for extended stay patients and complex discharges to decrease LOS.
• Provides appropriate linkages, referrals, coordination, and follow up for identified patient needs with community resources and Health Homes to address social determinants of health. Initiates community resource referrals as needed based on patient choice and post-hospitalization needs for discharge and transfer. Coordinates interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve patient safety and a safe discharge plan. Maintains a working knowledge of the resources available in the community and requirements of government payers and managed care organizations. Involves the patient/family and/ or support person as identified by the patient.
• Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of adherence to policies & procedures of the Care Management Department and regulations from Government and State agencies for continued compliance. (NYSDOH, CMS, NYS /Federal Entitlement Programs and other regulatory requirements and agencies).
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills and ability to advocate for the patient/family needs, department goals and organization mission and vision. Supports and assists care management team with complex patient care conferences as needed to facilitate effective discharge planning, improve communication, ensure patient satisfaction, and achieve quality patient outcomes.
• Deliver compassionate, patient-centered care in alignment with Saratoga Hospital values
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to support health, healing, and service excellence
• Perform administrative responsibilities with a focus on safety, quality, and efficiency
• Use hospital systems and tools to document care and support operations
• Continuously seek opportunities to improve processes and support patient and staff satisfaction
• Serve as a positive, professional representative of our hospital and community

What You Bring

• Licensed Master of Social Work, Acute Care Hospital Experience preferred. Knowledgeable of NYS/Federal Entitlement Programs and regulatory requirements. Screen Certification (or obtained within the first 6 months of employment).
• Strong communication and teamwork skills
• Commitment to providing patient-first, high-quality service
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment