At Houston Methodist, the Lead Social Worker (SW) position comprehensively provides expert clinical social work services to include proficient psychosocial assessments, clinical diagnosis and appropriate treatment related to clinical findings as well as complex discharge planning to patients and their families and holds joint accountability with case manager for facilitating psychosocial and continuing care. This position assures that psychosocial issues are addressed and treated as needed across the continuum of care for each patient and works collaboratively with physicians, case managers and the interprofessional healthcare team to affect positive patient and family outcomes. The Lead SW position has responsibility for system-wide social work program development and has teaching, mentoring responsibilities for SW I and II. This position also provides clinical supervision as a licensed Social Work Supervisor to LMSWs seeking a clinical license of LCSW. The Lead SW leads the interprofessional healthcare team to facilitate efficient, quality care and achievement of desired treatment outcomes. The Lead SW position serves as system-wide leader for social work-related issues, psychosocial related issues, complex discharge planning activities, education, program development and population disease management.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Leads staff education specific to patient populations and departmental processes. Acts as the point-person and resource for social work needs, issues, etc. for the hospital and the system as needed.

• Provides direction and guidance to baccalaureate social workers, LCSWs, and LMSWs with less than 3 years of hospital experience. Functions as clinical lead and provides mentorship to all levels of social work in current social trends and practice. Serves as a preceptor to new employees and/or is available to serve as a Clinical Social Worker Supervisor for LMSWs working towards obtaining clinical license with the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (TSBSWE). Identifies, develops and implements opportunities for professional growth of peers. Provides direct supervision on campus to MSW interns and/or provides board approved clinical supervision.

• Provides advisement and direction to other team members and identifies trends and opportunities for improvement with employee engagement to management. Leads initiatives to improve employee participation and satisfaction.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Serves as a hospital/post-acute-based and system-wide expert resource for comprehensive clinical case management/social work activities including assessing high-risk patients, facilitating appropriate and expert treatment planning for patients with high psychosocial risks and leading team to identify at-risk patients. Uses advanced knowledge and clinical expertise and screening tools to identify need for case management, clinical and/or social work intervention.

• Facilitates and leads the social workers and other teams in discharge planning activities for assigned patients and collaborates/serves as a resource for the case manager and other members of the interdisciplinary team, as well as patient and family. Maintains ownership of the psychosocial component, assessments, diagnosis and treatment, and assists with coordinating the discharge planning process on assigned units and/or identifying needs, planning for social work treatment/intervention.

• Leads the department to identify resources for different of levels of care, working with patient and family, to ensure discharge disposition is to the appropriate level and facilitates transfers, Advocates for patient and family empowerment and independence to make autonomous health care decisions and access needed services within the health care system. Provides brief, goal-directed counseling services and interventions to assist patients/families to cope more effectively with the transition which may include (but are not limited to) motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral approaches, crisis intervention, brief individual, solution-focused, trauma-focused and family/marital therapies.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Directs or leads department or hospital-wide readmission reduction initiatives and outcomes, utilizing PDCA and other methods for improvement based on department need. Assists with the evaluation of post-acute care partner quality of services. Makes recommendations to leadership regarding ongoing and future partnerships.

• Conducts chart audits and provides analysis of results via presentation to the Case Management/Social Work management, other teams or other department-specific projects and required data gathering and reporting. Continuously reviews the patient for opportunities for care facilitation and needs for discharge planning or clinical interventions based on clinical assessment of the patient's condition. Decisions are made using evidence-based clinical and analytical approaches and trauma-informed care. Works with case manager and interprofessional care team for routine discharge and anticipates/prevents and manages/elevates emergent situations with specific focus given to discharge plan and elimination of psychosocial barriers.

• Implements initiative(s) to improve departmental targets for quality and safety measures on scorecard or other quality metrics pertaining to social work. Collaborates with staff from the interprofessional health care team concerning safety data to improve outcomes and the safe transition of care.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies, leads and facilitates access to community resources and other patient assistance programs in order to facilitate throughput or reduce risk of readmission. Validates discharge criteria for patient and families and notifies Case Managers of newly-identified resources or change in previously-identified resources. Serves as consultant to the hospital and system.

• Provides service line expertise with an effective community resource knowledge base and the judgment/ability to effectively select and coordinate available resources, including referrals to regulatory agencies, i.e. CPS/APS. Able to mobilize alternative resources to fill gaps in established community resources.

• Leads and collaborates with Case Management and Social Work leadership team to lead a cost-reduction initiative that impacts the facility and the system. Provides pertinent patient information to case managers and healthcare team when coordination with significant or intensive resources is necessary to achieve desired treatment outcomes.

• Contributes towards meeting department financial target on department-based scorecard through appropriate documentation of care, decreasing length of stay, optimizing efficiency and other areas according to department specifications.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Leads and actively participates in at least one system-wide project regarding Social Work-related topics such as length of stay reduction, readmission prevention and utilization management, clinical interventions, clinical research, and clinical topic/theoretical practice expertise based on clinical assessment of the patient's condition. Identifies, implements and leads areas for improvement based on understanding of evidence-based practice literature and clinical assessment. Initiates and completes evidence-based practice/performance improvement projects based on these observations by offering solutions and participating in unit projects and activities. Completes and updates the My Development Plan (MDP) on an ongoing basis.

• Fulfills role of leadership on at least one hospital or system-based committee. Collaborates with staff from the intra and/or interdepartmental teams to conduct or lead a project or study that benefits the department and organization's strategic plan. Shares research and findings locally and nationally.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Master Degree in Social Work from accredited University (MSW)

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Five (5) years social services experience in a healthcare setting

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• LCSW- License Clinical Social Worker - State Licensure OR
• LCSW-BACS - Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Board Approved Clinical Supervisor (ASWB/TBHEC) AND
• CCM - Certified Case Manager (CCMC) OR
• ACM - Accredited Case Manager (NBCM) OR
• ACM - Accredited Case Manager (ACMA) OR
• ACM-SW - Accredited Case Manager-Social Worker (ACMA) OR
• C-SWHC - Certified Social Worker in Health Care (NASW) OR
• PMH-C - Certification in Prenatal Mental Health

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles

• Expert knowledge/experience in utilization management, managed care, and payor issues

• Maintains individual competencies around critical Social Work functions including; payer rules and regulations, psycho-social assessments and discharge planning methods

• Demonstrates expertise on community resources, clinical assessment, clinical intervention, clinical treatment, health care financial and payer issues, Medicare, Medicaid and Managed Care requirements and eligibility for state, local and federal programs

• Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment in interactions with physicians, payors, and patients and their families

• Strong assessment, critical thinking, organizational and problem solving skill as evidenced by capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components

• Time management, collaboration, negotiation, and mediation skills

• Well versed in computer skills of the entire Microsoft Office Suite (Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word)

• Adherence to the clinical practice standards set forth by NASW practice standards for healthcare settings and more specifically in hospitals and medical centers

• Maintains level of professional contributions as defined in Clinical Career Path program

• Demonstrates clinical problem-solving and critical thinking to include diagnosis of emotional, social, environmental strengths, and problems related to patient illness, treatment, and/or life situation

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs No
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes

Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital opened in December 2000 to serve the comprehensive health care needs of the growing community in Northwest Houston.  The 310 bed hospital has 23 operating rooms, and more than 2,100 employees.  Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital has been named a Magnet recognized health care facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital is Northwest Houston's regional leader in robotic minimally-invasive surgeries and specializes in cardiology and cardiovascular services, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, and comprehensive cancer services. Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital has a Breast Care Center, Cancer Center, Imaging Center, Infusion Center, Sleep Center, Surgical Weight Loss Center and operates the largest Childbirth Center in the greater Northwest Houston area.