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Bronson Methodist Hospital

Southwest Michigan health system

Medical Social Worker

Case Management & AdvocacyConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Part-timeKalamazoo, MI, USANo salary listedIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

  • A Master's degree in Social Work is required.
  • A Licensed Master’s Social Work (LMSW) or Limited License Master’s Social Work (LLMSW) in good standing with the State of Michigan is required.
  • The employee must be able to work variable shifts, holidays, and weekends as needed by the acute care hospital.
  • The employee must be able to stand, walk, talk or hear regularly, sit and use hands occasionally, and occasionally lift or move up to 10 pounds; close and distance vision and the ability to adjust focus are required.
  • The employee must be able to work in a clean, well-lighted, temperature-controlled environment, with possible exposure to infectious disease, threatening behavior, or violence.
  • The employee must demonstrate effective verbal and written communication, problem-solving, advocacy, crisis intervention, assertiveness, and empathy skills; motivational interviewing, critical thinking, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills are also required.
  • The employee must communicate regularly with patients, families, physicians, the interdisciplinary team, finance, management, third-party payers, community agencies, and other internal and external customers.
  • The employee must have knowledge of hospital-based programs, physician practice characteristics, utilization management, and professional referral networks.
  • The employee must be able to use empathy, crisis assessment, intervention, and counseling techniques.
  • The employee must have advanced knowledge and understanding of mental health and suicide, and basic knowledge of DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for mental health.
  • The employee must be able to complete mental health assessments and coordinate with Psychiatry Consult service and community resources to facilitate psychiatric transfers or safe discharge plans.
  • The employee must have specialized knowledge of chronic illness and its impact on patient mental health.
  • The employee must have knowledge of community service organizations, including community mental health organizations, the Department of Health and Human Services, shelters, and transportation services, and the assistance they provide.
  • The employee must thoroughly document cases and enter appropriate information in the patient electronic medical record in a timely manner.

Responsibilities

  • Deliver social work services to infant, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients in all medical areas of the hospital.
  • Provide direct interventions to patients and families involving mental health, suicide, domestic violence, sexual assault, child and adult abuse or neglect, death and grief, crisis intervention, adjustment to illness, advocacy, and substance abuse.
  • Partner with the multidisciplinary team to support behavior management and safety.
  • Assess patients and families, provide clinical interventions, and coordinate care and discharge planning.
  • Collaborate with patient-care team members and external agencies to determine the appropriate plan of care.
  • Coordinate systems and activities for referred patients to support timely discharge to psychiatric facilities, substance abuse treatment, outpatient services, and other services.
  • Work variable shifts, including first, second, and third shifts, 8-hour or 12-hour shifts, holidays, and weekends, to support acute care hospital needs.
  • Prioritize workload and respond to acute-care call-downs and codes, including trauma, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and Code Blue.
  • Cover multiple units, including intensive care, medical-surgical, and specialty units, and prioritize needs according to acuity.
  • Coordinate reports for smooth transfers within the hospital, healthcare system, and external facilities.
  • Collaborate with hospital security, Risk, nursing, and multidisciplinary colleagues on crisis interventions, de-escalation techniques, and behavior plans to reduce workplace violence.
  • Collaborate with hospital security and police when violent injuries present to the hospital to reduce risk to patients, staff, and the community.
  • Assess crises and the immediate social and emotional needs and strengths of patients, families, and staff, and provide appropriate interventions.
  • Coordinate with Psychiatry Consult service and community resources to facilitate psychiatric transfers or establish safe discharge plans.
  • Identify when discharge planning is not progressing appropriately and contact Case Management or Medical Social Work leadership about a possible complex care meeting.
  • Develop interventions with the multidisciplinary team, including psychiatry, child life, nursing, and physical therapy, when placement options are limited or unavailable.
  • Conduct brief, solution-focused or strategic clinical interventions using motivational interviewing.
  • Complete legal paperwork for involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations and probate court guardianship hearings, collaborate with the hospital attorney, and testify when required.
  • Work by consultation from physicians, registered nurses, patients, families, and others.
  • Participate in multidisciplinary rounds and provide reports to advance patient care.
  • Collaborate with the patient-care team to understand situations from different perspectives and recommend or provide immediate treatment and solution-focused interventions.
  • Identify needs, develop plans of care, refer patients to community agencies and healthcare specialists, and plan discharge follow-up treatment and support for safe discharge.
  • Participate in developing departmental policies, procedures, and protocols.
  • Identify and provide for the learning needs of patients, families, and healthcare coworkers.
  • Maintain professional development by participating in required in-services and staff meetings and completing required competencies.
  • Support a positive work climate and the department’s overall team effort.
  • Orient new Medical Social Worker hires when assigned, following the orientation checklist, best practices, and standard work.
  • Provide customer service consistent with the organization’s mission, values, and customer-service standards.

Desired Qualifications

  • One to two years of professional-level work experience in healthcare or mental health is preferred.
  • Licensed Master’s Social Work (LMSW) is preferred.

About the Company

Bronson Methodist Hospital

Southwest Michigan health system

Bronson Methodist Hospital is a nonprofit health system serving southwest Michigan. The system provides hospital, primary, specialty, emergency, outpatient, rehabilitation, and community health services through regional care locations. It serves patients, families, clinicians, referring providers, and communities throughout southwest Michigan. Its operating model centers on coordinated hospitals and practices supported by clinical programs, technology, facilities, supply chain, and administration. Teams work across nursing, physicians, allied health, rehabilitation, technology, facilities, administration, and patient access. Work depends on coordination among clinical, operational, technical, and support teams across its care settings and communities.

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