Medical Social Worker

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago provides superior pediatric care in a setting that offers the latest benefits and innovations in medical technology, research and family-friendly design. As the largest pediatric provider in the region with a 140-year legacy of excellence, kids and their families are at the center of all we do. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is ranked in all 10 specialties by the U.S. News & World Report.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

This is a PRN (Per Diem) Medical Social Worker Position and is best suited for an experienced Medical Social Worker. Must have Day-time availability, Weekdays preferred.

Provides direct and indirect services to patients and families.  The core functions of social work include:  assisting patients and families through their adjustment to illness or hospitalization; protective services for children and families at risk; assisting patients and families with understanding and adhering to treatment plans; and linkage to community agencies and services.

Job Duties:

• Coordinates service delivery with families and appropriate team members across the continuum. Makes necessary referrals to other team members and/or community resources. Collaborates with the family to assist them in utilizing community service linkages.
• Meets daily with the inpatient floor case manager to review inpatient census, as well as to proactively identify and address any potential barriers to discharge, should this social worker be assigned to an inpatient unit.
• Identifies, assesses, and responds to child/family needs; includes in this process (identification, assessment, response) age-specific developmental needs, psychosocial needs, cultural needs, and spiritual needs. Particularly focuses on addressing the social and emotional needs of families that impact on a patient's medical treatment and outcome. These needs may include, but are not limited to, adjustment to illness, poor coping abilities, impairment in parental functioning, guardianship issues, adherence to treatment plan, need for additional resources due to poverty or compromised financial status, substance abuse, cultural differences, death/dying/bereavement, and family welfare (including child abuse and neglect and domestic violence).
• Develops relationships with families that are caring, trusting, reliable, and beneficial. Utilizes these relationships for the patient's well-being and treatment.
• Provides timely and effective intervention for families in emergency/crisis situations. This includes dying/death/bereavement; protective services and domestic violence issues, codes, deterioration of child's health status, or other situations deemed emergent by the family or health care team.
• Documents in a thorough and timely manner in accordance with professional standards (see assessment/documentation policies).
• Communicates with members of the health care team, through formal and informal means of transmitting information, in order to provide optimal care of patients and families. Informs health care team of the role of community and other internal providers in impacting a social and emotional status of a child and family. Assists case managers in discharge planning and community linkages for families with complex social and emotional needs.
• Maintains and role models professional boundaries within social work and health care teams.
• Addresses the psychosocial/spiritual/developmental/cultural needs of the child and family throughout the continuum of care. Particularly collaborates closely with assigned team in addressing the social and emotional concerns of families served. Participates regularly in the team's interdisciplinary rounds.
• Participates in the team's group problem-solving and program planning. Collaborates with team to develop programs that target high-risk families and to maximize opportunities for preventive health care for all families served. Educates interdisciplinary team regarding how social and emotional issues impact on a family's coping with illness and response to treatment. Leads team and other family service professional in establishing family services goals for team care delivery.
• Recognizes that response to the customer and the changing environment may involve going beyond the confines of the traditional job description. Maintains an environment that reflects pride and ownership and shows a willingness to care for the surroundings.
• Performs administrative and project management duties, as assigned. May precept social work students. Maintains appropriate records and statistics. Participates in hospital-wide social work intake system. Participates in hospital-wide social work on-call system. Maintains and enhances information and referral lists for staff use. Communicates with team on changing hospital, community agency, and governmental policies that impact on the treatment and care of children and their families.
• Performs job functions adhering to service principles with customer service focus of innovation, service excellence and teamwork to provide the highest quality care and service to our patients, families, co-workers and others.

K.S.A.'s:

• Master's degree in social work from a university approved by the Council for Social Work Education.
• Current Illinois State Social Work licensure (LSW) required. LCSW preferred.
• Work or internship experience in a health care, child welfare or mental health setting preferred. Experience working with children and families.
• Ability to think proactively, creatively, and take initiative appropriately. Demonstrates excellent communication, critical-thinking, and interpersonal skills. Demonstrates ability to work as a part of multiple teams. Spanish language abilities and skills strongly preferred.
• Stamina and energy to maintain direct patient contact on a regular basis with seriously ill persons, to coordinate multiple demands made on time, and to fulfill on-call requirements as assigned.

Education

Master's Degree (Required)

Pay Range

$31.50-$51.50 Hourly

At Lurie Children’s, we are committed to competitive and fair compensation aligned with market rates and internal equity, reflecting individual contributions, experience, and expertise. The pay range for this job indicates minimum and maximum targets for the position. Ranges are regularly reviewed to stay aligned with market conditions. In addition to base salary, Lurie Children’s offer a comprehensive rewards package that may include differentials for some hourly employees, leadership incentives for select roles, health and retirement benefits, and wellbeing programs. For more details on other compensation, consult your recruiter or click the following link to learn more about our benefits.

Benefit Statement

For full time and part time employees who work 20 or more hours per week we offer a generous benefits package that includes:

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Employer paid group term life and disability

Employer contribution toward Health Savings Account

Flexible Spending Accounts

Paid Time Off (PTO), Paid Holidays and Paid Parental Leave

403(b) with a 5% employer match

Various voluntary benefits:

• Supplemental Life, AD&D and Disability
• Critical Illness, Accident and Hospital Indemnity coverage
• Tuition assistance
• Student loan servicing and support
• Adoption benefits
• Backup Childcare and Eldercare
• Employee Assistance Program, and other specialized behavioral health services and resources for employees and family members
• Discount on services at Lurie Children’s facilities
• Discount purchasing program

There’s a Place for You with Us

At Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and its affiliates (collectively “Lurie Children’s”), we embrace and celebrate diversity and equity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and viewpoints — recognizing that diverse identities strengthen our workplace and the care we can provide to the Chicago community and beyond. We treat everyone fairly, appreciate differences, and make meaningful connections that foster belonging and allyship. This is a place where you can be your best, so we can give our best to the patients and families who trust us with their care.  

Lurie Children’s and its affiliates are equal employment opportunity employers.  We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, order of protection status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

For questions about how to request an accommodation please contact: [email protected]

AI Notice 

Lurie Children’s utilizes certain AI-enabled features within our recruiting platform to support candidate engagement and assist recruiters in identifying and prioritizing applicants whose experience aligns with job requirements. All employment decisions are made by individuals.

It is a civil rights violation with respect to recruitment, hiring, promotion, or employment for an employer to use artificial intelligence that has the effect of subjecting employees to discrimination on the basis of protected classes under the Illinois Human Rights Act or to use zip codes as a proxy for protected classes.

For questions about the use of artificial intelligence in this process or any additional support, please contact: [email protected]