Social Worker

TITLE: Director of Social Services                           RESPONSIBLE TO: Administrator

JOB OBJECTIVE: The social work staff offers services to residents with respect to admission planning and orientation to the facility's services, and help in enabling residents to make positive use of facility services on a continuing basis.
The social worker helps the resident maintain ties with the community (family, friends, etc.), and to sustain previous life roles, and find new or substitute roles.
Through a variety of individual and group services social work staff, in collaboration with other staff, seek to help make the residents admission to an institution a positive change in terms of increased well-being, provision of medical care, and relief from stress.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS/DUTIES:

1. *Must be a graduate of a four year college or university with a Bachelor of Social Work Degree or a degree in related fields.
2. *One year experience in the field of long term care/health care.
3. *Must satisfy all established licensing and certification requirements applicable to this job position.
4. *Must be able to use the English language to satisfy the communications and record keeping requirements involved in the performance of this job position with or without reasonable accommodation.
5. Must maintain neat, well-groomed appearance adhering to dress code of the facility.
6. *Must be able to safely perform all essential job functions without harm to self or others with or without reasonable accommodation.
7. *Must comply with facility's drug testing and substance abuse program and policies.

Supervision (Given and received):

Given: Supervises all social work staff.
May, at times, supervise students and/or volunteers.

Received: Supervised by Administrator.

Job Responsibilities and Duties:

l.
*Receives and responds to verbal and written inquiries for service, provides application packets upon request, schedules appointments for interviews and tours of the facility, and pursues the application process with interested persons.

2. *Receives and responds to inquiries from hospitals, social services agencies, other agencies, and ministers seeking admissions on behalf of older adults.
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3. *Receives, records, and responds to applications received.
4. *Interviews potential residents and their representatives (family members, guardians, POA), to collect accurate information on their desires and needs.
5. *Serves as the primary planning person for the facility in the planning and decisions making process with the applicant and his/her representatives.
6. *Helps applicant become familiar with the services and programs of the facility; learn the admission policies and requirements; and in collaboration with other staff assess the needs and resources of the applicant.
7. Explains applicable local, state, and federal requirements to potential and new residents and *resident's representatives.
8. *Explains Medicare and Medicaid programs, benefits for which the resident may be eligible, and advises applicant/resident on where and how to apply for benefits.
9. *Provides applicants/residents written information, with verbal interpretation, on Resident Rights, Resident Self-Determination Act, Resident Policies, charges covered by Medicare/Medicaid, bed hold policy, Advance Directives, etc.
10. *Reviews facility policies and procedures that affect resident while in care, and provides resident a written copy of policies.
11. *Reviews and explains the facility admissions agreement, with all attachments, to potential and new residents and residents' representatives.
12. *Secures information and documents related to decisions on Living Wills, health care power of attorney, and no code, and relays information and appropriate documents to staff, physicians, and files.
13. *Coordinates the application process with the Administrator, Director of Nursing, Vice President for finance, Coordinator of Assisted Living, and other department directors as necessary.
14. *Serves as a member of the Administrative Admissions Committee, and makes verbal and written reports to committee at its regularly scheduled meetings.
15. Presents application to Admissions Committee for a decision.
    Provides the committee members the information they need to decide to admit, deny admission, and defer action until needed information is available.
16. Conveys the decision of the Admissions Committee in writing to the applicant, and proceeds to implement the decision with the applicant.
17. *Coordinates with the Administrator and department directors an admission date acceptable to the applicant, family, facility, and other entities such as hospitals, etc.
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18. *Helps prepare new resident, family, staff and current residents for the admission of a new resident.
19. Sends a new admission notice to all staff persons needing this information prior to the day of admission.
20. *Prepares a social history which becomes a part of the chart information on the new resident; participates in the initial assessment of the resident's needs (MDS), and helps develop an individual plan of care for resident.
21. *Participates weekly with other staff in reviewing, assessing, and up-dating the individual care plan on each resident in care.
22. Maintains an on-going, up-dated record system that reflects status of current inquiries; applications in process; applications scheduled for Admissions Committee; applicants approved with admission in process; applicants approved and placed on waiting list; applications withdrawn and/or denied.
23. *Coordinates and participates in family and resident activities designed to promote social interaction, reality orientation, and intellectual stimulation.
24. *Develops one-to-one relationships with residents and families as needed for counseling.
25. *Counsel residents and family in dealing with feelings about death or dying, and other emotional, mental, environmental, or physical limitations.
26. *Responsible for completion of discharge policy.
27. *Works as a liaison with social, health and community agencies.
28. *Coordinate family and community resources as needed to help solve financial needs and to promote emotional security of residents.
29. *Coordinates with Activity Department to meet socialization needs of residents.
30. *Works tactfully and cooperatively with resident, families, visitors, and other staff throughout the facility.
31. Abides by department policies, practices, and standards of care.
32. Properly uses and cares for equipment and supplies.
33. *Follows all safety, security, infection control, universal precautions, and hazardous materials policies and procedures.
    Performs all tasks to assure resident personal safety and the protection of co-workers and facility property.
34. *Knows and ensures that all resident rights are maintained at all times.
    Reports any violations or suspected deviations according to facility property.

35. *Maintains confidentiality of all resident care information.
36. *Changes work schedule or works overtime on occasion to meet the needs of the facility.
37. Comes to work as scheduled and consistently demonstrates dependability and punctuality.
38. Assists other staff members as needed within the limits of training and certification.
39. Assumes responsibility and accountability for information contained in the Employee Information Booklet.
40. Attend staff meetings, in-service classes, and committee meetings as assigned.
41. Performs other related duties as directed by Administrator or Director of Nursing.

Physical/Mental Requirements:

1. *Frequently walking and standing is required, up to 50% of time of duty.
2. *The ability to occasionally push/pull objects, including wheelchairs/geri-chairs, ranging in weight from 80 to 250 pounds.
3. *Frequently lift and/or carry objects weighing up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or carry objects from 10 to 25 pounds.
4. *Frequently required to concentrate on minimal to moderate detail with little interruption, to moderate to fine detail with little to constant interruption.
5. *Frequently required to attend to task/function ranging from 10-45 minutes in duration.
6. *Frequently expected to understand and relate to specific ideas, generally several at a time, and occasionally expected to understand and relate to concepts behind specific ideas.

*Frequently required to remember verbal and written tasks/assignments for a few hours during shift, to those given at the beginning of a period of time extending several days.

8.
*Able to see distant objects, monitor persons and doors at distances of 35 feet, and occasionally read small print in care plans, documents, receive verbal instructions, answer telephone, communicate with visitors, residents and employees in situations with some background noise.
Environmental Conditions:

1. Works in a climate controlled building up to 90% of the time, with a temperature range from 68 to 80 degrees.
2. *Occasional exposure to blood, body tissue or fluids.
   This is rare.
3. *Occasional exposure too loud or unpleasant noises occasionally.

Equipment Utilized:

Telephone, copier, fax, typewriter, automobile, van, wheelchair, geri-chair, dictation equipment.