Clinical Social Worker Senior; LICSW; Palliative Care

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The Palliative Care Service provides patient and family care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing, and treating suffering through the continuum of illness. The social worker is a member of the Palliative Care clinical inpatient team within the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine. The position requires one who works effectively, efficiently, and collaboratively as an employee of the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine adhering to professional social work standards expected at MGH, meeting the clinical and administrative requirements.

The role provides clinical services to patients/families that address psychosocial, environment, age specific and cultural issues to maximize emotional, social, and physical well-being and the effective use of healthcare and community resources; conducts bio-psychosocial assessments, provides intervention and treatment as indicated. The social worker is expected to be highly organized, work independently, receive minimal supervision and guidance, and is expected to identify opportunities for improvement and seek out responsibility to enhance their ability to perform the work required.

They will be HIPAA and Joint Commission compliant, for the Service’s code of conduct and be guided by the MGH Mission, Credo and Boundaries.

• Develop comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessments responsive to age appropriate and cultural needs and concerns, specific to patients with chronic and terminal illness and their families
• Assess patient-family-caregiver, physical, psychological, socioeconomic, spiritual and symptom management needs
• Employ a range of clinical interventions such as psychotherapy (individuals, couples, families, and group), psychosocial counseling, crisis intervention, care coordination, complementary therapies, information and referral and safety planning. Advocate on behalf of patients and families to gain access to services and resources
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of the theoretical and bio-psychosocial factors essential to caring for patients with chronic and terminal illness and their families
• Conduct and/or participate in initial palliative care consults
• Provide psychosocial consultation on patient-care planning and patient/family management
• Incorporate assessments in developing and implementing intervention plans that enhance the clients’ abilities and decisions in palliative and end of life care
• Identify barriers and risk factors that may impede symptom management, response to treatment and patient/family care
• Appropriately document all practice with patients
• Assist the palliative care team and/or directly facilitate patient-family-team meetings
• Work independently and collaboratively on an interdisciplinary team
• Serve as an effective liaison between the palliative care service and social service, including effecting necessary hand-offs with unit/service-based social work colleagues
• Work effectively as part of the palliative care team, as well as with various clinicians throughout the hospital
• Provide guidance and psychosocial dynamics instruction to fellows (I.e.: psychosocial assessment, conducting family meetings, etc.)
• Recognize and intervene in issues of…