Medical Social Worker

GUILFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT

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General Statement of Duties Provides intensive psychosocial counseling and referrals to patients and family members with chronic health problems and/or diseases.

An employee in this class is responsible for providing psychosocial assessments, developing treatment plans, and providing counseling and treatment services for citizens seeking medical care including referrals to other community resources as needed. Work is performed within the medical setting (office setting), home visits, and via telephone. Emphasis of the work is on providing directed counseling and psychosocial support for patients and families experiencing and/or managing medical health issues such as HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancies, and other health issues.

An additional role may be to serve as an advocate on behalf of patients by collaborating with a medical multidisciplinary team within the department and community as well. Job functions also include interpreting medical information, conducting home visits, providing individual, family, and group therapy, crisis intervention, and education of clients. Work is performed under the general direction of a clinical or administrative supervisor and is evaluated on the basis of attainment of stated performance objectives, periodic conferences with the employee, review of reports of activities, and consultation with other medical personnel with whom the employee interacts.

• Conducts initial assessments of patients and family members to determine needs for medical and social services assistance
• Works collaboratively with patients and/or patient's family in developing treatment modalities or life-adjustment alternatives for adapting to medical care issues.
• Provides routine and in-depth clinical medical counseling on a short-term and long-term basis to patients and their families with health-related problems and concerns
• Provides counseling and referral services to patients with life-threatening diseases.
• Provides clinical leadership to support group discussions such as for women with depression.
• Coordinates and/or refers patients to appropriate health care and other health services, hospitalization, or rehabilitation; refers patients and their families to other important social and medical resources needed to overcome unhealthy conditions such as child abuse, homelessness, and drug abuse; refers patients to finding legal resources and financial aid for paying for health services.
• Interprets available program services and qualification requirements for patient and/or families; may act as resource specialist in a particular area; documents needs/plans in patient's medical record

• Principles and practices of modern approaches to medical social work, clinical counseling, and psychology sufficient to provide clinical social work assistance to disadvantaged individuals and groups.
• Individual and group behavior, human growth and development, family relationships, medical psycho‑social‑economic factors, affective individuals and families, and community organization and resources sufficient to form conclusions and develop treatment plans for patients served.
• Principles and practices of clinical and abnormal psychology in the care and treatment of emotionally disturbed and/or disabled persons sufficient to identify patients requiring specific psychological, psychiatric, and or specialized services.
• The fields of study related to psychology, substance abuse, maternity, family planning, domestic violence, and adult and child development sufficient to provide counseling and therapy services to a diverse population.

• Laws and regulations affecting the limitations and provision of medical social work in the State of North Carolina including…