Ambulatory Social Worker - Palliative Medicine and Support Care

Position Overview

The Ambulatory Social Worker provides psychosocial support to patients with chronic disease through interdisciplinary collaboration with the Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care (PM&SC) team. The role supports patients, families, and caregivers facing life‑threatening illnesses, offering grief and bereavement services.

• Participates in the patient admission process (inpatient, outpatient, PHP, IOP); assists with signing voluntary papers and serves as hospital representative and patient advocate.
• Coordinates and facilitates services for patients and their families throughout the Stormont Vail Health system.
• Performs social work assessments, developing case management or treatment plans based on client/family concerns and multidisciplinary recommendations.
• Addresses patient/family psychosocial issues such as conflict, isolation, treatment decisions, quality‑of‑life, transitions in care, advance directives, domestic violence, coping, anxiety, communication, and functional changes.
• Initiates discharge planning upon admission and ensures coordinated implementation with internal and external teams.
• Develops long‑term planning to reduce recidivism and provides necessary referrals.
• Maintains and modifies the bereavement process for families of patients who die under PM&SC care; provides telephone grief support, assesses need for formal services, and refers families to external groups.
• Provides liaison between the palliative care team and community hospice, home‑care agencies, long‑term care facilities, and other community services.
• Participates in performance‑improvement initiatives and coordinates educational and outreach services related to the social/palliative care interface.
• Provides problem solving and leadership in developing new services responding to patient care demands.
• Maintains confidentiality, complies with professional ethics, and participates in patient‑care conferences and education.
• Provides crisis and/or brief therapy for individuals, families, and groups; assesses function at discharge or referral.

• Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) licensed or temporarily licensed in Kansas (KSBSRB); full licensure required upon expiration of temporary license.
• Master of Social Work (MSW) licensed or temporarily licensed in Kansas (KSBSRB); full licensure required upon expiration of temporary license.
• Advanced Certified Hospice & Palliative Care Social Worker (ACHP‑SW) preferred.
• Experience in customer service and in clinical settings dealing with families; experience in group work, case work, and community methodologies preferred.
• Experience in practicum or work in a clinical setting is preferred.

Physical demands are light, requiring occasional lifting up to 50lbs, occasional driving, and frequent hand/foot coordination. Working conditions include occasional dust, chemical exposure, infectious disease risk, and other standard healthcare environmental hazards.

Stormont Vail is an equal‑opportunity employer and adheres to the philosophy and practice of providing equal opportunities for all employees and prospective employees, without regard to race, color, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, marital status, uniformed service, disability, or genetic information. This applies to all aspects of employment practices including hiring, firing, pay, benefits, promotions, lateral movements, job training, and any other terms or conditions of employment.

Retaliation is prohibited against any person who files a claim of discrimination, participates in a discrimination investigation, or otherwise opposes an unlawful employment act based upon the above classifications.