Lead Social Worker Care Coordination

Social Work Lead

Penn Medicine is dedicated to our tripartite mission of providing the highest level of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine. Working for this leading academic medical center means collaboration with top clinical, technical and business professionals across all disciplines. Today at Penn Medicine, someone will make a breakthrough. Someone will heal a heart, deliver hopeful news, and give comfort and reassurance.

Our employees shape our future each day. Are you living your life's work?

The Social Work Lead provides day-to-day operational oversight and direct supervision of Social Work staff within Care Coordination. The Lead ensures consistent, high-quality social work practice; adherence to organizational policies, regulatory requirements, professional standards, and department workflows; and timely intervention in complex psychosocial and discharge planning needs. The position assigns and balances daily work, supports staff problem-solving, monitors performance and documentation, completes staff evaluations, and escalates significant operational, clinical, or employee concerns to the Director/Manager of Care Coordination.

The Social Work Lead also serves as a clinical and operational resource to the interdisciplinary team and maintains a limited caseload or provides coverage when needed.

Responsibilities:

• Oversees daily Social Work operations, including assignments, caseload distribution, priorities, staffing, and coverage
• adjusts work as needed and escalates staffing concerns to the Director/Manager of Care Coordination.
• Maintains visibility on patient care units and conducts routine staff check-ins to identify high-risk cases, discharge priorities or delays, workflow concerns, and support needs.
• Establishes performance expectations
• provides supervision, coaching, mentoring, and feedback
• and holds staff accountable for productivity, attendance, communication, documentation, and assigned responsibilities.
• Completes probationary and annual performance evaluations, addresses performance or conduct concerns, and collaborates with the Director/Manager of Care Coordination and Human Resources on formal corrective action when indicated.
• Ensures Social Work practice complies with department policies and procedures, hospital standards, applicable laws and regulations, NASW standards, professional ethics, and established best practices
• conducts case and documentation reviews to monitor quality and timeliness.
• Provides guidance and intervention for complex psychosocial needs, including child and adult abuse or neglect, domestic violence, guardianship, foster care, adoption, mental health placement, substance use, child protection, and sexual assault.
• Serves as a resource for capacity, treatment decisions, advance directives, and end-of-life concerns and escalates significant safety, legal, ethical, regulatory, patient rights, unresolved discharge, or employee concerns.
• Ensures effective Social Work participation in multidisciplinary rounds, discharge planning activities, patient and family meetings, and other required care progression forums.
• Monitors operational and quality measures, identifies gaps, and works with the Director/Manager of Care Coordination to implement improvement actions.
• Supports staff orientation, competency validation, required education, and professional development.
• Serves as the day-to-day Social Work liaison to physicians, nursing, Case Management, behavioral health, patient relations, risk management, legal services, and community partners.
• Provides routine updates to the Director/Manager of Care Coordination regarding staffing, workload, staff performance, high-risk cases, operational barriers, and…