Social Worker

Position Description
Employees in this classification are responsible for providing social services to patients and their families by assisting them with personal and environmental difficulties which predispose illness or interfere with obtaining maximum benefits from medical care. Persons in this position work closely with physicians and nursing staff to further their understanding of significant social and emotional factors underlying patient's health problem. They also serve as a resource referral service in advising patients and their families about available community resources.
Major/Essential Functions

• Support the mental and physical health care of patients on an assigned patient caseload. Closely coordinate care with the patient's medical provider and, when appropriate, other mental health providers.
• Screen and assess patients for common mental health and substance abuse disorders. Facilitate patient engagement and follow-up care.
• Provide patient education about common mental health and substance abuse disorders and the available treatment options.
• Systematically track treatment response and monitor patients (in person or by telephone) for changes in clinical symptoms and treatment side effects or complications.
• Support psychotropic medication management as prescribed by medical providers, focusing on treatment adherence monitoring, side effects, and effectiveness of treatment.
• Provide brief behavioral interventions using evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation, problem-solving treatment, motivational interviewing, or other treatments as appropriate.
• Provide or facilitate in-clinic or outside referrals to evidence-based psychosocial treatments (e.g. problem-solving treatment or behavioral activation) as clinically indicated.
• Participate in regularly scheduled (usually weekly) caseload consultation with the psychiatric consultant and communicate resulting treatment recommendations to the patient's medical provider. Consultations will focus on patients new to the caseload and those who are not improving as expected under the current treatment plan. Case reviews may be conducted by telephone, video, or in person.
• Track patient follow up and clinical outcomes using a registry. Document in-person and telephone encounters in the registry and use the system to identify and re-engage patients. Registry functions can be accomplished through an EHR build, on a spreadsheet used in conjunction with an EHR, or can be built into a stand-alone clinical management tracking system that may or may not be linked to an EHR.
• Document patient progress and treatment recommendations in EHR and other required systems so as to be shared with medical providers, psychiatric consultant, and other treating providers.
• Facilitate treatment plan changes for patients who are not improving as expected in consultation with the medical provider and the psychiatric consultant and who may need more intensive or more specialized mental health care.
• Facilitate referrals for clinically indicated services outside of the organization (e.g., social services such as housing assistance, vocational rehabilitation, mental health specialty care, substance abuse treatment).
• Develop and complete relapse prevention self-management plan with patients who have achieved their treatment goals and are soon to be discharged from the caseload.

Pay Statement
Compensation is commensurate upon the qualifications of the individual selected and budgetary guidelines of the hiring department, as well as the institutional pay plan. For additional information, please reference the institutional pay plan website.
EEO Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or status as a protected veteran.
Required Qualifications
Education:
A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from an accredited program by the Council on Social Work Education.
License/Certification:
Licensed or eligible for license as a Social Worker by the Council on Social Work Education.
Jeanne Clery Act
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act is a federal statute requiring colleges and universities participating in federal financial aid programs to maintain and disclose campus crime statistics and security information. By October 1 of each year, institutions must publish and distribute their Annual Campus Security Policy & Crime Statistics Report (ASR) to current and prospective students and employees. To view this report, visit the TTUHSC Clery Act website.