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Job Summary: The Senior Social Worker performs advanced clinical evaluations and treatment of persons in need of medical or mental health services in a health care setting.  This class assumes major clinical responsibility and provides clinical treatment without restriction to type of problem or degree of severity of medical illness.  The work requires independent judgment in dealing with individuals, but operates within defined policies and procedures.  Acts as a consultant and backup to other clinicians in implementing treatment plans relevant to social work issues with demonstrated expertise in working with one or more specialized disease entities or populations such as oncology patients, persons with AIDS, pediatric patients, renal patients, etc.  Supervision is not a responsibility of this class, however leadership and training of recent graduates, entry level social workers, and social work students is a feature of this class.  Does related work as required.

Responsibilities:

• Prepares psychosocial assessments of patients and families by securing significant data for presentation to the interdisciplinary team, and participates in decisions and planning for treatment and after care;

• Provides psychosocial counseling, with minimal supervision, to patients and families related to the impact of and adjustment to illness or injury and compliance to the medical treatment plan;

• Coordinates, and on certain units supervises, the discharge planning function, including referrals to home health care service providers, residential health care facilities, psychiatric and medical rehabilitation hospitals and programs, and other community supports;

• Participates in and contributes to formal interdisciplinary rounds and conferences;

• Provides in-service training to social work staff and other disciplines on selected topics within the area of expertise;

• On assigned units and programs, trains and provides leadership to social work students and entry level social workers;

• Completes required statistics and recording for the Social Work Department;

• Keeps abreast of developments in the field, particularly in the area of medical specialization;

• May represent the hospital at community meetings and act as a liaison and coordinator between community and hospital programs;

Qualifications/Requirements:

Experience: Minimum of 1 years of experience where the primary function of the position was professional social work in a medical, mental health or human service setting as a member of a multidisciplinary treatment team, required.

Education:  Master's degree in Social Work (M.S.W.)  from a School of Social Work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, required.

Licenses / Certifications:  Possession of a valid license and current registration as an LMSW or LCSW, issued by the New York State Education Department

Other:  Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of medical social work; thorough knowledge of disease entities and processes, and their psychosocial impact on patients and families; thorough knowledge and understanding of medical technology and medical treatment modalities; thorough knowledge of case work techniques; skill in assessing personality development, ego functions, defense mechanisms, transference, and counter-transference phenomena; skill in crisis intervention techniques, and in conducting interviews and interventions with complex and problematic clients to obtain social and medical information necessary to independently make a diagnostic and treatment plan; ability to work effectively with patients and their families in the face of catastrophic illnesses, traumatic injuries, and medical anomalies; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships; ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; ability to function as a member of a multi-disciplinary team; ability to lead and train subordinate social work staff; ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the essential duties of the position; ability to effectively use computer applications such as spreadsheets, word processing, calendar, e-mail and database software in performing work assignments; sound professional judgment; initiative; resourcefulness; integrity; tact; emotional maturity; physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.

Special Requirements: Must maintain license and registration as an LMSW or LCSW throughout the course of employment in this title.