Director of Social Services

Job Description

Job Description

OVERVIEW:

The Director of Social Services will work with residents in the nursing home by identifying their psychosocial, mental and emotional needs along with providing, developing, and/or aiding in the access of services to meet those needs. The nursing home social worker is responsible for fostering a climate, policies and routines that enable residents to maximize their individuality, independence and dignity. This climate shall provide residents with the highest practical level of physical, mental and psychosocial well-being and quality of life.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Review facility policies and procedures as part of the facility’s interdisciplinary team to assure compliance with state and federal regulations

• Participate in reviewing and setting policies concerning resident care and quality of life

• Participate in developing facility social work policies

• Develop, maintain and utilize a listing of current community resources that are useful to residents and their families/significant others

• Participate in quality assurance interdisciplinary team meetings

• Understand and meet all government requirements for social service documentation

• Document progress in meeting the psychosocial needs of residents

• Work with the interdisciplinary team and administration to promote and protect resident rights and the psychological well-being of each resident. Prevent and address resident abuse as mandated by law and professional licensure

• Identify community changes and opportunities such as legislation, regulations and programs that affect nursing home residents

• Work with residents, families, significant others and staff to provide support, information and organization for taking a more proactive role in self advocacy to improve the quality of life/care for individual residents and those who live and work within the nursing home and the community at large

• Complete a social history and psychosocial assessment for each resident that identifies social, emotional, and psychological needs

• Participate in the development of a written, interdisciplinary plan of care for each resident that identifies the psychosocial needs/issues of the resident, the goals to be accomplished for those needs/issues, and the appropriate social worker interventions

• Ensure or provide therapeutic interventions to assist residents in coping with their transition and adjustment to a long-term care facility, including their social, emotional, and psychological needs

• Ensure or provide support and education to residents/family members/significant others to assist in their understanding of placement and facility issues in addition to referring them to the appropriate social service agencies when the facility does not provide the needed services.

• Provide groups for residents/family members/significant others as appropriate to their needs

• Provide clinical interventions to address catastrophic events that occur during the resident’s stay in the facility

• Coordinate the resident discharge planning process and make referrals for appropriate home care services prior to the resident’s return to the community

• Educate staff regarding the role of the social worker in the facility and the psychosocial needs of the residents and their families/significant others including the problems of aging and disability.

• Educate staff regarding cultural diversity and each staff member’s importance when caring for residents. Educate staff regarding residents’ rights and how to recognize and prevent abuse, neglect and mistreatment

• Educate residents and families/significant others regarding their rights and responsibilities, effective problem solving and the extent of community, health and social services that are available to them, including those necessary for effective discharge planning.

• Supervise students assigned to social services in accordance with the respective school guidelines and monitor and document the progress of their work

• Maintain log of facility grievances

• Review grievance log with Administrator on a monthly basis so he may sign-off on resolved grievances while investigating any open grievances

• Supervise facility grievances to ensure they are accounted for and resolved within 7 days. If not resolved in 7 days, the Administrator must be informed as to what issues are hindering the resolution

• Social Services Director must always review any documents given to governmental bodies or third parties with the Administrator prior to submittal to said agencies

• Social Services Director must maintain monthly resident discharge log of residents for the purpose of follow-up calls

• other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE:

• LSW, LCSW, or LICSW in the state employed

• Prior work with elders in a community or long-term care setting is preferred

• The nursing home social worker must have skills in communication, assessment and social work methods and techniques.

• Must have a working understanding of social systems along with the ability to implement pertinent state and federal regulations.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• This position manages all employees of the department and is responsible for the performance management and hiring of the employees within that department.

• This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• This job operates in a health care setting. This role requires regular walking to various locations around the care center.

• Incumbent may be exposed to virus, disease and infection from patients and specimens in working environment.

• Incumbent may be required to work extended periods of time at a video display terminal.

• Incumbent may experience traumatic situations, including psychiatric, and deceased patients.

• Works beyond normal working hours and on weekends and holidays when necessary

• Must be able to stay or return to facility during emergency conditions

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus

• This position is very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling and climbing all day. The employee must frequently lift or move objects and patients weighing over 50 pounds.

TRAVEL:

• There are no travel requirements