LMSW/LGSW Inpatient Case Manager

MedStar Health is looking for an Inpatient Case Manager to join our team at MedStar Washington Hospital Center!

The Inpatient Case Manager provides patient/family interventions to facilitate quality patient care and timely discharge planning. Coordinates with physicians, nurses, Clinical Resource Management (CRM) Case Managers and other disciplines within the care team, including outside agencies, to expedite the appropriateness, effectiveness and timeliness of post-acute care and discharge planning. Using various treatment modalities, CSW assists patients and families in resolving social, financial, and emotional problems related to illness, health care and rehabilitation. Assists to effectively and efficiently provide complete comprehensive discharge plans to decrease LOS by having services available in a timely manner. Provides additional care for the psychiatric, ETOH/drug abuse, rape, neglected adult and child, and self-pay patients; and the highest possible care for planning a safe discharge in a timely manner and assists with projections for discharge and IDRs daily. This position includes meeting the needs of and providing services to all age groups-infancy through geriatrics, and services for the culturally diverse population MedStar Washington serves.

Join one of the largest healthcare systems in the Baltimore-Washington metro region, also recognized as one of the "Healthiest Maryland Businesses". Apply today and learn how MedStar Health can be your next great career move!

Primary Duties:

• Interviews patients/significant others to obtain data on personal, social, medical, emotional, and cultural needs to identify and assess problems requiring Social Work intervention, and documents. Evaluates patient and family information, selects appropriate Social Work methods, develops, implements, and documents a plan with the multidisciplinary team. Provides professional expertise to coordinate transition management for patients and arrange for appropriate care to ensure safe and timely discharge. Identifies barriers that result in delays in transition and develops strategies to minimize; communicates successful strategies with team. Effectively balances patient safety and discharge needs with length of stay goals.

• Actively contributes, participates and follows through on interventions identified in Department Long Stay Rounds and Unit Discharge Planning Rounds. Provides professional support and counseling to patients/families adjusting to illness, catastrophic diagnoses, changes in living situations and bereavement. Establishes a cohesive comprehensive plan. Document interventions and outcomes. Manages patient/family and provider team meetings to develop and plan strategies to overcome psychosocial and economic issues related to patient's acute hospital stay, care progression and transition. Liaison between patients/families and internal/external providers of care on social issues.

• Provides consultation, assessment, coordination and/or referral in cases of child or adult abuse, neglect, domestic violence and/or sexual abuse. Proactively identifies potential and/or actual barriers to a safe and timely discharge to assure efficient discharge planning. Identifies patient/family/significant other's ability to participate in the plan and pro-actively establishes strategies to overcome barriers. Demonstrates knowledge of resources available in the system and community and effectively utilizes them in supporting patients during care. Advises physicians of availability of appropriate services for patients who require post-hospital care. Coordinates the planning and referrals for those patients.

• Maintains current knowledge of clinical treatment modalities related to assigned patient populations, clinical improvement strategies, and reimbursement issues. Maintains documentation in Allscripts and other record-keeping systems.

• Assists with departmental projects and other functions such as department operations and/or patient specific issues that may arise. Actively participates in ongoing development of CRM staff by preparing and presenting two case studies per year to team.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

• LGSW (Licensed Graduate Social Worker) in the District of Columbia.

• 1-2 years of progressively more responsible experience, in a medical setting (hospital, nursing home, clinic, etc.) preferred.