Responsibilities:

• Actively engages and educates potential customers to the benefits and appropriateness of hospice care. 
• Ensures the patient and his/her family has adequate knowledge and understanding of the hospice benefit. 
• Processes inquiries for all new referrals (internal and external).
• Ensures seamless transition from hospital to the community setting by coordinating the following hospice services at time of discharge: 
  • Ordering supplies and DME,
  • Hand-off communication with field team, and
  • Documentation in the electronic medical record
• Performs and documents an initial assessment within 3 days of admission, utilizing interview, observation and other available information.
• Establishes plan of care for patients and documents intervention within 3 days of admission.
• Visits/contact each patient and family according to established plan of care.
• Implements the established plan of care with each visit.
• Performs daily assessment and coordinates the plan of care with in-patient staff for General Inpatients (GIP).  Assesses patient for safety risks, abuse and neglect.
• Evaluates the patient and family and provides appropriate intervention with each visit.
• Revises/updates patient care plan at each visit/contact based on change in patient condition/status or response and evaluation/effectiveness of interventions.
• Counsels patients/families/caregivers as needed in relationship to stress, and other identified coping issues.
• Assumes responsibility for coordination of care for managing a caseload of patients in the inpatient setting.
• Flexibility in setting and revising priorities for one’s daily assignment based on patient needs/acuity, family requests and available resources.
• Attend interdisciplinary meetings as assigned.

Education:

• Master’s Degree in Social Work from an accredited school of Social Work (CSWE),
• Knowledgeable regarding JCAHO and Medicare standards and regulations.
• The ability to build relationships with patients, physicians, community agencies and institutions while providing excellent customer service. 

Languages:

• English required.

Certifications:

•Current Licensure as a Social Worker (LSW) in the State of Ohio required.
•Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Heart Association (AHA).
•Valid Ohio Driver’s License upon hire; per policy 8-175 thereafter.
•Proof of automobile insurance coverage with $100,000/$300,000 coverage upon hire; per policy 8-175 thereafter.

Competencies (Complexity of Work):

• Requires working under stressful conditions and working irregular hours.
• Hours of work will vary dependent on the needs of the referral sources.
• Requires travel to hospitals and community referral sources.

Work Experience:

• Minimum two years of varied work experience as a Master’s prepared Social Worker.

• Hospice experience preferred.

Physical Requirements:

• Requires full range of body motion including handling and lifting packages, manual and finger dexterity, and eye hand coordination.  Occasionally lifts and carries items weighing up to 50 pounds.  Requires corrected vision and hearing to normal range.
• Requires standing and walking for extensive periods of time.

Personal Protective Equipment:

• Requires some exposure to communicable diseases or bodily fluids.