Social Worker - Indianapolis: Full-Time, Days

Description At Kindred Healthcare, our mission is to promote healing, provide hope, preserve dignity and produce value for each patient, resident, family member, customer, employee and shareholder we serve. Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:KND) is a healthcare services company, based in Louisville, Kentucky, with annual revenues of over $4 billion. At March 31, 2008, Kindred through its subsidiaries provided healthcare services in 646 locations in 40 states. Kindred’s 52,900 employees are committed to providing high quality patient care and outstanding customer service to become the most trusted and respected provider of healthcare services in every community we serve. For more information, go to www.kindredhealthcare.com. An Equal Opportunity Employer. Drug Free Workplace. Location:
Kindred Hospital - Indianapolis
1700 West 10th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46222
 
In this key role you will integrate Social Service functions into patient care, discharge, and home planning processes with other hospital departments, external service organizations, agencies and healthcare facilities.

Responsibilities:

• Help patients and families deal with the social and psychological factors of illness and their impact on family functioning and show them how to achieve maximum benefits from healthcare services
• Participate with physicians, nursing personnel and other members of the multidisciplinary team in planning patient care services and developing the patient care plan
• Engage in individual or group counseling sessions pertaining to care and adjustment
• Assist in implementing Social Services patient care policies and provide guidance in handling special cases or patient needs
• Develop harmonious working relationships with other departments; ensure staff's awareness of available services and resources; serve as liaison with external social service organizations
• Direct the Social Services discharge and home-care planning process to ensure the provision of continuing care and effective patient/family support services; arrange for care through institutions and agencies in the community
• Provide information to patients, families and other hospital departments regarding the psychosocial aspects of the patient's post-discharge treatment and recovery program

Requirements

Requirements:

1. Bachelor's degree in Social Work, MSW strongly preferred.

2. Minimum of three years of social work experience in an acute-care setting required, preferably long-term acute care or critical care.

3. Current experience with discharge planning, case management, and utilization review required.