Medical Social Worker (FT, Days)

Job Summary:

The Social Worker provides comprehensive psychosocial assessments to members. Social work services are designed to support and maximize the members ability to better direct their own health care experience through the use of assessment and intervention, educational programs, and linkage to health plan and community resources. The Social Worker encourages respect for individuality, independence and patient choice and collaborates on policies and systems that respect the cultural, religions, and ethnic differences among patients and families. Social work contributes to the medical teams understanding of patient beliefs, behaviors, and barriers regarding the members illness.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Uses age appropriate assessment and intervention skills. Able to use a range of interventions, depending upon the needs of the patient/family.
• Assists members in developing cost effective, appropriate health care plans through optimizing the members personal resources as well as community and Kaiser Permanente resources and programs.
• Promotes multi-disciplinary care that is patient-centered and considers all aspects of members personal, psychological, economic, and cultural needs.
• Maintains thorough knowledge of Kaiser Permanente services/benefits, public/private community resources, as well as federal/state laws which effect health care planning.
• Completes required documentation of services and Social Work plan of care per department policy.
• Participates in program development, orientation, and educational activities which further members capacity to better direct their own health care experience.