Social Worker- Shadyside Family Health Center

UPMC Community Medicine Incorporated is hiring a full-time Social Worker for the Shadyside Family Health Center. This position will work mainly Monday-Friday daylight hours with occasional evenings for the monthly Patient Advisory Council meetings.

The UPMC Shadyside Family Health Center is seeking a social worker to join our Social Drivers of Health team. This team, in partnership with our Patient Advisory Council, works to support our patients and combat the social determinants of health that they face. This position facilitates the point-of-care interventions that we provide to patients who screen positive for food insecurity, transportation insecurity, housing insecurity, and social isolation, and works with patients to develop sustainable supports against these challenges. For example, patients facing food insecurity can receive shelf-stable food and vouchers for fresh fruit and produce from our office, while we refer them to the outreach team at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for possible enrollment in SNAP, LIHEAP, etc. This work involves collaboration with another experienced social worker, office leadership, and a physician champion.

UPMC Shadyside Family Health Center has been teaching doctors to become specialists in family care. Our office serves as the outpatient training site for the Shadyside Family Medicine Residency. We care for patients of all ages, from newborn to geriatric, and provide unique services such as obstetric care, medication assisted therapy, and behavioral health. Our providers, clinical and clerical staff work together to provide high quality care to our patients and find new ways of delivering that care through research and project work.

It is the mission of UPMC Shadyside Family Medicine Residency Program to develop competent and confident Family Physicians to succeed in all domains of Family Medicine. We provide comprehensive training in a rigorous academic environment and pride ourselves on the diversity of our residents, faculty, staff, and patients. We are committed to reducing health disparities through education, inclusive patient experiences, and the advancement of equity and social justice initiatives. Our graduates become patient allies and community partners through their training in evidence-based medicine and patient-centered care. We believe that we can serve our communities and change our world by providing the best care possible for each and every patient.

Purpose:

Provide brief problem focused assessments, psychosocial support to include end of life and bereavement services, and timely and appropriate discharge planning based on anticipated needs.

Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate knowledge of reimbursement systems, the ability to educate patients and families regarding payer requirements/coverage for post acute services and the ability to effectively advocate on the behalf of the patient to obtain authorization for post-acute admission.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify, assess, support, and effectively intervene with patients based on their medical and psychosocial needs as part of an overall plan of care or at the time of a crisis the patient may experience.
• Educate and advocate for patients and families to assist their ability to make informed decisions regarding medical care, discharge planning, advance directives and end of life care.
• Maintain knowledge of federal, state, local assistance programs and community resources that affect patient needs; demonstrate ability to access social systems and assist patients/families in making informed decisions regarding recommended resources/referrals.
• Demonstrate appropriate professional practice maintaining respect for confidentiality and freedom of choice as outlined by the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers.
• Complete a brief problem focused psychosocial assessment that may include any of the following: social, economic, cultural, age-related and behavioral factors, history of child, elder, domestic abuse, prior psychiatric or substance abuse treatment, family and social support systems, and all other available resources.
• Collaborate effectively with the healthcare team, patients, families and relevant community resources to develop and implement and individualized plan of care. Monitor and evaluate plan, option, and available services to effectively meet the patient's needs and support the transition and use of the continuum of care. Reassess the plan of care as status changes at a minimum of every 1-3 days.
• Provide accurate, timely, ongoing, and appropriate documentation of all social work interventions in the medical record per regulatory policies and procedures.

B.S. degree in Social Work (BSW required. Experience in an acute care setting preferred.

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:

• Act 31 Child Abuse Reporting with renewal
• Act 33 with renewal
• Act 34 with renewal
• Act 73 FBI Clearance with renewal

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran