Healthcare Social Workers :: Job Description

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Healthcare Social Workers

Careers / Healthcare Social Workers

Summary Description


	Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family care givers, providing patient education and counseling, and making referrals for other services. May also provide care and case management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.

Sample Job Titles

1.	AIDS Social Worker

2.	Bereavement Counselor

3.	Case Managers

4.	Certified Social Workers In Health Care

5.	Clinical Social Worker

6.	Community Advocate

7.	Dialysis Social Worker

8.	Director of Social Services

9.	Director of Social Work

10.	Disability Advocate

11.	Disability Coordinator

12.	Disability Specialist

13.	Discharge Planner

14.	Domestic Violence Advocate

15.	Elder Counselor

16.	Family Advocate

17.	Family Support Specialist

18.	Family Support Worker

19.	Geriatric Care Manager

20.	Geriatric Social Worker

21.	Group Social Worker

22.	Health Care Social Worker

23.	Healthcare Social Worker

24.	Home Health Care Social Worker

25.	Hospice Social Worker

26.	Hospital Social Worker

27.	Licensed Social Worker

28.	Long Term Care Social Worker

29.	Medicaid Specialist

30.	Medical Case Manager

31.	Medical Case Worker

32.	Medical Social Consultant

33.	Medical Social Worker

34.	Neonatal Social Worker

35.	Nephrology Social Worker

36.	Nursing Home Social Worker

37.	Older Adult Social Work Specialist

38.	Oncology Social Work

39.	Oncology Social Worker

40.	Outreach and Education Social Worker

41.	Outreach Coordinator

42.	Outreach Specialist

43.	Pediatric Social Worker

44.	Perinatal Social Worker

45.	Public Health Social Worker

46.	Public Welfare Worker

47.	Referral Coordinator

48.	Renal Social Worker

49.	Social Work Case Manager

50.	Social Worker

51.	Transition Specialist

Job Tasks

	Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs. Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments.

	Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises. Intervene in crisis situations to assist clients.

	Refer patient, client, or family to community resources to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness and to provide access to services such as financial assistance, legal aid, housing, job placement or education. Refer individuals to educational or work programs. Refer clients to community or social service programs.

	Investigate child abuse or neglect cases and take authorized protective action when necessary. Investigate legal issues.

	Counsel clients and patients in individual and group sessions to help them overcome dependencies, recover from illness, and adjust to life. Counsel clients or patients with substance abuse issues.

	Plan discharge from care facility to home or other care facility.

	Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress according to measurable goals described in treatment and care plan. Monitor clients to evaluate treatment progress. Maintain client records.

	Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in clients' status. Modify treatment plans to accommodate client needs.

	Identify environmental impediments to client or patient progress through interviews and review of patient records. Collect information about clients. Interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress. Evaluate potential problems in home or work environments of clients.

	Organize support groups or counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting the client or patient. Counsel family members of clients or patients.

	Utilize consultation data and social work experience to plan and coordinate client or patient care and rehabilitation, following through to ensure service efficacy. Develop treatment plans for patients or clients.

	Plan and conduct programs to combat social problems, prevent substance abuse, or improve community health and counseling services. Plan programs to address community health issues.

	Supervise and direct other workers providing services to clients or patients. Supervise workers providing client or patient services.

	Oversee Medicaid- and Medicare-related paperwork and recordkeeping in hospitals. Complete documentation required by programs or regulations.

	Develop or advise on social policy and assist in community development. Advise others on social or educational issues.

	Conduct social research to advance knowledge in the social work field. Research social issues.

Work Activities

Importance	Work Activity

Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Performing Administrative Activities — Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.

Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.

Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Selling or Influencing Others — Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.

Monitoring and Controlling Resources — Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.

Staffing Organizational Units — Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.

Nature of the Work


	(Abstract from Career Articles)

	Social Workers
	Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.

	Read More >>

Working Conditions


	(Abstract from Career Articles)

	Social Workers
	Social workers are employed in a variety of settings, including mental health clinics, schools, child welfare and human service agencies, hospitals, settlement houses, community development corporations, and private practices. They generally work full time and may need to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

	Read More >>

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Interesting Fact

Before becoming an actress and comedian, Whoopi Goldberg worked as a bricklayer, a bank teller, and even as a makeup artist at a funeral parlor.

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