Social Service Assistant

About the Role

The primary purpose of this position is to assist in planning, developing, organizing, implementing, evaluating, and directing social service programs. This role aims to ensure that the medically related emotional and social needs of residents are met and maintained on an individual basis, in accordance with established standards, policies, and procedures.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist the Social Service Director/Consultant in planning, developing, organizing, implementing, evaluating, and directing facility social service programs.
• Meet with administration, medical and nursing staff, and other related departments for social services planning.
• Assist in developing, administering, and coordinating department policies and procedures.
• Review department policies and procedures annually and participate in recommending changes.
• Assist in developing and implementing policies and procedures for identifying residents' medically related social and emotional needs.
• Participate in community planning related to the facility's interests and resident/family needs.
• Assist residents in achieving the highest practicable level of self-care, independence, and well-being.
• Provide medically related social services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each resident.
• Complete and submit necessary administrative forms and reports to the Director.
• Provide information to residents/families about Medicare/Medicaid and other available financial assistance programs.
• Consult with staff and community agencies to solve resident needs and problems through social service program development.
• Record and maintain Social Service progress notes, indicating response to treatment plans and adjustment to institutional life.
• Coordinate social service activities with other departments.
• Work with emotional problems, including assisting residents/families with anxieties and stress related to illness, admission, coping with disabilities, fears, and the need for care.
• Evaluate social and family information and assist in determining social treatment plans.
• Meet with department personnel to identify and correct problem areas and improve services.
• Assist in obtaining resources from community social, health, and welfare agencies to meet resident needs.
• Assist in making outpatient appointments and scheduling on-site ancillary patient services (optometry, podiatry, dentistry, psychiatric).
• Assist in discharge planning with appropriate agencies and entities.
• Develop and maintain rapport with internal departments and external community health, welfare, and social agencies.
• Assist in developing and participating in orientation and in-service training programs related to residents' social, emotional, and medical needs.
• Assist in developing the department's budget.
• Report suspected or known incidents of fraud related to billings, cost reports, and kickbacks.
• Maintain the confidentiality of all resident care information, including protected health information, and report unauthorized disclosures.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Proficient in using desktop or laptop computers.
• Proficient in using office-related equipment such as copier/scanner/fax, telephone, and calculator.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or its equivalent.
• Associate or Bachelor's Degree preferred but not required.
• Prior health-care experience preferred.

Skills

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions.
• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations with limited standardization.
• Ability to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Physical Demands

• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Prolonged use of a desktop or laptop computer.
• Regularly required to sit, stand, walk, talk, read, or hear.
• May be necessary to assist in the evacuation of residents during emergency situations.

Work Environment

• The noise level is typically low to moderate.