Master Social Worker Ambulatory Care

Primary City/State:

Phoenix, Arizona

Department Name:

Peds Hemo Onc-Hosp

Work Shift:

Day

Job Category:

Clinical Care

A rewarding career that fits your life. Learn how Banner Health, a certified Great Place To Work®, prioritizes team members and strives to be the best place to work in health care.

This is a deeply meaningful, patient- and family-centered role embedded within a pediatric hematology and oncology ambulatory care setting. As the sole social worker on a close-knit team, you will walk alongside families during some of the most challenging seasons of their lives — connecting them with foundations, financial resources, and community support to ease the everyday burdens that don't stop when treatment does. Many pediatric patients are treated over a span of 3–5 years and continue to be seen long after active treatment ends, making long-term relationship-building and consistent follow-up a cornerstone of this role. You'll collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of providers, nurse navigators, nurses, and child life specialists. This is a role where your work directly gives families more time to simply be present with their loved one.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Provide psychosocial support and care coordination for hematology and oncology patients and families
• Connect patients and families with foundations and financial assistance programs to address ongoing expenses
• Manage a daily caseload of approximately 4–5 families, with up to 3–4 inpatient and up to 8 outpatient clinic appointments
• Conduct long-term follow-up with patients, including those who have completed active treatment
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team including patient navigators and a child life specialist

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in pediatric and/or oncology social work strongly preferred
• Comfort working independently while remaining connected to a supportive leadership team

Schedule

• Monday – Thursday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
• Friday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Banner Health’s premier West Valley Level I Trauma for adults and Tertiary Care destination for all ages. Banner Thunderbird Medical Center (BTMC) and Banner Children’s Hospital at Thunderbird provide a preferred destination for surgical, oncological, cardiovascular, neuroscience, orthopedic, pediatric, and women and infant services achieved through best-in-class 5-star CMS rating to provide patients with high quality, safe care for the best possible experience. Our campus is one of the largest campuses in the Banner network with over 3000 employees. BTMC was voted Best of the Best in 2023 by Banner Health out of 30 hospitals. This is the most prestigious award one of our largest hospitals can receive for consistently meeting our annual targets. If you would like to contribute to truly leading edge caring, we invite you to bring your experience and skills to Banner Thunderbird.

POSITION SUMMARY
This position develops, coordinates and provides social work services to patients and families who are faced with social, emotional and situational stressors precipitated by illness, injury, and/or disability. The goal is to aid in adaptation and empower the patient and the family to participate to the fullest of their abilities in the discharge planning process. This position provides developmentally appropriate care for the population that it serves which includes planning for the safe discharge and continuity of care, the ability to recognize and plan for the unique needs of all ages as well as the physically disabled, mentally ill, chronically ill and terminally ill patient.

CORE FUNCTIONS
1. Processes and facilitates the assessment with analysis of functional and psychological needs of the patient within the framework of his/her developmental stage, functional abilities, cultural milieu, and support network. Assessment of the relationship of the patient's medical needs to the patient's home situation, financial resources, and availability of community resources. Assessment of the social and emotional factors related to the patient's illness, need for care, response to treatment, and adjustment to care. Assessment includes: initial assessments, behavioral observations, test (MMSE, depression screening, substance abuse screening), resource identification - strength based, collection and analysis of information to determine an individual’s treatment needs.

2. Formulates a plan of intervention acceptable to the patient, family, and health care team. Facilitate adjustments to the plan of care when necessary to promote enhanced outcomes. Collaborates with all members of the healthcare team to develop, manage, and communicate patient needs and discharge plans.

3. Documents all interventions in the patient medical record both timely and accurately including all elements of the transitional care plan to include the discharge plan.

4. Provides advocacy, assistance, support, counseling and crisis intervention to patients and families. Facilitates hospital-sponsored support groups.

5. Functions in a liaison role between the hospital and community in making community resources available to the patient and family.

6. Maintains knowledge of Medicare, Medicaid and other program benefits to assist patients with discharge planning and choices. Knowledge of contemporary behavioral health and system theories relevant to health care, end of life dynamics, and interventions; grief and bereavement counseling, substance abuse identification and interventions, support of victims of abuse, neglect, or violence. Provides professional education to staff and community.

7. Gather / assessing information, apply counseling and developmental theories, utilizing diagnostic frameworks, and engage in collaborative treatment planning.

8. Has freedom to determine how to best accomplish functions within established procedures. Confers with supervisor on any unusual situations. Positions are facility based with no budgetary responsibility. Internal customers: All levels of nursing management and staff, medical staff, and all other members of the interdisciplinary health care team. External Customers: Home health agencies, nursing homes, insurance providers, volunteer services, county and governmental agencies and medical supply companies.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Requires a Master’s Degree in Social Work, Counseling or related field (requirement is based on business need and regulatory compliance, all positions may not have this requirement).

Requires a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) (equivalent*) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or have a MSW with the requirement to become licensed within 6 months of hire date. An equivalent license applies to states that do not recognize an LMSW; therefore, the employee must possess a Master’s Degree and be a Licensed Social Worker. For assignments in an acute care setting, Basic Life Support (BLS) certification is also required.

Requires a proficiency level typically achieved with 3 years acute care hospital experience. Banner Registry and Travel positions require a minimum of one year experience in an acute care hospital setting. Experience must include working in an acute care setting within the past 12 months as a Social Worker MSW in the specialty area.

Must have knowledge of government/community resources such as Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care or any other applicable resources/services. Must demonstrate critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, effective communication skills, human relations skills and time management skills. In acute care, must be able to work flexible hours and take rotating call after hours.
 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Additional related education and/or experience preferred.

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