Medical Social Worker (MSW) - Nursing Home jobs in Schenectady, NY

About this role:

As a Social Worker with Fresenius Medical Care, you will provide psychosocial services for our dialysis clinic patients.  You will work with the health care team to promote positive adjustment, rehabilitation, and improved quality of life for our patients. As well as support the clinic staff in understanding the emotional, psychological, and behavioral impact of chronic kidney disease on the patient and family.

How you grow or advance in your career: We believe in encouraging our employees to achieve their full potential by offering opportunities for advancement.  We have a social work specific career ladder ranging from pre-licensed (in states where permitted), to three potential levels of facility social work, as well as a leadership path from Social Worker to Manager, Senior Manager and Senior Director. 

Our culture: We believe our employees are our most important asset — we value, care about, and support our people. We are there when you may need us most, from tuition reimbursement to support your education goals, granting scholarships to family members, delivering relief when natural disasters strike, or providing financial support when personal hardship hits, we take care of our people.

Our focus on diversity: We have built a nurturing environment that welcomes every age, race, gender, sexual orientation, background, and cultural tradition. We have a diverse range of employee resource groups (ERGs) to encourage employees with similar interests, goals, social and cultural backgrounds, or experiences to come together for professional and personal development, discussion, activities, and peer support. Our diverse workforce and culture encourage opportunity, equity, and inclusion for all, which is a tremendous asset that sets us apart.

At Fresenius Medical Care, you will truly make a difference in the lives of people living with kidney disease. If this sounds like the career and company you have been looking for, and you want to be a vital part of the future of healthcare, apply today.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

As a member of the nephrology health care team, you will assess the patients' psychosocial status, strengths and areas of need that may affect rehabilitation and optimal treatment outcomes as part of the comprehensive patient assessment.

• Collaborates with the patient and health care team to identify effective interventions that will help the patient meet rehabilitation, treatment goals, and improve quality of life.
• Utilizes patient education programs, established social work theory and methods, social work focused interventions, and quality of life measurement instruments as part of the assessment and care planning to address barriers and meet patient treatment goals.
• Provides monitoring and interventions for the patient to adjust to dialysis and achieve optimal psychosocial status and quality of life.
• Assesses patient knowledge of kidney disease for barriers that may affect adherence to treatment.
• Provides supportive counseling services to patients as permitted within the scope of their clinical training and state license.
• Provides information and assists the team and patient with referrals to community resources (home health services, vocational rehabilitation, etc.) to facilitate optimal treatment outcomes.
• Maintains current knowledge regarding local vocational/educational rehabilitation programs and assist patients with referral and access to vocational rehabilitation to enable them to remain employed, become employed or receive education.
• Assesses patient awareness of advance directives; assists with accessing advance directive forms/information and facilitates discussion of advance directive wishes, if necessary, with the healthcare team and the patient's family/support persons.
• Participates in the discussion of patient DNR status in the facility to ensure patient and/or family understand and make an informed decision about their care.
• Reports on quality indicators related to adherence, such as missed and shortened treatments, quality of life trends, and service recovery.
• Works with patient, family and health care team to provide education tailored to the patient’s learning style, communication barriers, and needs.
• Provides educational and goal directed counseling to patients who are seeking transplant.
• Facilitates the transplant referral process and collaborates with interdisciplinary team on transplant waitlist management.
• Provides ongoing education to patient/family regarding psychosocial issues related to end stage renal disease (ESRD) and all support services that are available.
• Reviews patient rights and responsibilities, grievance information (company and network) and other facilities policies with patient and/or the patients’ representative to ensure patients’ understanding of the rights and expectations of them.
• Provide training to clinic staff pertaining to psychosocial topics as needed.

EDUCATION AND REQUIRED CREDENTIALS:

• Masters in Social Work
• Must have state required license

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

• 0 – 2 years’ related experience

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:

• The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Travel required (if multiple facilities or home visits, if applicable)