Job Description

Department Overview

This Medical Social Worker position primarily works in the Emergency Department. There is a heavy focus on addressing the needs of patients with mental health. Emergency Department Social Workers will regularly complete mental health assessments on patients in mental health crisis. They will make level of care recommendations including inpatient or outpatient. They will safety plan with patients and their loved ones, plan for mental health follow up, and adhere to all relevant statutes related to mental health discharges.

OHSU is a Level One Trauma Center. Emergency Department Social Workers support patients and their loved ones during mild, moderate, and severe trauma related admissions. The Social Worker will review the POLST registry, surrogate decision-making documents, notify next of kin or surrogate decision maker of admission. The Social Workers provide support to the loved ones of patients that are critically ill or die.

The Emergency Department is a 24/7 service. There are times when the Medical Social Worker may be required to work outside their normal schedule. They could include overnight or during the day when that is not their normal schedule. There are also last-minute staffing needs sent out via text message at varying hours.

Function/Duties of Position

• Conducts psychosocial evaluations of patients/families and significant others including, but not limited to the following: adjustment to medical or health condition; care coordination; mental health status; adjustment/ compliance to treatment process; substance usage; child and elder abuse/neglect assessments; domestic violence issues; cognitive status (including potential guardian issues); and patient/family resources.
• Provides crisis intervention and supportive short-term counseling to patients/families and significant others as necessary to meet immediate psycho-social needs including, but not limited to: Trauma/Emergency Department/ On Call/ Family Notification, CODE Response (family intervention); unanticipated change in health conditions/suicidal ideation; teenage pregnancy; single parent pregnancy/parenthood, domestic violence, child and elder abuse/neglect.
• Provides grief/loss counseling and education regarding: fetal demise; actual/pending death of patient/family member; complicated pregnancies; pregnancy termination support, postpartum depression; chronic/acute stress associated with life circumstances; divorce/separation; loss of independence associated with illness or disability.
• Provides brief psychotherapy including individual short-term psychotherapy; group work including information/support groups, family support, patient therapy); regarding but not limited to issues of adoption, abortion, domestic violence, family of origin, sexual/gender, substance abuse, parenting, relationship adjustment to disabilities and chronic or acute illness.
• Provides patient advocacy and associated services to patient/family and other involved agencies/parties regarding decision-making; advance directives; ethics consultations; court holds; guardianship/ conservatorship; citizenship cases; and social cultural factors.

Required Qualifications

• A Master’s Social Work (MSW) required.
• Certificate of Clinical Social Work Associate (CSWA) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) required for employees who practice clinical social work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Health care experience preferred.
• Bilingual language skill are strongly preferred

Additional Details

Requires prioritization.

Frequent interruptions in an environment of frequent change and fluctuations.

For inpatient units accepts accountability and responsibility.

May be exposed to body fluids, tissue, possible radiation exposure, and infectious processes.

Subject to computer work for several hours, as needed.

Able to utilize office equipment within work area.

Why apply to OHSU?

We are Oregon's only public academic health center. In addition to caring for patients, we lead groundbreaking research. We also train the next generation of health care professionals. As Portland's largest employer, we give you opportunities to learn and advance in a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and Southwest Washington. All are welcome. OHSU welcomes people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, national origins, religions and sexual orientations. We are striving to build an anti-racist, multicultural institution and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply. To request reasonable accommodation, contact askhr@ohsu.edu