Benefits:

Sick time pay

Medical Social Worker Job Description

A Medical Social Worker, also known as a Healthcare Social Worker, works in areas of care management and assists patients and families in understanding patient conditions and treatments. They can help patients and family members develop coping strategies, assess patient needs, assist in the development of treatment plans and provide emotional and mental assessments on the patient. Medical Social Workers can also offer bereavement counseling, assist with patient discharge and handle the arrangement of in-home care services.

Medical Social Workers can be employed in hospitals, hospices, long-term care facilities, nursing homes and assisted living centers. Employment in this field is expected to grow 19 percent over the 2014-2024 decade, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An aging population and improvements in healthcare treatments and services are among the chief contributors to this projected job growth rate.

Medical Social Worker Duties and Responsibilities A Medical Social Worker is responsible for handling several tasks in order to provide the best service to patients. We have reviewed several job listings and found the following among the core Medical Social Worker duties and responsibilities.

Provide Support to Patients

The main role of a Medical Social Worker is to help patients understand, cope with and treat their condition. To this end, Medical Social Workers will counsel patients about their illness or disease, participate in treatment plan development, arrange for in-home care personnel and equipment and assist in the scheduling of follow-up visits. They will also ensure that patients are adhering to treatment plan and medical recommendations.

Educate and Counsel Families

It is just as important to provide support to families of patients, and Medical Social Workers are involved in helping families understand the illness or condition that a patient has been diagnosed with and offer counseling to reduce stress and cope with the needs of the patient. Medical Social Workers will assist in all decision making processes relating to the care of the patient and make referrals as needed. They also offer grief counseling services to families.

Assist in Obtaining Various Healthcare Services

A Medical Social Worker is typically involved in helping patients work with health insurance companies, community health agencies, transportation services and financial assistance programs. They will help to determine what benefits patients are eligible for and assist in filling out necessary paperwork, such as health insurance forms.