Medical Social Worker, Relief

Department Overview

Relief Medical Social Workers are trained to cover ambulatory, inpatient, the Emergency Department, both in pediatrics and adults. After initial training, Relief Medical Social Workers are required to maintain basic skills and competencies to work in all areas.

Relief Medical Social Workers are required to work three (3) of OHSU’s recognized holidays per year. They will read and respond to emails every seven (7) business days and respond to text messages, often on short notice, to support coverage requests. They must be able to review and provide availability on a shared calendar every four (4) weeks. Relief Medical Social Workers are also required to work overnights and weekends.

Relief Medical Social Workers must be available four (4) shifts per pay period. Relief Medical Social Workers are provided their schedules at least twenty-eight (28) days in advance. To ensure this, they must have access to a personal computer that allows them to provide availability within a timeframe. They will also be added to a text message group to communicate urgent staffing needs. 

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?