NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue is America’s oldest public hospital, established in 1736. Affiliated with the NYU School of Medicine, the 844-bed hospital is a major referral center for highly complex cases, with its 6,000 employees including highly skilled, interdisciplinary clinical staff. It sees more than 110,000 emergency room visits and 500,000 outpatient visits annually. Bellevue is an academic medical institution of international renown. We have served as an incubator for major innovations in public health, medical science, and medical education. Bellevue is a Level I Trauma Center delivering around-the-clock care in adult, pediatric, psychiatric and pediatric psychiatric emergencies as well as in the nationally-designated categories of cardiology, neurology, toxicology, and neonatology. In addition to providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient state-of-the-art care Bellevue is a city-wide medical specialty referral source. Bellevue’s clinical centers of excellence include: Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care; Cardiovascular Services; Designated Regional Perinatal Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU); Comprehensive Children’s Psychiatric Emergency Program; and Cancer Services.

At NYC Health + Hospitals, our mission is to deliver high quality care health services, without exception. Every employee takes a person-centered approach that exemplifies the ICARE values (Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence) through empathic communication and partnerships between all persons.

About Bridge to Home
Bridge to Home (BTH) is a new innovative program developed by NYC Health + Hospitals that will provide treatment, social and professional skill building, and temporary housing to patients with serious mental illness (SMI) who are ready for discharge from the hospital but do not have immediate access to stable housing.

In this voluntary program, BTH will offer its guests onsite ambulatory behavioral health treatment and comprehensive support in a home-like environment. The program aims to keep individuals discharged from the hospital on a path towards sustained success, with the goal of reducing emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations, decreasing street homelessness and reliance on shelters, and ultimately moving into permanent housing. Program guests will stay at the home-like environment until they can be transitioned to permanent supportive housing and treatment for a period of up to 12 months.

The Social Worker will demonstrate a firm understanding of the personal challenges and systemic barriers experienced by vulnerable populations. The ideal candidate will present with a flexible and optimistic approach to the work that does not make unwarranted assumptions or judgments about the patient’s situation, identity, behavior, appearance or beliefs. This Social Worker will demonstrate the willingness to engage and build alliances with others and have a strong ethical sense and respect for the dignity and worth of all vulnerable patients.

Core Responsibilities:

• Maintains an active caseload of guests and meets with them onsite, throughout the building, and community settings as needed
• Conducts intake and concurring psychosocial evaluations, mental status examinations, safety and treatment plans. Other screening tools will be completed as required and necessary.
• Assesses for high risk behaviors such as but not limited to suicidality, homicidality, substance abuse, violence (survivor or perpetrator), human trafficking etc.; escalates issues accordingly and provides necessary interventions.
• Collaborates with guests identified social supports including but not limited to family, non-familial relationships, agency staff, and members of the community regarding patient’s wellbeing and as appropriate. With consent from the guest, SW will include collateral feedback in assessments and treatment plans.
• Provides solution focused, cognitive behavioral, and any other therapies that will provision optimal wellness for patients.
• Facilitates groups with other care team members.
• Liaises with other medical professionals (Inpatient, CPEP, Primary Care etc.) to provide clinical information and collaborate with the treatment plan for shared patient outcomes.
• Documents in the electronic medical record, EPIC, and any other required HIPAA compliant portals.
• Actively participates in team discussions with multi-disciplinary staff in the effort to coordinate treatment and support the guest’s voice
• Works closely with related social and community agencies.
• Participates in interdisciplinary performance improvement projects.
• Attends all required trainings as appointed by the department, service area and regulatory agency.
• Attends meetings, such as staff conferences, social work staff meetings and rounds; participates in work of selected staff committees.
• Orients and educates members of other professional disciplines in social work concepts and functions.
• Other duties as assigned
• All of the above duties may change at the discretion of the Department Head, the Supervisor or also in relation to the needs of the services.

For Assignment to Level III
1. Valid license as an LCSW issued by the NYSED.