POSITION SUMMARY: The Clinical Social Worker/LCAS is responsible for psychosocial assessments and diagnosis formulations for individual clients experiencing acute mental illness, substance abuse, and emotional disorders, including evaluation of family dynamics to provide input to interdisciplinary treatment planning. Completion of this process will require liaison activities throughout Southeastern Integrated Care and community-based resources.

EDUCATION, CREDENTIALS, TRAINING and EXPERIENCE:

Minimum Required: Master’s prepared with a degree in Clinical Social Work or Addiction Counseling from an accredited institution.

Licensure by the North Carolina Licensure Certification Board for Social Work is required to meet accrediting requirements and North Carolina State Law.

Must maintain a minimum of 40 relevant in-service training hours every two years to maintain LCSW/LCAS status.

Two years experience as a LCSW/LCAS in a behavioral health clinical setting

Six months in a medical setting, preferably in a hospital/residential setting (can be an internship).

Incumbents will be required to attain NCI/Seclusion/Restraint certification within three months of hire, with recertification required annually.

Strong oral and written communication skills, ability to deal with other healthcare professionals, clients, families, capacity to work and make decisions independently and to handle emotionally stressful situations, experience with crisis intervention.

ADDITIONAL SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS: Incumbent must demonstrate an ability to apply age-appropriate principles of communication relevant to adult and geriatric clients. Must demonstrate competence in the use of equipment and application of procedures before being allowed to perform independently.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:

Supervises: Provides training and clinical support to behavioral health technicians and peer support specialist.

Reports To: Program Director

ACCESS TO INFORMATION:

• Demographic: Client information such as name, date of birth, address, etc.
• Organizational: Unit and organizational policies and procedures

Clinical: Client medical records, diagnosis, and discharge summaries and other related data.

Financial: Related to insurance certifications and payers.

• Knowledge based : access to Information Resource Center reference resources.

Responsibilities:

• Conducts initial bio-psychosocial assessment and diagnostic formulations for clients and families upon admission and on an on-going basis.

• Presents and interprets clinical bio-psychosocial data to be used in determining interventions, services needed, and readiness for discharge.
• Performs an initial psychosocial assessment/CCA on all new clients within 24 hours of admission and documents appropriately.
• If client readmitted within 30 days the re-assessment form completed.
• Interprets and communicates findings and recommendations to the physician and/or any appropriate discipline.
• Recommends level of care via ASAM or LOCUS
• Formulate plan of care to promote the psychosocial wellbeing of the client.
• Provides direct intervention with individual clients utilizing supportive psychotherapy with re-integrative goals, crisis interventions, cognitive restructuring, skills teaching, problem solving, motivational and reality therapies. Utilizes the MATRIX METHOD and trauma informed care
• Focus therapy on symptom management, problem solving, interpersonal effectiveness, and enhancing client’s discharge potential.
• Provides therapeutic intervention with clients and families utilizing family systems theory and psycho-educational techniques.
• Focus family therapy on conflict resolution and maladaptive behavior within the family unit.
• Conducts group sessions with client focusing upon skill building in the areas of symptom management, interpersonal effectiveness, stress management, substance awareness/relapse prevention, etc. Specific groups may include Coping Skills, Living Skills, Substance Abuse Education, Discharge Planning and Problem Solving.
• Monitors Level of Care and Continuation of Care requirements per clinical coverage policies
• Instrumental in determining client readiness for discharge.
• Responsible for pre-release counseling and formulation of discharge plan.
• Communicates with Treatment Team about the need for consultation and collaboration with aftercare providers, assisting client in choosing and securing appropriate living accommodations based upon client’s choice, funding and baseline functioning (both psychiatric and medical).
• Arranges for psychiatric/substance use and medical follow-up.
• Attend mandatory in-service education and other education opportunities as assigned and share knowledge gained as appropriate.
• Follows all departmental and hospital policies and procedures, objectives, including performance improvement programs, safety, environment and infection control standard
• Provide client/family education, considering age specific needs consistent with organizational policy.