Overview

Senior Social Worker - MSW

Location: Riley Hospital, Indianapolis, IN
Department: Social Services
Shift: Full-Time, Rotating (M-F 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM or 4-10 hour shifts during the week, with rotating holidays)

Join Our Compassionate Team!

Are you an experienced social worker committed to making a difference in patients’ lives during critical moments? We are seeking a dedicated Senior Social Worker to provide psychosocial assessments, crisis intervention, and complex discharge planning. If you have 3-5 years of experience in mental health, child and family services, or related fields, and are passionate about patient advocacy, we invite you to apply!

Apply NOW — Support patients and families through compassionate, expert care!

Position Overview:

The Senior Social Worker collaborates effectively with the healthcare team to ensure patients receive timely, safe, and resourceful services. This role involves interpreting complex patient and family needs, providing therapeutic interventions, and serving as a key liaison in cases of abuse, neglect, guardianship, foster care, and mental health placements. The Senior Social Worker demonstrates leadership in crisis situations, utilizing de-escalation techniques and crisis intervention principles to prevent violence and support patients through acute crises.

Key Responsibilities:

• Communicate and collaborate with all members of the healthcare team to facilitate safe, timely patient care.
• Assess patients’ and families’ psychosocial risk factors, prior functioning, support systems, and coping abilities.
• Counsel patients and families on emotional, social, and financial consequences of illness or disability.
• Access and mobilize family and community resources to meet patient needs.
• Conduct mental health assessments upon physician referral and provide therapeutic interventions to facilitate discharge and recovery.
• Serve as the point person for child abuse/neglect, adult/elderly abuse/neglect, institutional abuse, and domestic violence cases.
• Liaise with Indiana University Health and state/county protective teams.
• Provide intervention and support in guardianship, foster care, adoption, and mental health placements.
• Lead crisis interventions, including de-escalation, to manage dangerous or potentially dangerous situations.
• Utilize principles of interviewing victims, perpetrators, and significant others to inform clinical decision-making.
• Support patients undergoing end-of-life care, guardianship, or foster care placements.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Education:

  • Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) required.

• Licensure:

  • Permanent Licensed Social Worker (LSW) required.
  • LCSW licensure preferred.

• Certifications:

  • De-escalation certification required within 6 months of hire.

• Experience & Skills:

  • 3-5 years of relevant experience in mental health, child and family services, adult protective services, veteran’s services, or substance abuse preferred.
  • Experience working with diverse populations across geographic and financial backgrounds.
  • Knowledge of disease impact, human behavior, crisis intervention, and legal mandates.
  • Strong skills in crisis de-escalation, interviewing, and clinical assessment.
  • Ability to develop and maintain relationships with community agencies, law enforcement, and healthcare providers.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word.

• Legal & Technical Knowledge:

  • Understanding of state and county protective legal mandates for adults and children.
  • Principles of growth and development across the lifespan.

Why Join IU Health?

As Indiana’s largest and most comprehensive healthcare system, and the #1 ranked provider in the state, IU Health offers:

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Opportunities for professional growth and leadership
• A collaborative, multidisciplinary work environment
• Support for community engagement and patient advocacy
• Employee wellness programs and resources

To learn more about our benefits, visit: IU Health Benefits

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion at IU Health. IU Health does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, national origin, gender identity and/or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.