Social Work - Social Worker
Desert Regional Medical Center
Palm Springs, CA
5x8 hrs

Desert Regional Medical Center is a 385 bed acute-care hospital classified as a stroke receiving center and level I trauma facility with an innovative , patient centered and evidence-based Rehabilitation Services Department.  Our compassionate team provides a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services, including acute care rehabilitation, joint replacement & spinal surgery, neurosurgery, ICU, Telemetry, step-down care, skilled nursing, as well as outpatient therapy, hand and lymphedema clinics.

**Up to $25,000 Sign on Bonus for Qualified Candidates**

GENERAL DUTIES:

The Trauma Social Worker at a Level I Trauma Center is responsible for providing screening and specialized psychosocial support to patients and families experiencing severe or life-threatening injuries. Working within an interdisciplinary trauma team, this individual facilitates care along the continuum by coordinating internal and external resources, offering crisis intervention and counseling, and ensuring that patients’ immediate and long-term needs are effectively addressed. The Trauma Social Worker balances each patient’s right to self-determination with the ethical and regulatory standards of the hospital and state licensing boards.

Shift: Days

Hours: 8am - 5pm

Schedule: 5 shifts weekly. Every other weekend required.

•    Transition Management promoting appropriate length of stay, readmission prevention, and patient satisfaction in a high-acuity trauma environment.
•    Care Coordination demonstrating throughput efficiency while ensuring care is sequenced and provided at the appropriate level, in close collaboration with the trauma team
•    Compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements, TJC accreditation standards and Tenet policy 
•    Providing specialized education to physicians, patients, families, and caregivers on available resources, trauma-informed care, and post-acute needs.
•    Precepts new staff members and acts as resource to all staff.  
•    Participates in department initiatives, committees, and/or major projects that enhance psychosocial and discharge planning for trauma patients.

Position Specific Responsibilities:
Transition Management
•    Assess and reassess trauma patients for psychosocial, financial, and support needs, creating individualized transition plans to support recovery and prevent readmissions.
•    Address unique psychosocial considerations (e.g., coping with sudden disability, life-altering injuries).
•    Communicate transition plans to interdisciplinary teams, ensuring alignment with patient goals.
•    Completes Complex/Psycho-social screenings and assessment to plan for patients identified as high risk.
•    Provides psycho-social assessment and intervention for patients identified with identified needs including behavioral health, lack of support systems, financial barriers, end of life, and/or medication adherence.
•    Completes timely, complete and accurate documentation in the Tenet Case Management documentation system to communicating information to the care team and provide documents needed in the patient record  
(40% daily, essential)
Care Coordination
•    Screen for socioeconomic and psychosocial factors affecting the progression of care.
•    Provide or arrange for ongoing crisis intervention, counseling, and linkage to community services.
•    Collaborate with physicians, nursing staff, and other disciplines to ensure patient needs are met timely and safely.
•    Assists with adoption/abuse/neglect cases and reporting of appropriate cases to local, state and/or federal agencies 
(40% daily, essential)
Education
•    Educate patients, families, and staff on psychosocial aspects of trauma care, community resources, and post-trauma recovery.
•    Promote trauma-informed care principles and strategies to the healthcare team.
•    Ensure understanding of discharge instructions and resource utilization.
(10% daily, essential)
Compliance
•    Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and accreditation requirements impacting case management scope of services
•    Adheres to department structure and staffing, policies and procedures to comply with the CMS Conditions of Participation and Tenet policies 
•    Operates within the Social Work scope of practice as defined by state licensing regulations
(10% daily, essential)
Complex Patient Management
•    Perform in-depth assessments for complex trauma cases, including those with multiple injuries, comorbidities, or significant social barriers.
•    Collaborate with team members to resolve ethical or legal dilemmas and facilitate family conferences for goal setting and care planning.
•    Offer specialized support for issues such as end-of-life care, palliative measures, and chronic injury management.
PERFORMANCE METRICS AND EVALUATION:
The metrics below provide an indication of the effectiveness of the person in this role and may be used for evaluative purposes.  The list below is not meant to be exhaustive; other relevant metrics may exist.
•    Compliance with ACS Standards pertaining to alcohol misuse and mental health screening
•    Observation length of stay
•    Accuracy and timeliness of psychosocial/transition assessments
•    Final Discharge Disposition 
•    Effectiveness of crisis interventions and patient/family satisfaction scores
•    Position documentation and productivity