0.001 FTE, 8 Hour Day Shift

At Stanford Children’s Health, we know world-renowned care begins with world-class caring. That's why we combine advanced technologies and breakthrough discoveries with family-centered care. It's why we provide our caregivers with continuing education and state-of-the-art facilities, like the newly remodeled Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. And it's why we need caring, committed people on our team - like you. Join us on our mission to heal humanity, one child and family at a time.

Job Summary

This paragraph summarizes the general nature, level and purpose of the job. 

Social Work Clinician is the entry, developmental, and first working level of professional social work for employees who are recent graduates as well as those who have professional social work experience, but are not yet licensed as Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) by the State of California. Employees initially work under close clinical supervision and are expected to develop casework and treatment skills as training and experience are gained. As increasing knowledge and competency are demonstrated, supervision is correspondingly reduced. The Social Work Job Family consists of three levels of professional non-supervisory social work in a health care institutional setting at LPCHS: Social Work Clinician, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Advanced Clinical Social Worker. This job family is limited to those positions that require a Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) from an accredited school of social work. As a member of a multidisciplinary health care team, Medical Social Workers provide appropriate intervention services and/or discharge planning to patients and/or clients as well as their families receiving services within any department of the Stanford University Medical Center. Work typically involves a variety of bio-psycho-social issues, assessment of the social needs as related to the patient's/client's health status, and the development of a plan of services, including advocacy, discharge planning, referrals and practical assistance necessary to accomplish desired objectives. Provides consultation, orientation and training to health care staff on the effects of bio-psycho-social, cultural and economic issues on the management of patient/client health needs.

Essential Functions

The essential functions listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification.  They are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities.  Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Employees must abide by all Joint Commission Requirements including but not limited to sensitivity to cultural diversity, patient care, patient rights and ethical treatment, safety and security of physical environments, emergency management, teamwork, respect for others, participation in ongoing education and training, communication and adherence to safety and quality programs, sustaining compliance with National Patient Safety Goals, and licensure and health screenings.

Must perform all duties and responsibilities in accordance with the hospital’s policies and procedures, including its Service Standards and its Code of Conduct.

•    Collaborates with interdisciplinary health care teams to treat and plan for the social and medical needs of patients by consulting with other providers and making referrals.

•    Devises, develops and implements treatment plans as necessary. 

•    May make a diagnosis as part of a treatment plan.

•    Conducts initial assessment of all new patients to evaluate social, emotional and physical needs by applying social work theories and techniques; interviews and evaluates patients and family members. 

•    Identifies factors which may interfere with obtaining maximum benefits from treatment.

•    Develops and implements patient management plans, including the coordination of referrals to specialty and social services, the recording of progress notes and the provision of continuity of care. 

•    Helps clients cope with environmental and psychological issues of illness by explaining options and treatments as well as making appropriate referrals.

•    Manages assigned caseload. 

•    Prepares and maintains records and makes written and oral reports to document case activity concerning patient care, counseling and therapeutic activities in accordance with department, hospital, medical center and/or health system policies. 

•    Prepares reports and other documents concerning patients.

•    Participates in monitoring and evaluating the quality and appropriateness of patient care.

•    Provides supportive counseling, grief counseling, crisis intervention and other appropriate therapeutic services to assist patients and families in coping with presenting symptoms and problems such as, for example, coping with illness, accepting medical recommendations, and loss of function. 

•    Provides education to patients and families around issues related to adaptation to the patient's diagnosis, illness, treatment and/or life situation.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities as well as possession of any required licenses or certifications is qualifying.

Education: Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) from an accredited college or university; OR be within forty-five (45) days of completion of the requirements for graduation with an MSW from an accredited college or university. 

Candidates who meet this qualification and furnish a letter from the Dean of the School Work where they are a student in good standing attesting to this may receive a conditional offer of employment. Such new hires must provide proof of possession of an MSW degree from an accredited college or university within forty-five (45) days of their date of hire, as a condition of continued employment.

Experience:  None required.

License/Certification: None required.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

These are the observable and measurable attributes and skills required to perform successfully the essential functions of the job and are generally demonstrated through qualifying experience, education, or licensure/certification.

•    Ability to apply theories, principles and practices of medical social work and of social services delivery systems in a hospital or medical center setting.

•    Ability to gather data needed to needed to assess needs of patients and families.

•    Ability to manage a caseload, recall case details; maintain confidentiality of information; determine the appropriate course of action in emergencies and other stressful situations.

•    Ability to provide written case narratives and reports.

•    Knowledge of and ability to apply effective assessment, interviewing, and counseling techniques.

•    Knowledge of and ability to apply social work theories, principles and techniques.

•    Knowledge of hospital and medical center resources to access and provide for patient care needs, and act on behalf of client needs to obtain necessary services.

•    Knowledge of needs, problems, attitudes, and behavior of hospital patients and their families.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

The Physical Requirements and Working Conditions in which the job is typically performed are available from the Occupational Health Department. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job

Additional Information

Positions are allocated to one of the three grade levels in this job family. Positions in this job family are flexibly staffed from Social Work Clinician to Advanced Licensed Clinical Social Worker, which means that vacant positions may be filled at any of the three class/grade levels depending on qualifications; further, that employees may be promoted to higher levels in this job family when they meet the minimum qualifications and are recommended for promotion by management. Levels are distinguished on the basis of three basic variables: 

1) Qualifications, i.e., whether the employee is licensed by the State of California as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW); 

2) The character of the caseload, i.e., the difficulty of the problems present in the assignment and the degree of professional skill and judgment required by the social work decisions and services they involve; and 

3) The freedom of practice characteristic of performance, i.e., the extent to which the social worker's recognized competence is reflected in decreased supervisory control that allows independent performance of work.

Employee MUST also meet the expectation of a. or b. below: 

A: Employee must complete required courses, supervision, and hours to sit for California Licensed Clinical Social Worker examinations within 36 months of hire date for full-time employees or 48 months of hire date. Employees who have changed appointment from full-time to part-time or vice versa will have 48 months from hire date to complete these requirements. Following completion of exam eligibility requirements, the employee must then pass the California LCSW examinations within the following 12 months; or, 

B: Employee must complete 18 Clinical Social Work CEU hours approved by the CA Board of Behavioral Sciences during each year of employment. Employee must submit the certificates of completion to the department prior to his/her anniversary of employment date annually. Employees who have not been successful in passing the LCSW exam as noted above must complete this requirement even if they choose to continue taking the exam after 48 months of employment.