The Social Worker provides direct, face-to-face support to patients and families at Fort Wayne Hospital, partnering closely with the care team to ensure safe, timely, and well-coordinated episodes of care. This role assesses psychosocial risk, delivers therapeutic and crisis intervention, and guides complex discharge planning. The Social Worker also serves as the organization's primary point of contact for abuse, neglect, and domestic violence cases, liaising with state and county protective services, and provides specialized support across guardianship, foster care, adoption, and end-of-life care.
Key Responsibilities Meets face-to-face with patients and families to assess needs and coordinate care. Communicates and collaborates with all members of the health care team to facilitate the episode of care so the patient receives services in a safe and timely manner, and the patient and family are provided all necessary resources and education. Interprets and communicates complex patient/family needs and role models caring practices to other caregivers.
Assesses patients' and families' psychosocial risk factors through evaluation of prior functioning levels, appropriateness and adequacy of support systems, reaction to illness, and ability to cope. Counsels patients and families regarding emotional, social, and financial consequences of illness and/or disability. Accesses and mobilizes family/community resources to meet identified needs.
Provides mental health assessments of patients upon physician referral. Provides therapeutic intervention to facilitate complex discharge planning. Serves as the point person in child abuse/neglect, adult/elderly abuse/neglect, institutional abuse, and domestic violence.
Serves as liaison between Indiana University Health and state and county child and adult protective teams. Provides intervention in guardianship (temporary/permanent), foster care, adoption, and mental health level II placements. Provides specialized mental health services including, but not limited to, crisis intervention and addiction assessments and recommendations for psychiatric referral or community resources.
Assists with dangerous and potentially dangerous situations and takes a leadership stance to provide clinical intervention. Supports those undergoing acute crisis, often utilizing de-escalation techniques to avoid episodes of physical violence. Utilizes effective principles of interviewing alleged victims, perpetrators, family members, and significant others.
Provides intervention for end-of-life care, guardianship (temporary/permanent), foster care, and adoption, among other needs. Responds with or in lieu of the Department of Public Safety to de-escalate violence. Qualifications Master's Degree in Social Work is required.
Permanent LSW licensure is required. Certification in Crisis Prevention Intervention or an alternative de-escalation training is required within 6 months of hire. Knowledge of evidence-based psychosocial assessment, short-term therapeutic counseling, and crisis intervention for common mental health and substance abuse disorders.
Knowledge of the disease process and human behavior in relation to health-related social needs. Complex discharge planning skills to ensure safe transitions to the next level of care. Knowledge of state and county adult and child protective legal mandates.
Knowledge of the principles of growth and development across the life span, including end-of-life care. Ability to identify decision makers and coordinate and execute goals-of-care conversations to provide excellent care and manage throughput. Experience adapting services to geographically, culturally, and financially diverse populations.
Ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with hospital administrators, medical teams, law enforcement, APS/DCS, schools, probation, and other community agencies as indicated. Computer literacy and proficiency in documentation in an electronic medical record. Ability to maintain and apply principles and practices of crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques.
May be scheduled to work on-call and holiday rotation. About IU Health: IU Health is Indiana’s largest and most comprehensive healthcare system, with nearly 40,000 team members, 16 hospitals, and $8.64 billion in operating revenue. Our programs in cancer, cardiovascular, neuroscience, orthopedics, pediatrics, and transplants are nationally recognized.
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