Social Worker-MSW LSW
- Part Time
About the role
Position Title: Social Worker – MSW, LSW
Location: IU Health Fishers Hospital – Emergency Department
Shift: Part Time, Evenings
Schedule: Thursdays & Fridays 12:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.; Saturdays 8:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; may include on-call and holiday rotations
Position Summary
The Part Time Evening Social Worker provides face-to-face support to patients and families in the Fishers Hospital Emergency Department, conducting psychosocial assessments, crisis intervention, mental health assessments, and complex discharge planning. Working closely with the multidisciplinary care team, the Social Worker helps ensure patients receive safe, timely care and that patients and families have the resources and education they need.
This role serves as the point person for abuse, neglect, and domestic violence cases and acts as liaison with state and county child and adult protective teams. In the fast-paced ED setting, the Social Worker takes a leadership stance in dangerous or potentially dangerous situations, using de-escalation techniques to support patients in acute crisis and promote safety for patients and staff.
Key Responsibilities
Meet face-to-face with patients and families in the Emergency Department for psychosocial assessments and therapeutic interventions.
Communicate and collaborate with the health care team to facilitate the episode of care so patients receive safe, timely services and families have the resources and education they need.
Interpret and communicate complex patient and family needs, modeling caring practices for other caregivers.
Assess psychosocial risk factors, prior functioning, support systems, reaction to illness, and coping skills.
Counsel patients and families regarding the emotional, social, and financial impacts of illness and/or disability.
Access and mobilize family and community resources to meet identified needs.
Provide mental health assessments upon physician referral.
Provide therapeutic intervention to facilitate complex discharge planning.
Serve as the point person for child abuse/neglect, adult/elderly abuse/neglect, institutional abuse, and domestic violence cases.
Serve as liaison between IU Health and state and county child and adult protective teams.
Provide intervention in guardianship (temporary/permanent), foster care, adoption, and mental health Level II placements.
Offer specialized mental health services, including crisis intervention, addiction assessments, and recommendations for psychiatric referral or community resources.
Assist with dangerous and potentially dangerous situations, taking a leadership stance to provide clinical intervention.
Support patients in acute crisis, using de-escalation techniques to prevent episodes of physical violence.
Respond with or in lieu of the Department of Public Safety to de-escalate violence.
Utilize effective interviewing principles with alleged victims, perpetrators, family members, and significant others.
Provide intervention for end-of-life, guardianship, foster care, and adoption cases.
Document all clinical activities accurately in the electronic medical record.
May be scheduled for on-call and holiday rotations.
Qualifications
Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) required.
Permanent licensure as an LSW in Indiana required.
Certification in Crisis Prevention Intervention or an equivalent de-escalation training 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 use disorders.
Understanding of disease processes and human behavior related to health-related social needs.
Strong skills in complex discharge planning for safe transitions to the next level of care.
Knowledge of state and county legal mandates for child and adult protective services.
Familiarity with principles of growth and development across the lifespan, including end-of-life care.
Ability to identify decision-makers and coordinate 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 community agencies.
Ability to maintain principles and practices of crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques.
Proficiency in electronic medical record documentation and general computer literacy.
Flexibility to work on-call and holiday rotations as scheduled.
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. In partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine, IU Health combines research, education, and clinical excellence to improve health outcomes for Indiana communities.