Medical Social Worker

Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services. May also provide case and care management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Clinical Social Worker; Hospice Social Worker; LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker); Medical Social Worker; Nephrology Social Worker; Oncology Social Worker; Psychosocial Coordinator; Renal Social Worker; Social Work Case Manager; Social Worker

Tasks

• Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
• Educate clients about end-of-life symptoms and options to assist them in making informed decisions.
• Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
• Refer patient, client, or family to community resources to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness and to provide access to services such as financial assistance, legal aid, housing, job placement or education.
• Utilize consultation data and social work experience to plan and coordinate client or patient care and rehabilitation, following through to ensure service efficacy.
• Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress according to measurable goals described in treatment and care plan.
• Identify environmental impediments to client or patient progress through interviews and review of patient records.
• Counsel clients and patients in individual and group sessions to help them overcome dependencies, recover from illness, and adjust to life.
• Plan discharge from care facility to home or other care facility.
• Organize support groups or counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting the client or patient.
• Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in clients' status.
• Supervise and direct other workers providing services to clients or patients.
• Plan and conduct programs to combat social problems, prevent substance abuse, or improve community health and counseling services.
• Develop or advise on social policy and assist in community development.
• Conduct social research to advance knowledge in the social work field.

Knowledge

• Psychology
• Therapy and Counseling
• Sociology and Anthropology
• English Language
• Customer and Personal Service
• Education and Training
• Philosophy and Theology
• Administrative

Skills

• Speaking
• Reading Comprehension
• Active Listening
• Critical Thinking
• Writing
• Active Learning
• Monitoring
• Learning Strategies

Abilities

• Oral Expression
• Oral Comprehension
• Written Comprehension
• Problem Sensitivity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Clarity
• Written Expression
• Inductive Reasoning
• Fluency of Ideas
• Information Ordering
• Originality
• Category Flexibility
• Selective Attention
• Near Vision