Stormont Vail Health·Topeka, Kansas
The Acute Care Social Worker provides direct social work services to patients and their families, focusing on psychosocial needs and discharge planning. They collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to develop intervention plans and maintain professional relationships with patients and families.
Position Status: Full time
Shift: 12 Hour Night Shift (United States of America)
Hours per week: 36
Job Information Exemption Status: Non-Exempt
A Brief Overview The Acute Care Social Worker provides direct social work services to patients and their families. This position is responsible for the assessment of the patient/family's psychosocial needs. The role of the Acute Care Social Worker is to initiate and complete social work assessments, interview patients/families, and network with appropriate professional staff and community resources in order to evaluate the effects of the illness or injury on the patient system and identify current or potential adjustment difficulties/needs in planning for discharge. Based on this assessment, the Acute Care Social Worker will collaborate with patients, team members, family members, and others to develop a viable plan of intervention.
Licenses and Certifications
Licensed Bachelor Social Worker - KSBSRB Temporary licensure may be accepted but full licensure must be achieved within 6 months of hire. Required or
Licensed Masters Social Worker - KSBSRB Temporary licensure may be accepted but full licensure must be achieved within 6 months of hire. Required
What you will do
Actively participates in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team to formulate and implement treatment plan, including discharge planning. Assists with such responsibilities as financial-resource referrals; transportation arrangements; hospice services; swing bed, nursing home, and rehab referrals; limited assistance with legal matters (guardianship, DPOA); as well as other necessary supports.
Performs social work assessments, demonstrating awareness of bio-psychosocial, cultural, developmental, spiritual ramifications of illness and hospitalization; personal safety screens and suicide assessments.
Focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment plan and prevention of mental illness, emotional and other behavioral disturbances, drug/alcohol treatment in collaboration with the Behavioral Health Intervention Team for services/follow up appointments.
Provides coverage to high acuity units.
Contributes appropriately to treatment plan based upon assessment, which includes client/family/caregiver issues and concerns.
Establishes and maintains a supportive and professional relationship with patient, family, professional staff, and external community resources.
Communicates in a clear, concise, and timely manner with patients, families, caregivers, and treatment staff. Adjusts communication style in order to be responsive to receiver.
Maintains a professional level of productivity, and coordinates and prioritizes patient- related activities in an efficient and effective manner.
Maintains confidentiality and complies with professional ethics according to professional, departmental, and organizational standards.
Contributes ideas regarding identified needs for performance-improvement initiatives in the department and throughout the organization.
Maintains a working knowledge of COBRA requirements, DPOA, legal guardianships, and abuse and neglect statutes insofar as they intersect with day-to-day work responsibilities.
Documents interventions in a timely manner.
Participates on hospital-wide committees as assigned and as opportunities arise.
Demonstrates adaptability and flexibility in response to changing workloads and changing institutional /departmental demands.
Participates in a regular rotating schedule of on-call responsibilities. When on-call, individual must be able to physically report to SVH within 30-45 minutes if the need arises.
Demonstrates initiative and provides leadership in the face of changes and/or development of new programs or services.
Remote Work Guidelines
Workspace is a quiet and distraction-free allowing the ability to comply with all security and privacy standards.
Stable access to electricity and a minimum of 25mb upload and internet speed.
Dedicate full attention to the job duties and communication with others during working hours.
Adhere to break and attendance schedules agreed upon with supervisor.
Abide by Stormont Vail’s Remote Worker Policy and will review and acknowledge the Remote Work Agreement annually.
The vision requirements include: ability to distinguish shape, size, distance, motion, color, or other characteristics of objects. Position requires above average mental and physical stamina to meet the demands of the job, as well as desire to work with dying patients.
Stormont Vail is an equal opportunity employer and adheres to the philosophy and practice of providing equal opportunities for all employees and prospective employees, without regard to the following classifications: race, color, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, marital status, uniformed service, disability or genetic information. This applies to all aspects of employment practices including hiring, firing, pay, benefits, promotions, lateral movements, job training, and any other terms or conditions of employment.
Retaliation is prohibited against any person who files a claim of discrimination, participates in a discrimination investigation, or otherwise opposes an unlawful employment act based upon the above classifications.
Candidates must have at least 1 year of medical experience and hold a Licensed Bachelor Social Worker or Licensed Masters Social Worker certification. Temporary licensure may be accepted, but full licensure must be achieved within 6 months of hire.
Market context
In Kansas, physician-adjacent roles in emergency settings tend to favor candidates with recent acute-care experience, especially when the schedule and patient acuity are demanding. These positions are competitive because employers often want current national certification, DEA registration, and familiarity with emergency department workflows, while KS licensure plus PALS and ACLS can strengthen an application. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to quickly compare fit against the original job description and confirm your credentials before applying.