Senior Social Worker | Palliative Care

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland.

Work Shift

8 Hours - Day Shifts (United States of America)

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40

Compensation

Salary Range

$33.00 - $41.50 $20,000 Sign On with 2-Year Commitment or $30,000 Sign On with 3-Year Commitment!

Union Position

No

Department Details

This role functions in both inpatient and ambulatory care settings and requires close collaboration with a multidisciplinary healthcare team. The position supports high-quality, patient- and family-centered palliative care and offers opportunities for ongoing professional development.

Summary

Palliative care provides an extra layer of support for patients and their families living with serious or life-limiting illness. Services may be provided at any stage of illness and alongside curative treatment. Care is based on patient and family needs, not prognosis.

The Palliative Care Social Worker provides comprehensive psychosocial assessment, intervention, and care coordination for patients and caregivers to address medically related social, emotional, behavioral, and practical needs. As a core member of the interdisciplinary Palliative care team, this role collaborates closely with our two Palliative Care Physicians, APP, nursing, chaplain, and other disciplines to support patients through treatment, recovery, and transitions across care settings. This position requires advanced clinical judgment, strong customer service skills, and the ability to establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients, families, and health care team members.

Job Description

Responsibilities

• Conducts comprehensive psychosocial assessments, including evaluation of mental health, coping, family systems, cultural factors, and social determinants of health
• Provides clinical social interventions, counseling, and crisis support to patients and families coping with serious illness, end-of-life concerns, and grief
• Serves as an integral member of the interdisciplinary palliative care team, contributing to treatment planning and goal-of-care discussions
• Facilitates and/or leads family meetings to address complex family dynamics, clarify goals of care, and support shared decision-making
• Provides caregiver assessments, education, and ongoing support to strengthen the family system
• Assist patients and families with advance care planning, including healthcare directives and identification of surrogate decision makers
• Coordinates transitions of care across inpatient, outpatient, and community settings
• Demonstrates strong knowledge of community and healthcare resources, including mental health services, grief support, housing, substance use treatment, long-term care, home care services, equipment coordination, and home safety
• Utilizes the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care and organizational standards to guide practice
• Maintains timely, accurate, and compliant documentation in the electronic medical record
• Provides consultation and support to medical and nursing staff regarding psychosocial and family dynamics
• Participates in quality improvement, program development, and team education as appropriate
• Identify program and community need to drive strategic program development, resulting in optimized workflows, improved collaboration and successful execution of key initiatives
• Familiarity with medical terminology and documentation or a proven ability to learn new systems quickly

Qualifications

Master’s degree in Social Work from an accredited curriculum required.

Healthcare and/or mental health hospital experience preferred.

Must possess a license in good standing in state(s) of practice

In Minnesota, must have one of the following

Licensed Graduated Social Worker (LGSW) Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

Sanford is an EEO/AA Employer M/F/Disability/Vet.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-877-949-5678 or send an email to talent@sanfordhealth.org.