Social Services Director

Position Summary:

In keeping with our organization’s goal of improving the lives of the residents we serve, the Director of Social Services manages the day-to-day operations of the Social Services Department and is responsible for the overall administration, coordination, and evaluation of the social services function to meet and maintain the mental and psychosocial well-being for each resident.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for keeping up-to-date evaluation documentation on each resident’s activities at the facility which complies with Federal, State, and Local regulations.
• Attends scheduled care conferences and identifies and interprets psychosocial needs of Residents for inclusion in the care plan, addressing issues of schedule, treatment and environment that express and reinforce individuality and identity.
• Assists with the coordination, intake, admission, and resident transfer within the facility.
• Coordinates the inspection of resident’s belongings to ensure they are properly labeled and inventoried.
• Attends interdisciplinary team and unit care conferences, assesses residents for psychosocial groups, and supervises implementation and documentation.
• Mediates issues that arise among residents, families, and staff.
• Ensure completion of any required components of DPOA or guardianship paperwork.
• Coordinates services with psychiatric providers.
• Coordinates services with OBRA.
• Provides linkage with appropriate community resources by maintaining knowledge of other systems, making referrals, and identifying unmet needs (e.g., recreational transportation, adaptive phone equipment, etc.).
• Develops a comprehensive discharge plan in collaboration with residents, residents' families, multidisciplinary staff, and referral agencies.
• Provides informal counseling when needed to uncover any problems which might interfere with the residents’ socialization and participation in activities.
• Establishes, develops, maintains and updates filing system for the social services department.
• Responsible for operating the social services department within budgetary guidelines and limitations.
• Regular and reliable attendance.
• Reports all hazardous conditions, damaged equipment, and supply issues to appropriate persons.
• Assure that established infection control and standard precaution practices are always maintained. Follow established safety precautions when performing tasks and using equipment and supplies.
• Maintains the comfort, privacy and dignity of residents and interacts with them in a manner that displays warmth, respect and promotes a caring environment.
• Communicates and interacts effectively and tactfully with residents, visitors, families, peers, and supervisors.
• Answers and responds to call lights promptly and courteously when working in resident care areas.
• Reports all resident concerns to the appropriate department head.
• Attend and participate in departmental meetings and in-services as directed. Attends in-service and education programs.
• Understands infection control and follows the company’s infection control guidelines, such as hand washing principles, understanding of isolation and standard precautions, recognizing signs and symptoms of infection, demonstrating, and understanding of the process for identifying and handling infectious waste and cross contamination, maintaining personal hygiene, and complying with OSHA standards in the workplace.
• Promotes and protects resident rights by assisting residents to make informed decisions, treating residents with dignity and respect, protecting residents’ personal belongings, reporting suspected abuse or neglect, avoiding the need for physical restraints in accordance with current professional standards; and supporting independent expression, choice and decision-making consistent with applicable laws and regulations.
• Perform additional duties as required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Supervises employees in the department and others for whom they are administratively or professionally responsible by following policies and applicable laws. Uses independent judgment and discretion on behalf of the organization in the performance of these duties.

Supervisory responsibilities include:

• Interviews, hires, and trains employees.
• Schedules, plans, assigns, and directs work.
• Receives calls and finds replacements for absent staff.
• Prepares performance evaluations.
• Approves errors in timecards or other timekeeping records.
• Receives and resolves employee complaints.
• Monitors and corrects job performance of employees, including completing annual performance evaluations.
• Disciplines employees up to and including discharge.

Required/Desired Qualifications:

Education, Training, and Experience:

• If the facility has 120 beds or more, this position requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social work or another human services field, and
• One year of supervised social work experience in a health care setting working directly with individuals.
• If the facility has less than 120 beds, this position strongly prefers a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social work or another human services field, and
• One year of supervised social work experience in a health care setting working directly with individuals.