Job Summary:

UI Health is seeking a LCSW Medical Social Consultant to join the Mile Square Health Center - Humboldt Park Clinic.

The Medical Social Consultant provides, psychiatric and bio-psychosocial assessment and counseling for patients identified as needing social service support or intervention. May also provide emergency psychiatric assessment and crisis intervention services.

In addition, the Medical Social Consultant is accountable for coordinating and facilitating patient services across the various levels of the continuum of care for a population of patients whose needs may include social services support or intervention. The Medical Social Consultant will assist patients and their families in navigating through the health care system based on individual and patient population needs.

The Medical Social Consultant serves as collaborative partner with the other members of the health care team. S/he will collaborate with the Mile Square Humboldt Park Health Center patient care team and other members of the external health care team in order to optimize care and services for patients.

The Medical Social Consultant will provide field instruction for MSW students.

Key Responsibilities / Duties:

• Assesses patients’ and families’ psychosocial risk factors and needs, to include prior functioning level, appropriateness and adequacy of support systems, reaction to illness and ability to cope. Develops a specific care management plan to address objectives and goals as identified during the assessment. Promotes and coordinates optimum health care services with cost effective solutions.
• Collaborates with the clinical care team, patients, families, insurance carriers, customers, and facilities to assess the patient’s health care and psychosocial needs and assure appropriate safe, cost effective, timely, and efficient services.
• Assesses patients’ health care needs and initiates outside referrals for community resources and services as needed.
• Provides intervention in child abuse / neglect, domestic violence, elder abuse, institutional abuse and sexual assault.
• Collaborates with the patient, family and multidisciplinary team to assure  psychosocial needs, as identified in the care management plan, are addressed.
• Counsels patients and families regarding emotional, social, and financial consequences of illness and/or disability, accessing and mobilizing family/community resources to meet identified needs. Provides crisis intervention and brief term counseling with patients and families.
• Identifies and communicates a self-management plan specifically developed to assist with the improvement of self-monitoring and symptom identification.
• Implements care plan by facilitating authorizations/referrals as appropriate within the patients’ benefit structures or through extra-contractual arrangements in conjunction with the care team.
• Initiates outside referrals for community resources and services as needed.
• Facilitates transfers into a higher level of care after consultation with APN. Liaisons with other departments within the UI Health System as well as outside hospitals and agencies.
• Facilitates daily communication with the clinical care team to discuss the plan of care and assist with expediting care across the continuum, including participating in daily huddles and communication to the care team any patient issues that will enhance the patient visit.
• Empowers patients to identify changes in health status and recognize the need to notify their primary care provider of changes.
• Participates in quality improvement and patient safety initiatives. Identifies service delivery problems and potential for effective care management intervention. Assists in identifying system problems and issues that impede diagnostic or treatment progression to the director of nurse led practices.
• Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team when delays occur in consults, treatments, discharge planning, or procedures to facilitate timely, cost effective delivery of patient services.
• Composes components of quality improvement and other clinical tracking activity reports. Prepares and/or submits program and treatment reports using quantitative and qualitative data.
• Reviews and provides input into and/or drafts policies and procedures related to mental health counseling, continuum of care, and patient services facilitation.
• Participates in training and supervision of MSW students. Serves as a precepting / training resource for inter professional health care students.
• Participates in approved clinical research protocols, including participant recruitment, screening, and administration of research instruments in the form of questionnaires and diagnostic interviews.
• Performs other related duties and participates in special projects as assigned.

Minimum Acceptable Qualifications Required:

1. Master's degree from an accredited school or university in social or behavioral science or a related health specialty area.
2. Current State of IL Licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual Langual skills with the ability to read, write, speak and translate Spanish / English
• CADC Certification
• Previous experience working with patients with substance use or addictions
• Previous experience working in a FQHC
• Previous work experience in an academic clinical setting

To Apply: For fullest consideration, please complete an online application by clicking the Apply for Position button below.

Fully complete all sections of the application including adding your full work history with specific details of your duties and responsibilities for each position held.

Upload your current LCSW Licensure and Master degree transcripts.

Please upload all valid certifications and transcripts within the document section of your online application.

All civil service positions require an exam.  The exam for this position is a Credentials Assessment.  You will not be required to report in person for this exam.

Credential Assessment Exam Scoring Information:

You will not be required to report in person for this exam. The updated online application and all uploaded, relevant documents, such as a resume and/or college transcript will be used in the calculation of the exam score. These documents should be uploaded prior to the position close date. 

When completing your online application, please be sure to provide detailed information about your job knowledge and specific duties and responsibilities, as your qualifications for any Civil Service position will be primarily determined based on what is contained in the application. Dates of employment and if employed on a full or part time basis (including number of hours per week) must be indicated for each position held. Additional consideration will be given to supporting documentation i.e. resume, transcripts, licenses, and certifications so please be sure to attach all applicable documents.

If a degree or college coursework is required, you must provide official transcripts.

Transcripts/Licenses/Certifications MUST be uploaded electronically to your online application through the "Documents" page on the Civil Service Employment Application (page 4). Be sure to select the appropriate document type before uploading the document.

If your educational institution provides electronic transcripts, please have them sent to hross@uic.edu

If an application and all applicable forms, transcripts, and supporting documents are not submitted by the close date, the applicant/employee will not be considered for this position and will be denied. 

For fullest consideration, the above mentioned requirements must be submitted no later than 3/12/2021.

We appreciate your interest in employment at the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

The University of Illinois is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.  

This position requires Illinois residency within 180 days of the hire date.