UI Health is seeking a full time Medical Social Consultant (Medial Social Worker) to join our Health Social Work team. 

This role will report to the Director of Health Social Work and take direction from leadership under the Department of Health Social Work. The Social Worker provides counseling, comprehensive, psychosocial assessment and related functions for patients identified as needing social service support or intervention, and serves as collaborative partner with the members of the healthcare team to coordinate with various medical team members to facilitate an appropriate transitional care plan, will identify support services or intervention. A progression of responsibility is evident in this series and ranges from simple, routine and repetitive duties performed to duties that are complex and highly diversified requiring the exercise of discretion and independent judgment performed under administrative direction.

This is a full time benefits eligible position.  UI Health offers exciting employment opportunities and competitive salaries.  In addition all full time benefits eligible positions include a comprehensive benefits package which include; Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability & AD&D insurance, a defined benefit pension plan as well as paid leave which includes; Vacation, Holiday and Sick.  In addition we offer tuition waivers for employees and dependents.  Click for a complete list of Employee Benefits

About our Health Social Workers Team

The best medical care pays attention to the psychological, social, and environmental needs of patients and families.

How do social workers help with your health?

We are part of the many health care teams at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System (UI Health), working closely with doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. We become your advocates. We help you to address the personal, family, and social problems that may arise from or affect your health needs and medical care.

The services of the Department of Health Social Work are available to all patients of the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System.

Meet our Social Workers Team

Meets directly with patient/family to perform a comprehensive assessment including social, emotional, cultural, mental status, environmental and financial circumstances in conjunction with interdisciplinary assessment of the patient. Recommends a plan of intervention based on mutually established goals.

Provide Psychosocial Assessments for patients/families:

• Reactions to illness and disability, especially the chronically and terminally ill.
• Facilitation of informal decision making (including advanced directives) and development of treatment/intervention plans.
• Adjustment to the medical setting and compliance with treatment plan.
• Adjustment/coping with post-hospital/clinic care needs and linkage to community resources.
• Coordinates groups for supportive interventions or educational opportunities.
• Provide supportive services and resources for possible termination of pregnancies.
• Financial issues related to insurance coverage and payment
• Psychiatric symptoms and chemical dependency
• Conflict resolution
• Family and personal relationship that impact the plan of care & discharge plans.
• Assess for Depression, suicide screening, Depression Scale
• Assess, Advocate and provide supportive resources or placement options for Victims of Violence, abuse or Neglect and Addiction Needs
• Provides supportive care

Performs assessments of the physical environment and adequacy of support systems for outpatients to prevent a crisis and/or hospitalization.

• Provides Crisis Intervention and/or Protective Services for:
• The Elderly without support services: with impaired mental status and/or victims of suspected abuse/neglect.
• Victims of: suspected sexual/physical/neglect/domestic violence
• Guardianship and/or protective services for patients with significant mental status impairment or unsafe living environment.
• The homeless

(Inpatient) Manages Discharge Planning through Placement Coordination and Resource Utilization:

• Actively participates in the stages of discharge planning and ensures that the plan of care is coordinated, facilitated and effectively communicated to the Physician, healthcare team, patient/designated caregiver(s). Provide initial screening for all new patients to assure medical necessity, source of funding and likelihood of needing social work and/or discharge planning needs through facilitation of direct and continuous communication and collaborative decision making, including participation in multidisciplinary rounds and case conferences and other collaborative forums.
• Coordinates action plans when barriers are present to facilitate resolution.
• Escalates to supervisor/director when barriers are present to facilitate resolution. Proactively identifies and resolves delays and obstacles to discharge. Utilizes advanced conflict resolution skills a necessary to ensure timely resolution of issues and system problems.
• Coordinates discharge planning to ensure a timely discharge (placement or return to community) through early identification, assessment and intervention for post-medical center care needs, to ensure that the patient is discharged when medically ready to:
  • Other Hospitals
  • Rehabilitative facilities
  • Extended care facilities
  • Sub-Acute Care or Group Homes
  • Psychiatric and Chemical Dependency Care
  • Return to home or other living arrangement
• Collaborates and communicates with multidisciplinary team in all phases of discharge planning. Ensures/maintains plan consensus from patient/designated caregivers, physician and payer as indicated.
• Demonstrates knowledge of community resources and an ability to connect patients and families with these resources. Acts as an advocate on behalf of the patient who requires assistance to gain access to needed information, resources or services.
• Facilitates review of high risk cases by Ethics, RISK and Safety and Legal to inform appropriate members of the healthcare team as to interventions needed.
• Provide Cross Coverage to other clinics and inpatient medical units.
• Address patient issues related to Advance Directives.
• Actively coordinates referrals and support for patients being considered for Hospice/Palliative Care.

ON-CALL responsibilities:

• On-Call duties to provide phone consult, coordinate discharge planning, facilitate transfers, communicate regarding reporting activities, etc. to all medical center areas after normal business hours and follow up with documenting on-call activities.
• During disaster the on-call person would help activate phone triage list to arrange help as needed during an internal or external disaster.

Projects include but not limited to Social Work related tasks:

• Work with child protection/abuse/neglect, domestic violence, sex trafficking, elder abuse, institutional abuse and sexual assault, Housing, Transition Care planning, Quality Improvement committees.

Coverage/Training/Clinical Performance Activities may include:

• Provide clinical coverage / interventions as needed during staffing coverage.
• Plan, assign and review work of staff to ensure that group objectives are met. Hire, train, develop and manage staff to ensure that a qualified staff exists to meet group objectives.
• Assists in collection and reporting of financial indicators including LOS, avoidable days, resource utilization, discharge barriers, cost per case, readmission rates, denials, etc.
• Uses data to drive decisions and plan/implement performance improvement strategies related to case management for assigned patients/units, including financial, clinical, quality and patient satisfaction data.
• Collects data for discharge delays, over-utilization of resources, avoidable days and other data for specific performance and/or outcome indicators.
• Participates in the development, implementation, evaluation and revision of case management tools in collaboration with healthcare team.
• Assumes responsibility for professional development and social work CE requirements by participating in workshops, conferences and/or in-services.

Based on Program needs to develop and lead Groups or educations sessions.

• Provide any functions that may be considered appropriate role or services as a Social Worker.
• (Outpatient) Maintains competency for licensure and credentialing of program and in the event for the ability to generate revenue under billing of services.
• Obtain consents for assigned caseload
• Secure agency records that then need to be shared with Response Training System (RTS) team for community follow up for assigned caseload
• Upload records for RTS
• Arrange and supervise family visits for assigned caseload
• Discharge Planning for Med-Psych beds—heavier load due to medical and SA needs (Skilled Nursing,
• Other Duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications Required: 

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

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual language skills with the ability to read, write, speak and translate Spanish / English. 

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

Fully complete all sections of the online application including adding your full work history with specific details of your duties & responsibilities for each position held. Fully complete the education, licensure, certification and language sections.

You may upload a resume, cover letter, certifications, licensures, transcripts and diplomas 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, college transcript, certifications and licensures 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.

For additional information regarding this position please contact Heather Ross at hross@uic.edu

If an application is not fully completed and submitted by the close date, the applicant/employee will not be considered for this position.

For fullest consideration, the above mentioned requirements must be submitted no later than 5/31/2022

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. 

University of Illinois faculty, staff and students are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are not able to receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, you may seek approval for an exemption in accordance with applicable University processes.

For classifications that require a degree as part of the minimum qualifications, a degree verification will be required before any offers of employment are extended.