Medical Social Worker

Medical Social Worker

Behavioral Health Team

Damien Center Values

Dignity-Collaboration-Accountability-Equity-Quality-Innovation

Founded in 1987, Damien Center is Indiana’s oldest and largest AIDS service organization (ASO) and serves more than 8000 individuals living with or at risk for HIV through a comprehensive, innovative approach to care and prevention. Our purpose is to be a trusted partner in providing services, education and advocacy for all people living with or at risk for HIV and any person seeking a safe and welcoming home for care. Our services include care coordination, clinical and pharmacy services, mental health, housing, and nutrition.

Position Summary:

This full-time medical social worker will integrate into Damien Center’s clinic operations at both our primary medical clinic and our satellite location at CAFE. The position will serve as a point-of-service contact for all members of the health care team and clients and will be able to quickly step in when social services or an initial mental health assessment is needed. The medical social worker will maintain an understanding of the services available to each client population, including mental health, psychiatric, and substance use services at Damien Center, as well as the numerous supportive services available to Damien Center clients to help them successfully navigate these systems.

Duties and Responsibilities:

This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this position. It should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all required duties, responsibilities, and skills.

• Provide high-quality screening, brief-intervention, assessment, and referrals for clients experiencing mental health and/or substance use disorders.
• Conduct brief biopsychosocial evaluation, assessing client’s presenting problems and formulating initial diagnostic impression with treatment recommendations.
• Serve as a resource guide for medical and mental health staff as needed. Also serves as a preliminary resource guide for clients in understanding how and where to access community resources.
• Provide crisis intervention at the point of service when requested by medical and mental health staff, completing appropriate follow-up and care coordination with nonmedical staff.
• Facilitate patients’ choices to engage with care and advocate for and with client for their needs within the scope of Damien Center services.
• Serve as preliminary contact for referrals to the Mental Health team and ensure appropriate documentation is submitted to and received by referral partners.
• Complete suicide assessment and prevention measures with clients including coordinating with care teams and medical providers to request emergency services and immediate detentions when appropriate.
• Complete assessments for various mental health needs based in DSM criteria when assessing referrals to mental health and psychiatric services.
• Navigate clients to additional community resources if Damien resources are inadequate or inappropriate for level of care needed.
• Maintains strong community connections and referral sources.
• Demonstrate consistent documentation of client interactions and maintain skilled use of electronic medical records.
• Ensures all required communications and records are HIPAA-compliant, accurate, and maintained and submitted in a timely manner and in compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Demonstrate a high level of ethical conduct regarding confidentiality, dual-relationships, and professional stature.
• Work collaboratively with various staff members at Damien Center, applicable outside agencies, clinic staff, and Damien Center administrative personnel via team meetings, one-on-one consultations, and staff meetings.
• Participate in ongoing professional staff development programs, workshops, and presentations.
• Performs special assignments and other work, on an as-needed basis.

Minimum Qualifications/Requirements:

• Master’s degree in social work required.
• Licensed Social Worker (LSW) a plus.
• Advanced knowledge and skills in community-based mental health are required.
• Knowledge of LGBTQ+ culture and societal/family challenges is required.
• Experience and/or knowledge of substance use treatment is preferred.
• Bilingual preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Possess superior organizational and administrative skills. Excellent interpersonal and communication abilities. Excellent computer skills in a Microsoft Windows environment. Ability to work independently and achieve high standards of productivity, achieving deadlines and with superior product results. Strong calendaring, organizational, and document management skills required. Proactive approach to solving problems and communicating to leadership. Knowledge of office management systems, procedures, and office equipment required. Excellent time management skills and ability to prioritize work.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the basic knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The individual in this role must display the highest level of integrity and confidentiality. The individual should have effective communication skills, attention to detail and organization, and flexibility and adaptability. The individual will also maintain knowledge of trends in their area of responsibility.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are general representations of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to touch and handle objects. The employee frequently stands or walks.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Office setting, with sustained use of a computer.
• The noise level in the work environment is minimal to moderate.
• Individuals should maintain personal and professional competency and work to create an environment of courtesy, respect, inclusion, and positivity in all interactions both internal and external to the organization.

• FLSA Status: Exempt, Salaried, Full-Time
• Leader: Director of Mental Health
• Salary: $57,500
• Benefits: Complete Benefits Package Available including:

• 150 hours of PTO in the first year followed by 195 hours per year moving forward.
• 12 paid holidays
• 2 medical plans to select from (PPO & HDHP)
• Dental & Vision plans
• Health Saving Account or Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Employee Assistance Program
• 403b Retirement Account with 5% matching and 100% vesting after 90 days
• Life Insurance at 2 times the annual salary
• Voluntary Life Insurance Plan
• Short- & Long-Term Disability Plans

Protecting our team members, clients, volunteers, and community partners is an integral part of how we ensure our continued work with the clients we serve. As a condition of employment, Damien Center requires team members to be vaccinated against influenza and receive a tuberculosis skin test (or chest x-ray) annually, and to be vaccinated against COVID-19 (including all boosters), barring an approved religious or medical exemption.

Damien Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Damien Center provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family status, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, amnesty, status as a covered veteran, other legally protected status, or genetic (including family medical history) information.

Damien Center complies with applicable federal laws and with all state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which Damien Center has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Please apply at www.damien.org/job-opportunities

This position description does not constitute a contract of employment or guarantee of any terms or conditions of employment. Damien Center employees are employed on an at-will basis. Nothing in this position description restricts Damien Center’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this position at any time.