Manager of Counseling Services

Job Description

Job Description

About Company :

Give your passion a purpose – join our amazing team!

At Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, your passion finds purpose every day. As an award-winning nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider, we've been serving families across southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina for over 45 years—rooted in heart, service, and community.

What sets us apart? Our commitment to your well-being and growth :

• Quick Benefits & Affordable Coverage : Health, dental, and vision insurance begin the first of the month after 30 days. We offer a free employee-only health plan option, and all plans include access to virtual doctor visits and mental health support at no cost.
• Generous Paid Time Off : Full-time employees start with 27 days of PTO in their first year—plus it rolls over and increases with tenure.
• Investing in Your Future : We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with employer match, along with up to $5,000 per year in tuition reimbursement to support your continued growth.
• A Culture That Values You : We believe in celebrating contributions, uplifting one another, and fostering a workplace built on respect, trust, and true compassion—for our patients, families, and each other.

We're proud to rank in the top 94% of healthcare providers nationwide in the Press Ganey employee satisfaction survey. Come see what makes Lower Cape Fear LifeCare a truly special place to grow.

About the Role :

The Manager of Counseling Services has direct supervision for social workers, chaplains, and grief counselors. The Manager of Counseling Services is accountable for assuring quality outcomes and appropriate resource consumption. In addition, is responsible for growth and development of social worker / chaplain / grief counselor staff to enhance practice and expertise. The patient population can include newborns through geriatric patients. Directs all activities in a highly professional manner, demonstrates behavior that exemplifies the LCFL mission statement, and applies principles of leadership and profession standards to all job responsibilities. Performs other duties as assigned.

PRIMARY JOB DUTIES

1. Responsible for daily Social Worker, Chaplain, and Grief Counseling department operations in homecare and care center(s) ensuring that policies, procedures, and standards of agency, accreditation, regulatory, and legal requirements are met.

2. Responsible interviewing, selecting, and training new staff. Completes annual supervisory visits for clinical staff and annual appraisals for the department.

3. Responsible to maintain staffing to support patient care by approving / denying PDOs. Approving payroll biweekly

4. Responsible for HR issues of staff, performance appraisals and disciplinary issues. Assists the Director of Patient Care Services in making staffing / budget recommendations to the CCO.

5. Serves as a resource to Social Workers, Chaplains, and Grief Counselors. Audits charts for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with standards of practice. Ensures growth and development of staff as well as fostering employee satisfaction.

6. Responsible for assuring quality Social Worker, Chaplain, and Grief Counselors outcomes for patients / families. Participates in performance improvement activities and serves on Performance Improvement Committee.

7. Rewards and disciplines employees, provides opportunities for staff growth and development and assures on-going competence of all professional staff.

8. Annually continues personal development.

9. Organizes and performs work effectively and efficiently.

10. Maintains and adjusts schedule to enhance program performance.

11. Demonstrates positive interpersonal relations in dealing with all members of the team.

12. Maintains and promotes customer satisfaction.

13. Effectively demonstrates the mission, vision, and values of Lower Cape Fear LifeCare on a daily basis.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

1. Education : MSW or equivalent social work degree from a school accredited by the Council of Social Work Education.

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2. Licensure / Certifications : Valid clinical licensure in North and South Carolina required. Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation required.

3. Experience : Minimum of 3 years clinical Social Work experience. Supervisory experience preferred.

4. Essential Technical / Motor Skills : Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Verbal and written communication skills with ability to speak and write clearly, and ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and / or boards of Managers. Collaborative problem-solving skills, planning skills, and management skills, especially those of coordination and evaluation. Knowledge of licensing, certification, and accreditation standards. A strong background of social work skills, with knowledge of chaplain, social work, and volunteer standards. Knowledge of social work practice acts in NC and SC. Ability to analyze trends. Must be literate in the English language.

5. Interpersonal Skills : Ability to develop positive interactions with patients, families, physicians, staff, peers, and external customers to effectively care for patients and manage the daily operations of the facility. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies or members of the business community. Ability to work in a group. Conflict resolution skills. Knowledge of stress management.

6. Essential Physical Requirements : Primarily sedentary, with frequent sitting for deskwork and meetings, writing, some walking and standing, driving an automobile, and climbing stairs. Sitting, walking, climbing stairs, writing, and using a computer daily. Ability to access patient / family homes for supervisory visits.

7. Essential Mental Abilities : Must be able to read and understand regulations and standards, formulate policies and procedures, manage daily operations, direct patient care activities, supervise staff, and plan, implement and evaluate programs and interventions. Requires a high level of mental faculties accompanied by strong short and long-term memory.

8. Essential Sensory Requirements : Ability to use sight to assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient care activities, monitor records, drive, etc. Ability to use hearing to communicate with staff and patients.

9. Exposure to Hazards : Potential exposure to blood and blood borne pathogens, body fluids, sharps, and infectious diseases. May be exposed to dangerous animals and traffic hazards while performing supervisory visits. May encounter patients and other situations which present a potential threat to personal safety. May encounter temperature changes and weather extremes.

10. Other - Hours of Work : Full-time (average 40 hours per week). Primarily a Monday through Friday position but flexible hours are a necessity with occasional evening and weekend work. Occasional need to flex hours for supervisory visits. May need to flex hours to assist with evening / weekend meetings, or during crisis issues. May need to provide back-up to weekend social work on-call.

11. Population Served : All patient populations from infants through geriatric with a life-limiting illness and their respective identified families.