Hospice Social Worker / Spiritual Grief Counselor (Milwaukee Area)

Location : Milwaukee County, WI

Full Time (40 hours / week) | day | Monday-Friday | 8 : 00am - 5 : 00pm

Includes on call (every other week - will lessen as team grows)

Make a lasting impact with Agrace

Join Agrace, a nationally recognized nonprofit leader in hospice and palliative care. If you are a skilled Social Worker / Spiritual Grief Counselor who values meaningful, patient-centered care, this is your opportunity to make a difference!

How You’ll Make a Difference (Essential Functions)

The Social Worker / Spiritual Grief Counselor is responsible for patient and family satisfaction through the provision of direct social work services by conducting assessments, providing interventions, creating and updating the plan of care, communicating, and documenting. The Social Worker / Spiritual Grief Counselor provides patient and family centered care consistent with Agrace philosophy, goals, standards, regulations and policies.

Key Responsibilities

Initial and Ongoing Patient / Family Assessments

Assess patient and family psychosocial, spiritual, grief and educational needs as part of the initial and comprehensive as per the patient’s individualized Plan of Care (POC).

Advocate for patient / family goals.

Coordinate transition planning in collaboration with the patient / family, homecare, and Interdisciplinary Team (IDT).

Anticipate and respond to patient / family psychosocial, spiritual, resource, or grief needs. Round on patients.

Perform spiritual and grief assessment, intervention, and care planning to meet the individual needs of patients and / or families.

Engage in ongoing assessment of care plans through interdisciplinary review in accordance with Federal and State Guidelines

Work collaboratively with the patient’s designated faith and spiritual community, and refer to other community resources as needed

Care Planning and Coordination

Collaborate with IDT and patient / family to formulate, implement, and revise individualized Plan of Care (POC) in the electronic health record (EHR). The POC to include goals, interventions, education, discharge plan, etc.

Read, understand, and follow POC. Document education, interventions, and outcomes in EHR.

Intervene, document, and report significant changes in condition or unusual incidents to appropriate IDT member such as client abuse / neglect, suicidal intent, harmful coping mechanisms or violence, etc.

Facilitate communication among patients, families, and Agrace staff.

Education, Intervention, and Resources

Provide individual patient / family education and support regarding behaviors, emotions, and psychosocial adjustment to terminal illness, dying, and bereavement. Evaluate the effectiveness of education and adjust to meet needs.

Provide appropriate education and interventions for patient / family based on clinical assessment and patient / family goals. Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and adjust to meet needs.

Develop and maintain knowledge of community, legal, Agrace, and hospice specific resources. Refer patients / families to resources. Act as patient / family advocate to obtain resources.

Assist with Power of Attorney for Health Care (POAHC), Financial Power of Attorney, Living Will, and Guardianship including assistance with POAHC capability and competency assessment.

Provide Bereavement Support

Develop an individualized bereavement plan of care to address the full scope of survivor needs.

Provide updates to the interdisciplinary team regarding bereaved

Connect bereaved with community resources to assist in the grieving process

Miscellaneous

Participate in meetings to plan and evaluate patient / family services.

Participate in SW on-call rotation.

Participate in education and outreach.

Participate in death visits, including assistance with post-mortem cares using safe body mechanics.

Precept new staff and students.

MSW may audit or oversee the work of BSW

You Bring (Qualifications)

Bachelor’s in Social Work (BSW), required; Master’s in Social Work (MSW), preferred.

Current, unrestricted Social Work License in state of employment

One-year paid medical social work experience

Two or more years’ counseling experience preferred

Intermediate electronic health records skills; Epic preferred

Valid driver’s license, auto insurance, and access to a reliable vehicle

Must be at least 18 years of age

Experience providing counseling and / or spiritual care in both a group and individual setting

Experience working with grief as related to death

Intermediate Microsoft Office Suite skills

Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with others

Ability to develop, maintain, and apply knowledge of hospice and end of life process

Ability to maintain professional boundaries with patients, families and co-workers

Ability to create and follow plans of care, and patient, family, and clinical staff directions

Benefits

Competitive pay with mileage reimbursement

Health, dental, and vision insurance for employees who are hired for 28+ hours per week (.7 FTE +)

Retirement plans with employer matching

Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and holiday paid time off

Comprehensive onboarding, mentorship, and career development

About Agrace

For more than 45 years, Agrace has been an innovator and leader in both caring for patients and their families, and in educating others about death, dying and grief. We are the largest hospice provider in Wisconsin. Well known for end-of-life care, Agrace also serves people across southern Wisconsin who are aging, seriously ill or grieving.

At Agrace we are strengthened by the unique experiences, cultures and traditions of our staff, patients and clients.

Together, we pursue a vision in which every Agrace staff member is treated fairly, and every patient and client experiences the respectful, individualized care they need and deserve.

We foster a culture of belonging that celebrates people’s uniqueness and leads to meaningful, empathetic connections.

Agrace HospiceCare is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.