Director, Ambulatory & Community Social Work

Director, Ambulatory & Community Social Work

Hiring Department: Continuum of Care

Location: Chicago, IL USA

Requisition ID

Posting Close Date: October 16, 2024

About the University of Illinois Chicago

Salary range: $110,000 - $155,000

UIC is among the nation's preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie RU/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert with civic, corporate and community partners worldwide, including a full complement of health sciences colleges. By emphasizing cutting-edge and transformational research along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodies the dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent "Best Colleges" rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. UIC has over 300,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the city of Chicago.

Description:

About UI Health

The University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health)provides comprehensive care, education, and research to the people of Illinoisand beyond. A part of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), UI Healthcomprises a clinical enterprise that includes a 495-bed tertiary care hospital,22 outpatient clinics, and 13 Mile Square Health Center facilities, which areFederally Qualified Health Centers. It also includes the seven UIC healthscience colleges: the College of Applied Health Sciences; the College ofDentistry; the School of Public Health; the Jane Addams College of Social Work;and the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing, including regional campusesin Peoria, Quad Cities, Rockford, Springfield, and Urbana. UI Health isdedicated to the pursuit of health equity.

Position Summary

The Director of Ambulatory and Community Social Work establishes and implements departmental strategic objectives consistent with state and federal mandates, and the health system's goals in providing social work services to UI Health ambulatory patients and clinics. Develops appropriate administrative policies, services, structures, controls, and reporting systems for the efficient and effective performance of social services and the practice of social work. Determines types, levels and standards of social services to be provided to patients and families.

Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Goal Setting

• Determine, plan and establish departmental strategic course. Analyze changing demographics, increasing competition and other social, economic and political factors in the organization environment to review and adjust the department vision and values statements.
• Outline and modify strategic goals and ways to accomplish them. Identify environmental impediments to client or patient progress.
• Work collaboratively with ambulatory leadership.
• Develop or advise on social policies and assist in community development.
• Establish relationships with community-based organizations, referral agencies, and other strategic partners to foster community collaborations for the benefit of ambulatory patients and the communities the ambulatory clinics serve and are located in.
• Lead and be accountable for addressing social determinants of health in the ambulatory environment.
• Create and lead programs to provide resources to patients based on assessment.

Finance / Budget Management

• Formulate and justify the department's annual budget and capital projects and ensure that budget is administered within the hospital guidelines.
• Direct searches for new funding sources at the state and federal level and oversee grant application preparation and negotiations.
• Review invoices to verify the service is appropriately funded by the department and paid on time.

Regulatory Compliance

• Develop and contribute to hospital and departmental policies and work practices and procedures to ensure adherence to most recent changes on state and federal level and efficacy of service (such as child abuse policy which determines how to assess a patient, how to communicate with police and DCFS).
• Prepare program audits for the State and other regulatory bodies as required.
• Ensure regulatory requirements are being met in regards to the practice of social work, and in accordance with the NASW Code of Ethics.

Patient Consulting

• Counsel clients and patients on most complex cases in individual and group sessions to help them understand problems, overcome dependencies, recover from illness and adjust to life.
• Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
• Oversee therapeutic and treatment plans based on clients' interests, abilities and needs developed by staff.
• Advise on social policy.
• Verify processes to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and assess client needs are addressed timely and appropriately.
• Direct information collection on individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observation techniques, and other assessment methods.
• Maintain quality control of client care, case records, reports, and statistics.
• Delegate completion of case information to managers and staff.
• Verify documentation is adherent to state and federal regulations.
• Monitor benchmark statistics in the system (such as number of patients seen, types of intervention, tracking, facility coding and billing, etc.).
• Review general productivity reports and progress notes compiled by staff.
• Recommend ways to improve patient services.
• Oversee patients' assessment and discharge.

Staff Management

• Interview, hire, counsel, orient, assign, evaluate and mentor staff to meet departmental and patient needs, and health system objectives.
• Lead subordinates to enable them to make decisions

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from an accredited institution.
• Must have an Illinois clinical social work license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Solid knowledge of standards and requirements for professional licensure of staff in a healthcare environment and ability to comprehend and interpret complex legislation. Knowledge of federal, state, and local public interest programs and supporting legislation.
• 5 years experience leading a social work department in a health organization; Director-level experience preferred.
• Exceedingly strong verbal and written communication skills to maintain effective working relationships with departments, employees, managers, patients/families, physicians, nursing homes, regulatory agencies/DCFS, other Medical Centers, vendors (transportation), police, auditors. Leadership, management, and organizational skills are essential. Ability to handle employees' stress associated with the intense clinical and/or patient experience. Ability to plan and administer a large-scale service program; analyze situations accurately and adopt effective courses of action. Practices confidentiality and maintains sensitive information.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Request an Accommodation