Director Social Services-Hampstead

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Concord - Lebanon, NH

Full-time - Senior

Lebanon, NH

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations

About the position

The Director of Social Services serves as Department Administrator, reporting to the Director of Clinical Services of Hampstead Hospital and Residential Treatment Facility (HHRTF). The role administers social services operations, therapeutic supports, and programs and works closely with the Assistant Director. The Director of Social Services serves in a senior clinical consulting capacity, providing input and resolution and plans on complex clinical case management, disposition, and/or family issues/concerns.

Responsibilities

• Directs the quality and appropriateness of all social work services provided by HHRTF and ensures compliance with Joint Commission and Medicare standards applicable to Social Work.
• Provides clinical oversight to the Acute Inpatient and Residential Treatment Units.
• Authorizes appropriate utilization of social work staff and operations to ensure coverage and timely delivery of services; serves as a senior clinical consultant when necessary.
• Authorizes the development of policies and procedures for the long-term administration of the hospital's social work operations and programs.
• Implements strategies consistent with the core principles and values of HHRTF and with alignment to the professional standards and the expectations of all accrediting bodies.
• Assesses both the short- and long-term impacts of policy changes and oversees implementation of same.
• Performs departmental budgetary functions to ensure that HHRTF resources, and programs are supported, and monitors operational and fiscal activities for efficient and effective allocation of resources.
• Ensures reliable hospital-wide social work coverage and develops strategic planning for staffing gaps and critical ongoing services.
• Implements training, development, and education opportunities such as in-service initiatives to ensure employee growth and engagement.
• Consult with Unit Program Directors to assure oversight and supervision of all Master's of Social Work (MSW) clinicians.
• Monitors objectives that assure that the physical environment and standards of practice meet or exceed the safety needs of staff and patients.
• Conducts investigative or disciplinary reviews and makes decisions for hiring and dismissing staff.
• Promotes timely communication among therapeutic staff, management, and interdisciplinary departments to ensure the efficacy and quality of social work services.
• Facilitates and fosters an environment that allows problem-solving to maintain positive interpersonal relationships with subordinates and peers.
• Perform quarterly audits and monitoring of all social work documentation reporting directly to the Patient Care Committee and Performance Improvement Committee; identify and solve bottlenecks, capture successes, and gather Key Performance Indicators and data/metrics to implement and support improvements.

Requirements

• Master's degree from an accredited institute of higher education with major study in Social Work from a program accredited by the Counsel on Social Work Education and eight years of experience in clinical social work including acute psychiatric care in a hospital setting preferred, five years of which must have been in a management level position involving duties concerned with program administration, program planning and evaluation, business management or related management experience.
• OR Bachelor's degree from an accredited institute of higher education with major study in Social Work from a program accredited by the Counsel on Social Work Education and nine years of experience in clinical social work including acute psychiatric care in a hospital setting preferred, five years of which must have been in a management level position involving duties concerned with program administration, program planning and evaluation, business management or related management experience.

Nice-to-haves

• Preferred experience in administration/management within an acute psychiatric care/hospital setting.
• Preferred experience with patients/families in a psychiatric setting.
• Candidates who have been aligned with NH's System of Care, supporting services that are: family-driven, youth-guided, community-oriented, trauma-informed, and culturally and linguistically competent.