SOCIAL SERVICES DIRECTOR

JOB DESCRIPTION
Social Services Director
DEPARTMENT: Social Services
POSITION:
The Social Services Director assumes administrative authority, responsibility and accountability to provide medically-related
social services which assists residents in maintaining or improving their ability to manage their everyday physical, mental and
psychosocial needs.
REPORTING:
This position is responsible to the Administrator.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
• Assist, as directed, in the admission process; interviewing perspective residents, families or responsible parties
• Supervise Social Services Assistant(s)
• Make arrangements for obtaining needed adaptive equipment, clothing and personal items
• Maintain contact with family, in consultation with the resident, to report on changes in health, current goals,
discharge planning and encourage to participate in care planning
• Make referrals and obtain services from outside entities, i.e., talking books, absentee ballots, facility wheelchair
transportation

Assist residents with financial and legal matter, i.e., Medicare, Medi-Cal benefits, Social Security, VA, referrals to
funeral homes for preplanning arrangements
• Assist with discharge planning, i.e., appropriate placement and arrangements, home health services, transportation
• Provide or arrange provision of needed counseling services
• Complete Social Service Assessment Discharge Planning and MDS section in EMR system for each resident
within seven days after admission, maintain progress notes at least quarterly or more frequently if needed
• Identify and support resident’s individual needs and preferences, customary routines, concerns and choices
through the assessment and care planning process
• Document on the resident’s plan of care all identified social service problems with appropriate approaches and
time measurable goals
• Build relationships between residents and staff and teach staff how to understand and support resident’s individual
needs
• Promote actions by the staff that maintain or enhance each resident(s) dignity in full recognition of each resident’s
individuality
• Assist residents to determine how they would like to make decisions about their health care, and whether or not
they would like anyone else to be involved in these decisions
• Assist staff to inform residents and those they designate about the resident’s health status and health care choices
and ramifications including advance directives
• Find options which meet the resident’s physical and emotional needs
• Assist to provide alternatives to drug therapy or restraints by assessment of the residents needs and recommend
plan of care to meet these needs
• Meet the needs of the residents who are in a grieving process
• Document on social services log all referrals to outside agencies with the reason for referral, name of
person/agency contacted and action taken
• Ensure confidentiality of resident’s social services information by allowing access only to authorized persons
• Participate in Interdisciplinary Care Plan Conferences and develop plan of care to insure that special social service
needs are met
• Assist with regularly scheduled Resident and Family Group meetings as requested
• Assist in resolution of grievances as voiced by resident, family, responsible party or ombudsman
• Participate in Quality Assurance Programs
• Participate in facility committees or conferences as directed by the Administrator
• Attend in-service and staff meetings as required. Facilitate one in-service meeting annually, as required by federal
regulations
• Practice infection control policies and procedures of the facility

Practice safety policies and procedures of the facility
• React appropriately to emergencies and disaster situations
• Be courteous, considerate and cooperative when communicating with all facility personnel, residents and staff
• Promote and maintain good public relations on behalf of the facility
JOB FUNCTIONS:
• Demonstrate knowledge of, and respect for, the rights, dignity and individuality of each resident in all interactions
• Appreciates the importance of maintaining confidentiality of resident and facility information
• Demonstrate honesty and integrity at all times in the care and use of resident and facility property
• Ability to read, speak, understand English, follow directions and complete the assigned responsibilities of the
department
• Support facility administration, the facility’s philosophy of care, and the policies and procedures of the facility
• Ability to effectively communicate with residents, families, responsible parties, facility staff and outside resources
and agencies
• Maintain a neat, clean, well-groomed professional appearance
• Dependability
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:
Education: High School graduate or equivalent, for communities with less than 120 beds
B.A. Degree in social work or human services field, for communities with more than 120 beds
License: Current SSD Certificate required
Work Experience: 1 year of supervised social work experience in a health care setting working directly with
individuals
Experience completing electronic medical records for all documentation and have basic computer
skills, including operating on-line applications and basic Word and Excel skills
Language Skills:
• Must be able to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical information, and to be easily
understood through verbal communication in the English language.
Mathematical Skills:
• Must be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common
fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to perform these operations using units of weight measurement, and volume.
Communication Skills:
• Must have exceptional communication and customer service skills, and be empathetic.
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, families, responsible parties, staff and outside resources and
agencies.