Medical Social Worker Jobs for OPT Students

Job ID: JR205527

Date posted: 03/25/2026

Location: San Diego, California Copley Drive

Job Type: Day

Employment Type: Regular

Hours:

Shift Start Time: 8 AM
Shift End Time: 4:30 PM
AWS Hours Requirement: 8/40 - 8 Hour Shift
Additional Shift Information:

Weekend Requirements: No Weekends
On-Call Required: No
Hourly Pay Range (Minimum - Midpoint - Maximum): $42.790 - $55.210 - $61.840

The stated pay scale reflects the range that Sharp reasonably expects to pay for this position. The actual pay rate and pay grade for this position will be dependent on a variety of factors, including an applicant’s years of experience, unique skills and abilities, education, alignment with similar internal candidates, marketplace factors, other requirements for the position, and employer business practices.

What You Will Do

Provide consultation, and psychosocial counseling and support services to the Sharp Health Care customer base. To mobilize patients and families personal and environmental resources to receive maximum benefits of medical care and achieve the fullest personal and family functioning.

Required Qualifications

• Master's Degree In Social Work.
• 3 Years experience as an MSW.
• Hospital or skilled nursing facility case management experience.
• Hospice/Palliative Care experience in outpatient and/or inpatient settings.

Preferred Qualifications

• California BBS Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) - CA Board of Behavioral Sciences - PREFERRED
• Certified Case Manager (CCM) - Commission for Case Manager Certification - PREFERRED
• HPCC Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN) - Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center - PREFERRED

Essential Functions

• Communication and Teamwork

Works in close collaboration with palliative team members, primary care physician, patient/family and all team members involved in the patient’s care.

Effectively participates in IDT meetings and care conferences.

Maintains on-going communication with team members.

• Community resource

Maintains up-to-date community resource information including but not limited to:

• Extended care facilities
• Home health services
• In-home care services
• Financial resources
• Spiritual support services
• Hospice and end-of-life care services
• Protective services/reporting laws
• Final arrangements

Provide community resource information to patients and families as appropriate based on needs assessed.

Assists with completion of final arrangements in timely manner (if patient/family do not opt for hospice services).

• Comprehensively Assesses Psychosocial Needs

Completes comprehensive initial psychosocial assessment.

Assesses psychosocial status/needs throughout plan of care including but not limited to:

• Support network
• Safety concerns (including suicide risk factors)
• Caregiver status/plan
• Coping with chronic or terminal illness
• Financial issues
• Bereavement needs
• Final arrangements

Participates in the plan of care for patients based on initial and on-going assessment.

Assesses bereavement needs upon death of patient (if patient/family do not opt for hospice services).

Follow up either through clinic, hospital or telephonic to continually assess patient/family needs. Frequency to increase as patient's disease progresses or as determined by patient/family and interdisciplinary team.

• Counseling and Education

Utilizes therapeutic counseling and skilled interventions to meet the psychosocial needs of patients.

Assists with the completion of end-of-life care documents.

Manages and assists with the end-of-life options act processes.

Provides education on role of MSW as part of team.

Provides counseling related to end-of-life issues/anticipatory grief.

Provides counseling/education related to long term planning.

Provides counseling/education/appropriate intervention related to urgent caregiver and safety concerns.

• Departmental Compliance

Attends staff and discipline meetings, required and relevant inservices.

Participates in committees and task forces as requested.

• Documentation

Synchronizes/submits patient documentation within agency-defined timeframes.

Completes all documentation in accordance with agency standards and requirements.

Completes individualized, detailed documentation that accurately reflects patient/family situation.

• Care Coordination and Discharge Planning

Interview each patient/family for anticipated needs post hospitalization. The plan and interventions will be documented in the EMR (e.g., Cerner & Touchworks), case management software (e.g., Essette).

Responsible for leading and documenting the care coordination, updating the plan, and facilitating necessary coordination of services.

Collaborate with the outpatient and inpatient teams to assure a smooth transition through the continuum of care.

Participate in venues to reduce barriers to discharge.

Collaborates with Care Specialists (CS’s) to assure appropriate referrals for care and services are directed to the appropriate network providers, and obtains prior authorization for in network and out of network services as appropriate.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Theoretical and practical knowledge of psychosocial process, strong assessment and counseling skills.
• Excellent communication, problem solving, and documentation skills.
• Ability and flexibility to work in an innovative environment and work on multiple projects at once.
• Proficient knowledge and understanding of palliative care, end-of-life, hospice care & acute care or skilled nursing case management or discharge planning experience.

Sharp HealthCare is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability or any other protected class.