PACE Social Worker, MSW

For more than55 years, Family Health Centers of San Diego's (FHCSD) mission has been to provide caring, affordable, high-quality health care and supportive services to everyone, with a special commitment to uninsured, low-income and medically underserved persons.

FHCSD is one of the top 10 largest federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the country. We operate more than 90 sites across San Diego County, including 29 primary care clinics, 23 behavioral health facilities, 10 physical rehabilitation clinics, nine dental clinics, five vision clinics, four outpatient substance use treatment programs, three mobile medical units, two mobile counseling centers, two urgent care centers, and a pharmacy.

Our staff provides care to over 227,000 patients each year, of whom 91% are low-income and 29% are uninsured. FHCSD provides care to all. Services include, but are not limited to adult care, chronic disease management, pediatrics, comprehensive women's care including obstetrics, dental, vision, case management, physical rehabilitation, speech therapy for children, vaccinations, infectious diseases, behavioral health, substance use counseling and a host of specialty services including cardiology, podiatry, endocrinology, dermatology, among others. FHCSD also offers supportive services to those who are unsheltered and in need of intensive case management.

The breadth of our clinic locations, services and programs has grown over the last five decades, making us the largest community clinic provider of health care to the uninsured in the county and one of the top 10 largest community clinic organizations in the nation. We are also the largest health care safety-net provider, largest school-based health care provider and the largest mental health provider in the San Diego region.

Job Roles

• Conduct comprehensive initial assessments of PACE participants to obtain a complete psycho-social history to include cognitive status, social supports, family dynamics, mental health and substance dependency, and other current issues and needs.
• Confer with PACE participant and family to identify goals and expectations.
• As a member of the PACE multi-disciplinary health care team, provide input on individual cases and work cooperatively to create proactive solutions and comprehensive treatment plans to keep the PACE participant in the community and enhance quality of life to the greatest extent possible.
• Provide assessment, treatment, teaching and counseling to participants, caregivers or other appropriate representatives.
• Conduct social worker intervention to include individual contacts, appropriate collateral contact, participant and family education, assessment, and counseling.
• Act as advocate and liaison between PACE participant, family and Care Team.
• Provide one-on-one supportive counseling to PACE participants and their family members.
• Facilitate individual, family, and group counseling and therapy as necessary in servicing PACE participants.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education/Certifications/Licenses/Registrations

• Master's in Social Work required.
• Traveling between sites and other locations is occasionally required. Must have a valid California driver's license, an automobile, and proof of minimum levels of car insurance as required under California law, although limits of $100,000 are recommended. An acceptable driving record is also required. California law requires all drivers to obtain a valid California driver's license within ten days of establishing residency. Reasonable accommodation may be provided on a case-by-case basis. Mileage and other reimbursement governed by policy.

Experience/Specialized skills (including Language)

• 2 years of experience post-Masters in a health care environment (i.e., hospital, nursing home or community health care).
• 1 year of experience working with the frail or elderly preferred.
• Strong ability to provide support, structure, empathy, sound judgment, and insight into human behavior and family relations.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain good interpersonal interactions with clients and co-workers as a member of a multi-disciplinary health care team with a diverse multi-cultural population.
• Demonstrated knowledge of behavior modification theories to include current knowledge of psychosocial assessment and counseling theories and best practices, with the ability to translate best practices into meaningful, culturally appropriate resources.
• Must be able to multi-task, be flexible, ensure accuracy, and meet changing priorities in a fast-paced, high workload environment.
• Must know community resources, health and social service systems in San Diego County and have skill in establishing working relationships with community partners.
• Basic computer literacy to comply with department needs and expectations (i.e., E-HR documentation, obtaining background information and reports, following up on appointments, etc.).
• Bilingual in English/Spanish preferred.

We are excited to share that the salary range for this position is:

Information on our extensive benefits package can be found here: FHCSD Wellness - Employee Hub (gobenefits.net)

FHCSD provides Equal Employment Opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.