Social Worker-MSW Senior

Senior Social Worker - MSWLocation: Riley Hospital, Indianapolis, IN
Department: Social Services
Shift: Full-Time, Rotating (M-F 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM or 4-10 hour shifts during the week, with rotating holidays)Join Our Compassionate Team!Are you an experienced social worker committed to making a difference in patients’ lives during critical moments? We are seeking a dedicated Senior Social Worker to provide psychosocial assessments, crisis intervention, and complex discharge planning. If you have 3-5 years of experience in mental health, child and family services, or related fields, and are passionate about patient advocacy, we invite you to apply!Apply NOW — Support patients and families through compassionate, expert care!Position Overview:The Senior Social Worker collaborates effectively with the healthcare team to ensure patients receive timely, safe, and resourceful services. This role involves interpreting complex patient and family needs, providing therapeutic interventions, and serving as a key liaison in cases of abuse, neglect, guardianship, foster care, and mental health placements. The Senior Social Worker demonstrates leadership in crisis situations, utilizing de-escalation techniques and crisis intervention principles to prevent violence and support patients through acute crises.Key Responsibilities:

• Communicate and collaborate with all members of the healthcare team to facilitate safe, timely patient care.
• Assess patients’ and families’ psychosocial risk factors, prior functioning, support systems, and coping abilities.
• Counsel patients and families on emotional, social, and financial consequences of illness or disability.
• Access and mobilize family and community resources to meet patient needs.
• Conduct mental health assessments upon physician referral and provide therapeutic interventions to facilitate discharge and recovery.
• Serve as the point person for child abuse/neglect, adult/elderly abuse/neglect, institutional abuse, and domestic violence cases.
• Liaise with Indiana University Health and state/county protective teams.
• Provide intervention and support in guardianship, foster care, adoption, and mental health placements.
• Lead crisis interventions, including de-escalation, to manage dangerous or potentially dangerous situations.
• Utilize principles of interviewing victims, perpetrators, and significant others to inform clinical decision-making.
• Support patients undergoing end-of-life care, guardianship, or foster care placements.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Education:  
• Licensure:  
• Certifications:  
• Experience & Skills:  
• Legal & Technical Knowledge:  
• Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) required.
• Permanent Licensed Social Worker (LSW) required.
• LCSW licensure preferred.
• De-escalation certification required within 6 months of hire.
• 3-5 years of relevant experience in mental health, child and family services, adult protective services, veteran’s services, or substance abuse preferred.
• Experience working with diverse populations across geographic and financial backgrounds.
• Knowledge of disease impact, human behavior, crisis intervention, and legal mandates.
• Strong skills in crisis de-escalation, interviewing, and clinical assessment.
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with community agencies, law enforcement, and healthcare providers.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word.
• Understanding of state and county protective legal mandates for adults and children.
• Principles of growth and development across the lifespan.

Why Join IU Health?As Indiana’s largest and most comprehensive healthcare system, and the #1 ranked provider in the state, IU Health offers:

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Opportunities for professional growth and leadership
• A collaborative, multidisciplinary work environment
• Support for community engagement and patient advocacy
• Employee wellness programs and resources

To learn more about our benefits, visit: IU Health Benefits

• Indiana University Health has nearly 40,000 team members, including more than 3,600 physicians and 1,200 advanced practice providers, and we’re home to the largest nursing network in Indiana with more than 9,000 nursing team members at over 800 sites of care.
• IU Health is ranked No. 1 in Indiana by U.S. News & World Report, Riley Children's Health is ranked among the top children's hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
• A unique partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine – one of the nation’s largest medical schools – gives patients access to groundbreaking research and innovative treatments, and it offers team members access to the latest science and the very best training – advancing healthcare for all.
• With 15 hospitals, including seven with Magnet designation and eight with Pathways to Excellence designation, our team members are leading the way through excellence.
• At Indiana University Health, your personal and professional growth is a top priority. You will have access to many diverse opportunities to learn and develop in meaningful ways that matter most to you, such as advanced clinical training, leadership development, promotion opportunities and cross training development.
• Indiana University Health is invested in the lives of Hoosiers, leading the transformation of healthcare to make Indiana one of the nation’s healthiest states.