State of Maryland

A Social Worker Advanced, Health Services is the advanced level of professional clinical social work providing direct social work services, as an expert in a specialty area, to clients in a special population in a health care setting.  Employees in this classification do not supervise.   Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions but does provide instruction, direction and consultation to Social Workers, Health Services and other staff.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision and clinical supervision from a Social Work Program Administrator, Health Services, Social Work Manager, Health Services or general supervision from a program director.  Employees in this classification may be required to work evenings and on weekends.  Work is performed in hospitals, residential facilities, clinics or local health units.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Social Worker Advanced, Health Services is differentiated from the Social Worker II, Health Services in that the Social Worker Advanced, Health Services is the advanced level of professional clinical social work with expertise in a specialty area of care while the Social Worker II, Health Services performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  The Social Worker Advanced, Health Services is differentiated from the Social Work Supervisor, Health Services in that the Social Work Supervisor, Health Services has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Social Workers, Health Services.

Provides direct social work services as a clinical specialist within a health care setting to clients in a special population, such as: chronically ill, geriatric, maternity, family planning, adolescents or substance abusers, persons with behavioral health diagnoses, or physical or developmental disabilities;

Interviews clients and family members as a clinical specialist to determine the nature and degree of problems and arranges, as necessary, medical or psychiatric examinations to help identify problems pertinent to diagnosis and treatment;

Determines if a crisis situation exists and, if it does, immediately initiates appropriate intervention techniques;

Interprets psychiatric and other health care treatments to clients or families and helps with personal and environmental difficulties which interfere with obtaining maximum benefit from that care;

Provides individual or group therapeutic counseling as a clinical expert to mentally or emotionally disturbed clients;

Provides general direction and training to interdisciplinary staff in policy and the legal and community social services framework that determines health service delivery to clients and their families;

Mentors lower-level Social Workers, social work interns and social work students;

Acts as a consultant in the area of specialty for other staff;

May work as a leader of a multi-disciplinary health care team to further their understanding of social and emotional factors underlying the clients' health problems and to develop individual treatment programs for assigned clients;

May work in close cooperation with public and private organizations to provide a plan of service to assist clients in achieving optimum social and health adjustment within the clients' capacity;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of clinical social casework principles and group work techniques;

Knowledge of group work techniques with emphasis on behavioral patterns of individuals who have physical illnesses or behavioral health diagnoses;

Knowledge of medical and psychiatric terminology;

Knowledge of the psycho-social determinants and consequences of various diseases and disabilities;

Knowledge of individual, family and group behavioral patterns;

Knowledge of the function and organization of community health and welfare programs;

Knowledge of current social, economic and health programs and resources on local, state and national levels;

Knowledge of ways of working effectively with adults and children who have social, emotional or health problems and with their families;

Knowledge of recent developments, current literature and sources of information on clinical social work in a health setting;

Knowledge of the administrative procedures and educational techniques used in social work;

Ability to identify a crisis situation and initiate intervention techniques;

Ability to understand environmental factors in individual cases and to apply this understanding to a plan for effecting social adjustment and rehabilitation of clients;

Ability to apply social work techniques;

Ability to direct work of staff in ancillary professions;

Ability to work effectively with various community organizations;

Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely;

Ability to analyze and reach sound decisions based on case information;

Ability to conduct and participate in research programs;

Ability to mentor lower-level Social Workers, social work interns and social work students.

Education:   Determined by the Maryland State Board of Social Work Examiners under the licensing requirements for Social Workers.

Experience: Four years of experience rendering clinical social work services in a health care or treatment setting subsequent to the receipt of an approved Master’s degree in Social Work, including two years experience in an area of clinical specialty.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute one complete year of graduate social work education beyond the Master's degree at an accredited college or university for one year of experience in an area of clinical specialty. Applicants must submit a statement from the college or university that the advanced work constitutes one full year toward the completion of work required for a Doctorate degree.

2. Candidates may substitute a Doctorate degree in social work from an accredited college or university for two years of experience in an area of clinical specialty.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience at a rank of Corporal/Petty Officer or higher as a commissioned officer in Social Work classifications or Social Work specialty codes in the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

1. Candidates must be licensed as a Certified Social Worker-Clinical by the Maryland State Board of Social Work Examiners prior to appointment to a position in State service. Applicants who do not have the license may also apply pending receipt of the required license. When the license is obtained, submit a copy to the Maryland Department of Health Testing Unit.

2. Candidates appointed to positions in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of an automobile. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess an appropriate operator's license valid in the State of Maryland.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated as Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit F, Social and Human Service Professionals classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.