State of Maryland

A Social Work Program Administrator, Health Services is an administrative level of professional clinical social work providing social work services to clients in a special population in a health care setting.  Employees in this classification manage programs providing social work services to clients in a special population in a health care setting as an Assistant Director of Social Work or plan, administer and advise on Statewide social work programs for programmatic administrations.  Employees in this classification may supervise Social Work Supervisors and Social Workers, Health Services.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a Social Work Manager, Health Services or higher level administrator.  Employees in this classification may be required to work evenings and on weekends.  Work is performed in the Maryland Department of Health headquarters, 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 Work Program Administrator, Health Services is differentiated from the Social Work Supervisor, Health Services in that the Social Work Program Administrator, Health Services is an Assistant Director of Social Work or plans, administers and advises on a Statewide social work program for a programmatic administration while the Social Work Supervisor, Health Services has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Social Workers, Health Services.  The Social Work Program Administrator, Health Services is differentiated from the Social Work Manager in that the Social Work Manager manages a social work program providing direct social work services for clients in a special population in a health setting and supervises Social Work Program Administrators, Social Work Supervisors, and Social Workers, Health Services.

Administers a social work program designed to meet the needs of 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;

Develops standards and procedures for providing social work services;

Evaluates existing social service programs and may initiate, modify or terminate programs as necessary;

Acts as consultant to physicians, community health nurses, psychologists, other staff and other departments;

Participates with other staff in long-range planning for services;

Plans professional development programs for the social work staff, develops programs of training for social workers and ancillary staff and may participate in orientation programs for other disciplines;

Conducts staff meetings to interpret policies and procedures;

Coordinates social work responsibilities in matters which involve other units such as guardianship and court related matters and works with legal advocates;

Coordinates the social work program with other agency activities;

Represents the Department in relationships with local, State and national programs in the fields of health, education and welfare to promote community efforts to meet the needs of clients and their families;

May plan, coordinate, supervise and evaluate the work of Social Work Supervisors, Health Services and Social Workers,

Health Services, social work interns, social work students and support staff assigned to the program;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the principles, practices and problems of clinical social work administration and supervision;

Knowledge of individual and group behavior with special emphasis on the behavioral patterns of individuals with physical illnesses and behavioral health diagnoses;

Knowledge of medical and psychiatric terminology;

Knowledge of community resources that may be utilized in the care and treatment of patients;

Knowledge of social aspects of physical illnesses, behavioral health diagnoses, and deficiencies;

Knowledge of the role of social workers in diagnosis and treatment of clients;

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

Knowledge of the principles and application of nursing, psychology, rehabilitation therapies and other ancillary services;

Ability to plan and direct a comprehensive social work program in a health care setting;

Ability to coordinate a comprehensive social work program with ancillary services;

Ability to represent the health program effectively;

Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely;

Ability to plan, coordinate, supervise and evaluate the work of Social Work Supervisors, Health Services, Social Workers, Health Services, social work interns, social work students and support staff assigned to the program.

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

Experience: Six years 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 from an accredited college or university. At least two years of the experience must have involved directing a clinical services program or unit or supervising Social Workers with Master degrees.

Note: 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 not assigned to a bargaining unit as indicated by the designation of S (supervisor), M (manager), T (agency head), U (Board or Commission member), W (student), X (Used by agency or excluded by executive order), or Z (confidential).  As provided by 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 therefore, all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.