Assistant Director, Social Work

EHS Overview:

Episcopal Health Services Inc. (EHS) is a health system located on the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, New York. EHS provides inpatient, outpatient, and emergency care to the diverse populations of the Rockaways, Five Towns, South Nassau, and beyond. The system offers comprehensive preventive, diagnostic, and rehabilitative services to people of all faiths.

St. John's Episcopal Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission's Health Facilities Accreditation Program and is approved by the New York State Department of Health. The hospital is a recipient of the Gold-Plus Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement Award and the Gold-Plus Get with the Guidelines-Heart Failure Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. Additionally, St. John's is proud to be redesignated as a Baby-Friendly Hospital by Baby-Friendly USA - the accrediting body and national authority for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in the United States.

Come Grow With Us!

Type: Full-Time 75 Hours Bi-Weekly

Shift: Days

Hours: 8:00AM - 4:30PM

Pay Range: $130,000 - $140,000

Job Description:

Under the supervision of the Director, the Assistant Director of Social Work provides leadership, strategic oversight, and administrative support to the hospital's social work department. This role ensures the delivery of high-quality psychosocial care to patients and families, supports interdisciplinary collaboration, and promotes compliance with hospital policies, regulatory standards, and best practices in social work. The Assistant Director also assists in staff development, program evaluation, and resource management.

Responsibilities:

• Supervise, train, and support social work team, approving schedules to ensure adequate coverage.
• Assist the Director with updating and develop policies and procedures and oversee daily operations of the Social Work Department.
• Provide oversight and guidance to social workers on high-risk cases, complex discharge planning, and crisis interventions, and all other complex needs in accordance to the Discharge Planning regulations and EHS/departmental policies and procedures.
• Perform chart reviews with associated PI projects to ensure compliance with hospital policy and regulatory requirements.
• Work collaborative with multidisciplinary team to improve patient throughput and outcomes and represent the department in meetings.
• Assist Director in developing, implementing, and evaluating departmental programs and services.
• Supervise and mentor social work staff, including social workers (both inpatient and outpatient clinics), and interns, fostering professional growth and high standards of practice.
• Oversee patient care services, ensuring comprehensive psychosocial assessment, intervention, discharge planning, and continuity of care.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including physicians, nurses, therapists, and administrative staff, to ensure integrated patient-centered care.
• Participate in recruitment, training, performance evaluations, and conflict resolution within the department.
• Assist Director with monitoring and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, accreditation standards, and hospital policies.
• Support quality improvement initiatives, data collection, and outcome measurement to enhance patient care services.
• Represent the Social Work department in hospital committees, community partnerships, and external collaborations as needed.

Discharge Planning & Care Transitions

• Support and guide team in complex discharge planning cases with the collaboration with physicians, nursing, case management, and other allied health professionals
• Assist team in coordinate transitions of care to home, rehabilitation, long-term care, hospice, or community-based services when needed.
• Identify and address psychosocial barriers to timely discharge
• Act as a clinical resource and consultant for complex acute care cases
• Provide mentorship, and guidance to junior social workers, students, or interns
• Support ethical decision-making, capacity assessments, and conflict resolution
• Participate in quality improvement, patient flow, and system-level initiatives related to acute care
• Other tasks as required

Working Hours:

• Occasional extended hours and weekends to meet departmental needs.
• May require extended hours and weekend shifts for Patient Care coverage needs, during the activation of the emergency management command center, or other NYS activation of State emergencies.

Job Qualification:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) required.
• Experience: A minimum of 3-5+ years of clinical social work experience, in an acute care setting, with previous supervisory experience preferred.
• Current License to practice as a Clinical Social Worker in New York State required, plus specialized certifications as needed.

Education & Licensure

• Master's degree in Social Work from an accredited institution
• Current registration/licensure with the relevant professional regulatory body
• Advanced clinical or healthcare-related certification (preferred)

Skills & Competencies

• Strong clinical judgment in high-acuity, time-sensitive situations
• In-depth knowledge of hospital systems, patient flow, and community resources
• Excellent communication, leadership, and collaboration skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Cultural humility, empathy, and professionalism