Social Services Assistant Full-Time

About the role

Bakersfield Post Acute

Pay Range

• $19.00-$25.00 per hour, based on experience
• Full-Time
• Make a Meaningful Difference

Bakersfield Post Acute is seeking a compassionate, organized, and dependable Social Services Assistant to join our team full-time.

Working under the direction of the Social Services Director or Consultant, this position helps address the medically related emotional, social, and psychosocial needs of our residents. The ideal candidate communicates with empathy, values resident advocacy, and enjoys helping residents and families navigate rehabilitation, long-term care, community resources, and discharge planning.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist with planning, developing, implementing, evaluating, and directing the facility's social services programs.
• Help identify and address residents' medically related social, emotional, and psychosocial needs.
• Assist residents in achieving their highest practicable level of independence, self-care, and well-being.
• Provide emotional support to residents and families experiencing anxiety, illness, disability, grief, loss, or difficulty adjusting to a skilled nursing environment.
• Gather and evaluate social, family, and psychosocial information to support resident assessments and care planning.
• Participate in interdisciplinary care-plan meetings, resident conferences, and discharge-planning discussions.
• Complete required forms, reports, progress notes, and other social services documentation accurately and promptly.
• Maintain regular progress notes reflecting residents' needs, interventions, adjustment to facility life, and response to services.
• Provide residents and families with information regarding Medicare, Medi-Cal/Medicaid, financial-assistance programs, and available community resources.
• Assist with discharge planning, including referrals for home health, transportation, equipment, placement, and community-based services.
• Coordinate with hospitals, physicians, healthcare providers, insurance representatives, government agencies, and community organizations.
• Help schedule outpatient appointments and on-site ancillary services, including optometry, podiatry, dentistry, and behavioral-health services.
• Assist residents with obtaining resources from community health, welfare, and social service agencies.
• Coordinate social services activities with nursing, rehabilitation, activities, dietary, admissions, business office, and other departments.
• Participate in community planning related to the needs and interests of residents and their families.
• Assist with developing, reviewing, and updating departmental policies and procedures.
• Participate in employee orientation and in-service education related to residents' social, emotional, and medical needs.
• Develop positive working relationships with residents, families, employees, healthcare professionals, and community partners.
• Protect residents' privacy and maintain the confidentiality of all resident information, including protected health information.
• Promptly report suspected abuse, neglect, misappropriation, fraud, or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Social Services Director, Administrator, or supervisor.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Associate or bachelor's degree in social work, human services, psychology, sociology, or a related field preferred but not required.
• Previous healthcare, social services, case-management, or administrative experience preferred.
• Skilled nursing, rehabilitation, or long-term care experience strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with Medicare, Medi-Cal/Medicaid, discharge planning, and community resources is a plus.
• Experience with PointClickCare or another electronic health-record system preferred.
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office and standard office equipment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, customer-service, organizational, and time-management skills.
• Ability to communicate compassionately and professionally during sensitive or emotional situations.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and handle protected information appropriately.
• Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and collaborate effectively with an interdisciplinary team.

Physical Requirements

This position requires regular sitting, standing, walking, speaking, reading, and hearing, along with prolonged computer use. Frequent use of office equipment, including telephones, copiers, scanners, fax machines, and calculators, is required.

Work Environment

• The Social Services Assistant works in administrative and resident-care areas within a skilled nursing facility.
• The position includes regular interaction with residents, families, employees, healthcare professionals, community agencies, and visitors.
• The noise level is generally low to moderate.