How do I Set Up a Social Work Program in Home Health Care?

Many home health care agencies collaborate with other local health care providers to arrange for services they may not provide, including social work programs. However, offering an integrated social work program within the home health care agency can provide several benefits to patients, including easier access to social workers and stronger continuity of care among providers. In addition, it can make aspects of the home health care providers' jobs easier since nurses and nurse aides, physical therapists, and other providers have a designated person to contact when patients need social-work services.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine the role of the social worker and the scope of the social work program within your home health care agency. Common responsibilities include coordinating transportation to health-related services outside the home, assisting patients with obtaining insurance or help paying for health costs, ensuring patients have access to necessities like food and clothing, evaluating patients for signs of abuse or neglect among vulnerable populations, or assessing whether a patient can remain independently in her home.

• 2

  Draft a written description of the scope of the social work program and the social worker's job responsibilities. Based on these descriptions and how large the agency's current patient load is, decide how many social workers you think your agency needs in order to effectively manage the social work program.

• 3

  Create a budget for the social work program, and designate someone to oversee this budget. As needed, determine whether any social-work services can be billed to insurers, and establish procedures for appropriate revenue capture. Establish social-work documentation standards to support billing requirements, care coordination and regulatory compliance.

• 4

  Hire social workers to implement your new program. Be sure the individuals you hire meet the minimum qualifications for social workers as required by state laws regarding home health care. While this may be less strict than for social workers in other health-care settings, depending on your state laws, home health care agencies may not necessarily be required to hired licensed social workers, although these workers are still often required to have a certain level of education.

• 5

  Notify your patients of the new social work program your agency has developed, and provide them with a list of services being offered with appropriate contact information. Inform your employees and providers, as well as any other health care agencies you regularly partner with, regarding your new program and what they can expect.