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Social Worker Hospice Inpatient Full Time Days

Northwestern Medicine · Chicago, IL · Full time · Health Care Provider

Posted Oct 5, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you supported a family through a death. What did you learn from it?

What they are checking: Real experience with end-of-life work and the ability to reflect on it.

How do you work with nurses, chaplains and physicians on the hospice team to build a care plan?

What they are checking: Teamwork in an interdisciplinary model where each role covers part of the patient's needs.

How do you take care of yourself in a job with this much loss?

What they are checking: Self-awareness and sustainable habits that keep them effective over time.

What would you do

A family is in conflict about whether their mother should be in hospice at all. How do you help?

What they are checking: Skill in mediating family disagreement while keeping the patient's wishes at the center.

A patient's family is worried about funeral costs and has no plan. What resources would you connect them to?

What they are checking: Practical resource knowledge, including financial counseling and community supports.

A patient is stable enough to transition home or to another setting. How do you plan that move?

What they are checking: Discharge and transition planning, which the posting lists even in inpatient hospice.

A patient tells you they want to stop all treatment, but their children disagree. How do you advocate?

What they are checking: Patient advocacy and knowledge of advance directives and decision-making rights.

About the work

Walk me through your psychosocial assessment when a new patient arrives at inpatient hospice.

What they are checking: Whether their assessment covers family dynamics, grief risk and practical needs, not just a checklist.

How do you identify which hospice patients or families are at high risk for complicated grief?

What they are checking: Clinical judgment about risk factors that shape bereavement planning.

How do you keep your documentation clear and timely when the day is filled with family meetings?

What they are checking: Meeting documentation standards that support care and regulatory compliance.

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The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

The Social Worker reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization's Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines, and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. The Social Worker is responsible for providing psychosocial counseling and intervention services to patients who request their services, or any patient referred by a provider. The social worker advocates for the patient and family and assists in outpatient continuity of care. Responsibilities: • Completes a thorough psychosocial assessment for new patients. • Utilizes critical thinking to identify and screen high risk social cases. • Provides pre-treatment planning, psychosocial counseling/interventions, health education, financial counseling, referrals, and discharge/transition planning. • Collaborates with team, other ancillary departments, case management staff, and social service agency providers to develop a care plan. • Provides resources, including education materials, to patients and families in the areas of financial assistance, transportation, scheduling, and community resources to support the care plan. • Supports department initiatives (attends case conferences, participates in quality improvement). • May perform other duties as assigned. Qualifications: Required • Master's Degree • Licensed Social Worker (LSW) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Illinois. • Zero (0) to two (2) years’ experience in a relevant role. Preferred • Home Health and Hospice experience Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status. Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status. Background Check Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. Benefits We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information NorthwesternMedicine Career Page https://jobs.nm.org/benefits Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings. If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception : New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.

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