Job title:   Social Worker / Patient Advocate – Nationals only

Work Location: Sierra Leone Teaching Hospital – Lakka Freetown

Department: Clinical

Reports to: MDRTB Program Officer

Line Management: None

Profile 

Partners In Health (PIH) is an international health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. PIH partners with local governments to build local capacity and works closely with impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care, address the root causes of illness, train providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change. Our delivered services in the field are based in our partnership with the Governments and Ministries of Health and the support to education, training and mentorship to Health care workers and students is one of our pillars for the Health care system strengthening.

PIH currently has implementation programs in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Sierra Leone and Navajo Nation. Through our partnership with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we support a wide range of programs in dozens of other countries around the world.

Our Work In Sierra Leone:

Partners In Health (PIH) began supporting the government of Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola epidemic in October 2014. Recognizing the large need for continued investments in the health system after Ebola, PIH is committed to long-term health system strengthening in support of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS), guided by the same principles as our emergency response and our work around the world: public sector accompaniment, integrated and comprehensive services, social justice, nimbleness and flexibility, partnership, community ownership, and evidence-based interventions. In the aftermath of the epidemic, PIH is committed to supporting the delivery of comprehensive health services in Sierra Leone, from the community level to the health center and to referral hospitals.

Position Overview

The Social worker will perform a comprehensive assessment of a patient’s social, emotional, environmental, financial, and support needs and informs other members of the team about these factors, which may affect the patient’s health and well-being. He/She is a critical member of staff at Lakka Hospital considering the vulnerability of the patients being managed at this facility, a free Health care facility.

Social Workers work collaboratively with the clinical and non-clinical staff to ensure that high quality social support is provided to patients and their families.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Assess and identify the most vulnerable patients and help to coordinate their social support within the facility.
• Provide social and emotional support to all vulnerable patients that present at the facility.
• Act as patient advocate.
• Coordinate patient referrals to other facilities within and outside Freetown in liaison with the clinical team/DRTB lead
• Facilitate blood transfusion processes for patients that need transfusion as suggested by the clinicians
• Witness the verification of medication during its distribution from the pharmacy tech to the nurses in charge/representatives of the ward.
• Attend to Clinicians prescriptions for medicines that are not available in the Lakka Pharmacy. This involves purchase of medicines as from pharmacies outside the hospital
• Request, Disburse and reconcile petty cash with the PIH Freetown Finance team
• Actively participate in nutritional rehabilitation of severely malnourished patients including advocacy for extra nutrition and supplying them with Plumpy nut.
• Ensure proper accountability of the plumpy nut and inform the Program Officer before it’s out of stock for restocking
• Work with the Program Officer to follow-up patients in ambulatory care that are enrolled in social/Acute Needs support
• Conduct home visits to vulnerable patients when necessary or as needed
• Undertake any other related duties as may be assigned by your supervisors/line managers

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and HarassmentAt Partners In Health, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including our patients, families and community members – as well as our staff are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Partners In Health’s PSEAH policy. Partner In Health will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.  By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.Education and Work Experience Requirements 

• Diploma required. Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Experience in Social Work is a must.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills, must be able to take initiative and problem-solve, be a creative thinker, and must be flexible.
• Ability to work well with a team, be dependable, and hard-working.
• Commitment to social justice and human rights.
• Ability to work independently and effectively in high-pressure, fast-paced environment and handle multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to work with patience, humility, and a sense of humor.
• Ability to live in Sierra Leone full-time required
• Must NOT hold dual employment from private or national consolidated funds.

Social Justice

We are a global health and social justice organization that responds to the moral imperative to provide high-quality health care globally to those who need it most. We strive to ease suffering by placing patients at the center of all care, bringing the benefits of modern medicine to all.

Method of application

Interested candidates are required to apply through our website:

www.pih.org/employment

In your application, please ensure to include names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers of three (3) referees. This position will remain open until filled.