Social Work Specialist I – Partial Hospitalization and Eating Disorders
AGENCY: University of Iowa Health Care
POSITION TITLE: Social Work Specialist I – Partial Hospitalization and Eating Disorders
Position Summary
The Department of Psychiatry at The University of Iowa Health Care is seeking Social Worker III to work within the Partial Hospitalization Treatment Program. This position will work with patients experiencing eating disorders and/or other mental health disorders utilizing individual, group and family therapy. As a Social Worker III you will provide advanced social work practice skills in areas of individual, group and family psychotherapy, program development, teaching and training, research and public education. You will collaborate with a variety of health care professionals to affect treatment options and assist in the coordination of social work activities related to the treatment of patients with eating disorders and/or other mental health disorders.
The Social Worker II contributes to the social work profession, building on social work education and experience to enhance department initiatives and patient experience.
The Partial Hospitalization Program offers a structured, daytime treatment plan that focuses on individual and group therapy, along with education and skill-building. Our team developed several comprehensive plans to help treat mood disorders, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.
Position Responsibilities
- Provide comprehensive intervention including assessments, individual, group and family psychotherapy symptom monitoring, social and independent living skill building, problem-solving assistance, supportive counseling for clients and families, and crisis intervention
- Collaborate within the multi-disciplinary Addiction and Recovery team to provide services to
- Will work with eating disorder patients and their family’s utilizing individual, group and family therapy.
- Participate in weekly team meetings to review and plan client services
- Work collaboratively with clients, their families, and community partners to assist clients in achieving their treatment and recovery goals
- Conduct clinical assessments of violence risk, suicide risk, substance use, and trauma
- Conduct evidence-based therapies and treatments to address client needs (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, harm reduction, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and supported employment)
- Provide services to assist clients with needs such as family support, housing, entitlements, employment, education, vocational interests, community integration, and connection to physical health care
- Provide services to assist clients with needs such as legal advocacy, navigating the criminal justice system, coordination with legal agencies and required supervision
- Serve as a role-model for students in a variety of health science fields by exposing students to the Addiction and Recovery Collaborative of Iowa program.
- Document patient care activities in the patient’s medical record according to established standards
- Initiate and maintain correspondence between providers and local community agencies as
- Develops and implements plan of care, responsive to patient/family concerns, health care status, available resources, age-specific problems, and clinical impressions.
- Obtain Bio-psycho-social histories from patient or clients and their relatives, share and interpret information with appropriate staff, and include written histories or summaries for Clinical
- Confer with clinical staff to assess the medical, psychological, and social condition and needs of patients and clients.
- Provide information to other clinical staff regarding patient, client and family members psycho-social functioning and needs.
- Assist in the medical or clinical treatment of the patients and
- Assess mandatory reporting concerns when
- Consult with community social agencies regarding medical-social or other social functioning problems of patients and clients and their family members.
- Create individualized treatment plans: goals that reflect patient/family participation, strategies to support/build on patient strengths, assets and goals, strategies that will help patient and all staff minimize the use of coercive interventions.
- Involves family/support system in care to the extent possible by: encouraging visitation, allowing participation in assessment, treatment planning, education and discharge planning, communicating an understanding of the impact of mental illness on families, therapeutic approaches to explore and possibly reduce patient reluctance to involve family/support
- Characterizes interactions with others in all work settings by: respectful, person-centered language, recovery-enhancing relationships with patients, conversations that communicate an understanding of the impact of stigma, discrimination and social isolation, and attempts to reduce
- Maintain required skills in CPR, violence management training, safety and infection
- Perform other functions as
Required Qualifications
- A Master’s degree in Social Work or a related field is
- Minimum of 6 months- 1 year of clinical social work experience is
- A license to practice social work (LMSW) in Iowa is required.
- Documented excellent verbal communication skills, interpersonal skills and experience participating as a member of a work team/group.
Desirable Qualifications
- Two years of previous experience providing services to adults with serious mental illness, including and not limited to eating disorders is highly desired.
- Demonstrated leadership skills including critical thinking, independent decision-making, time management, and program development activities.
- Ability to coordinate complex planning efforts involving multiple disciplines, departments and community resources.
- Experience working with adult and adolescent patients and their families, providing counseling and crisis intervention.
- Demonstrate an understanding of community resources available for a variety of medical and psychiatric conditions including knowledge and experience with levels of care, federal and state regulations, and financial resources.
- Bilingual in Spanish/English highly
Application Process
Please visit Jobs@Uiowa.edu and search for 26002444 . To be considered, applicants must upload a Cover Letter and Resume (under submission relevant materials) that clearly address how they meet the listed required and desired qualifications of this position.
This post will expire on May 24th, 2026