- Knitting and Crocheting
- Avid Reader
- Enjoy participating in yoga, weight lifting, and daily self-care modalities for overall physical and mental well-being
Elizabeth M. Gristina
Seattle,WA
Summary
Expert level hospice and palliative care social worker. Strong clinical skills include assessment and development of goals and interventions, navigation of complex systems, and compliance and quality improvement. Mentorship and supervision experience for volunteers, students, new employees, multi-disciplinary staff and associate level social workers. Trauma informed care practitioner. Strong team-player whilst working independently in home based settings. Educator for clinicians and patient and families. Skilled grief counselor.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Hospice Social Worker
Providence at Home With Compassus
10.2012 - Current
- Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive care for patients with a terminal prognosis.
- Performs psychosocial assessments and interventions in accordance with CMS guidelines.
- Engages patient and families with anticipatory grief counseling, education of the dying process, development of end-of-life caregiving plans, and advanced planning.
- Ensures smooth coordination of care with facility providers for mutually agreed upon hospice plan of care.
- Participated in quality management through participation in the QAPI committee and implementation of improvement measures. Former member of We Honor Veterans committee. Former member of inter-agency process group for General Inpatient Hospice with Providence Hospice of Seattle and Swedish Medical Group across all Swedish campuses in King County.
- Provided clinical supervision to four associate level social workers, three of whom have already successfully earned independent licensure in the state of Washington.
- Created educational presentations such as: Veterans at End-of-Life and the impact of trauma in the dying process; and Education of the Dying Process for clinicians: How to Teach Patients and Families About the Dying Process. Created resources for after-hours hospice nurses for topics such as final disposition after death, working with families with strong grief response, and coordination with the King County Medical Examiner Office.
- Preceptor for new employees. Provided mentorship and support for Palliative Care Physician Fellows and medical students from the University of Washington.
- Facilitates a Self-Care for Death Workers group twice monthly for current hospice clinicians.
Emergency Room Social Worker
Virginia Mason Medical Center
06.2011 - 01.2012
- Completed emergency psychiatric assessments and provided recommendations for ED providers for intervention, stabilization and disposition.
- Coordinated with outside community providers such as law enforcement, King County medics and EMS attendants, and King County Designated Crisis Responders.
- Provided prompt, safe discharge planning from Emergency Department to home, psychiatric facilities, and a variety of assisted or skilled nursing care facilities.
Social Services Manager
Plymouth Housing Group
06.2010 - 06.2011
- Managed Social Service Case Managers across six scattered site buildings providing permanent housing for formerly homeless adults.
- Oversaw multiple grants meeting compliance and quality measures with timely reporting. Worked collaboratively with inter-agency committees across the housing continuum in King County.
- Co-developer for a daylong conference for housing providers working with AIDS disabled adults, particularly the impact of AIDS related dementia on Executive Functioning and the impact as a tenant.
- Collaborated with Property and Building Managers to create mutually agreed upon metrics for safety, lease enforcement and support for employees across departments.
- Responder to staff and resident emergencies, offering crisis intervention and debriefing.
Social Worker
Rosehedge
04.2007 - 06.2010
- Served three specialized Adult Family Homes providing enhanced care to HIV+ adults with compex psychosocial and health needs.
- Created service plans in accordance with WA state regulatory requirements.
- Provided skilled counseling and motivational interviewing as clients navigated addiction, sex-work, and engagement with healthcare providers to improve health outcomes.
Case Manager/Emergency Housing Specialist
Lifelong AIDS Alliance
10.2005 - 04.2007
- Emergency Housing Specialist (temporary)- oversaw voucher and emergency financial assistance programs for eviction prevention and to maintain essential utilities, serving HIV+ clients across multiple agencies for all of King county.
- Case Manager- provided medical case management for HIV+ clients in King County including support and resources for housing, medical care, medication and nutrition access, transportation, mental health counseling. Co-chair of fundraising for the Lifelong AIDS Alliance Walk team, raising $56,000+ in one fundraising cycle. Speaker at the 2006 AIDS Walk.
- Case Manager (temporary)- returned to Lifelong AIDS Alliance as a part-time temporary case manager to support a critical staffing shortage from 2009 to 2010 until agency staffing needs were met.
- Practicum Instructor for two MSW candidates from UW School of Social Work.
Housing Case Manager
NO/AIDS Task Force
02.2005 - 10.2005
- Provided Housing Case Management for AIDS disabled adults experiencing homelessness.
- Collaborated with parish wide agencies and private landlords to support stabilization, improve housing longevity and reduce recidivism in the criminal justice system. Close coordination with probation officers, judges and court ordered chemical dependency professionals.
- Offered skilled counseling and case management as clients navigated incarceration, active homelessness, addiction and sex-work. Utilized harm reduction and housing first modalities to improved health and safety metrics.
- Relocated to Seattle due to Hurricane Katrina. Continued to provide phone-based case management to clients scattered across the United States post evacuation. Coordinated with out-of-state healthcare and housing providers in a variety of entities to promote smooth transitions for care and housing for evacuated clients.
Practicum Student
NO/AIDS Task Force
04.2003 - 12.2004
- Practicum student with active roles in Primary Care Medical Case Management, Education and Prevention, Mental Health, and Housing.
- Mentored by LCSWs and LMHPs.
- Completed training in HIV RAPID testing, and active member in prevention based activities including condom distribution at major events in the French Quarter, working with entities to support safer injection use where needle exchange was not legal.
- Supported early HIV Stops with Me campaigns with CDC guidance.
- Worked with medically fragile AIDS disabled adults with limited life expectancy to support end-of-life planning prior to hospice enrollment.
Education
Master of Social Work - Social Work
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA12-2004
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA12-2001
Skills
- Expertise in trauma informed care, clinician self-care, and education of the dying process for families and clinicians
- Strong skills and capacity for field work with ability to manage complex caseloads and engage multiple care teams and disciplines
- Provides brief intervention for terminally ill patients and their families including: grief counseling, advanced planning, navigation of challenging family systems, and development of end-of-life caregiving plans
- Strong understanding of CMS guidelines for documentation and compliance, as well as supporting quality improvement measures
- Works with a large range of psychosocial presentations, community agencies, and healthcare providers while maintaining my scope of practice as a hospice social worker
- Maintains collaborative relationships with community providers such as VA Puget Sound, DSHS, UW Medical Group, Swedish Providence Medical Group, community based Skilled Nursing Facilities, Assisted Living Facilities, Adult Family Home providers, and primary care providers
Interests
Certifications and Licensure
Certified Advanced Palliative Care and Hospice Social Worker (HPCC) exam completion March 2025
Advanced Hospice and Palliative Care Social Worker (NASW) 04/29/2015 - 04/30/2023
Approved Clinical Supervisor- WA State Department of Health 2021
Social Worker Independent Clinical License (LICSW)- LW60560526 - WA State Department of Health 7/15/2015
Timeline
Hospice Social Worker
Providence at Home With Compassus
10.2012 - Current
Emergency Room Social Worker
Virginia Mason Medical Center
06.2011 - 01.2012
Social Services Manager
Plymouth Housing Group
06.2010 - 06.2011
Social Worker
Rosehedge
04.2007 - 06.2010
Case Manager/Emergency Housing Specialist
Lifelong AIDS Alliance
10.2005 - 04.2007
Housing Case Manager
NO/AIDS Task Force
02.2005 - 10.2005
Practicum Student
NO/AIDS Task Force
04.2003 - 12.2004
Master of Social Work - Social Work
Tulane University
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
Southeastern Louisiana University
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