Morgan Stradal

Experience

Social worker, Adult Neurology

• Managed care coordination and discharge planning for patients within the Comprehensive Stroke Center at University of Chicago Medicine.
• Completed psychosocial and discharge planning assessments within 24 hours of admission to identify barriers to care and transition needs.
• Collaborated closely with interdisciplinary teams including physicians, nursing, therapy, PM&R, palliative care, and utilization review to support safe and timely discharges.
• Coordinated post-acute transitions to Acute Rehabilitation, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals, home health, outpatient services, dialysis, hospice, assisted living, and durable medical equipment providers.
• Provided education to patients and families regarding post-acute care levels, community resources, insurance benefits, advance care planning, and discharge options.
• Trained incoming staff on complex discharge planning for high-acuity stroke patients with significant medical, psychosocial, and placement barriers.
• Participated in family meetings and goals-of-care discussions alongside Palliative Medicine and medical teams.
• Assisted with utilization management activities including concurrent review, denial prevention, appeals, and peer-to-peer coordination with payer medical directors.
• Monitored length of stay, avoidable days, and discharge barriers to improve patient throughput and reduce readmissions.
• Assisted patients with completion of Advance Directives and Living Wills.
• Developed extensive expertise in Acute Rehabilitation admissions criteria, insurance authorization processes, and identifying clinical barriers impacting rehabilitation acceptance and payer approval.
• Lead in piloting UCM’s “Stroke to Home” screening program to identify patients appropriate for rehabilitation at home versus inpatient rehab, improving level-of-care decisions and post-acute resource utilization to decrease length of stay.

• Delivered parent education and training to promote consistency, skill development, and carryover of therapeutic interventions in the home environment.

Rush University Medical Center

Social Worker, Supportive Oncology

• Managed an ambulatory oncology caseload for patients receiving outpatient treatment through the Cancer Center at Rush University Medical Center.
• Conducted telephonic and in-person care coordination outreach to patients and caregivers referred for case management support.
• Completed comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments to identify medical, psychosocial, financial, transportation, and community resource needs impacting treatment adherence and continuity of care.
• Developed individualized care plans and psychosocial goals to support patients throughout the continuum of outpatient oncology care.
• Provided education, supportive counseling, and resource navigation to patients and caregivers regarding treatment-related needs, insurance coverage, advance care planning, and community-based support services.
• Coordinated referrals and linkage to community resources including financial assistance programs, transportation, home care services, behavioral health support, hospice, and supportive oncology resources.
• Collaborated closely with interdisciplinary oncology teams, outpatient providers, and community agencies to address barriers to care and improve patient outcomes.
• Assisted with ongoing care coordination and follow-up to support treatment compliance, symptom management, and reduction of avoidable hospital utilization.

Child Advocate

• Facilitated individual counseling sessions and age-appropriate support groups for children and families.
• Conducted biopsychosocial assessments and developed intervention strategies based on identified client and family needs.
• Maintained accurate clinical documentation, case notes, and progress reports.
• Led parent support groups focused on strengthening parent-child relationships, communication, and goal setting.
• Identified psychosocial risk and resilience factors impacting youth and family functioning.
• Coordinated referrals and community resources to support case plan goals and ongoing family needs.
• Collaborated with interdisciplinary clinical teams regarding treatment planning and case management needs.

Autism Therapist

• Provided home-based and community Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with developmental and behavioral needs.
• Implemented individualized behavioral interventions focused on communication, social, emotional regulation, and functional living skills.
• Utilized de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques to manage challenging behaviors and support client safety.
• Collaborated with parents, caregivers, school psychologists, and ESE specialists to support treatment goals and reinforce behavioral strategies across settings.
• Conducted behavioral observations, documented client progress, and participated in ongoing treatment planning and clinical supervision.
• Delivered parent education and training to promote consistency, skill development, and carryover of therapeutic interventions in the home environment.