Social Worker

Summary

The Patient Aligned Care Team Social Worker (PACT) member eliminates barriers to care through assisting Veterans and their families with a variety of needs related to resolving psychosocial, emotional, and economic barriers to health and well-being. The position will provide coverage for equivalent level social workers within TVHS, this may include travel to another VA location. Travel may be necessary for outreach or training events.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Must have a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with veterans, their families, and caregivers. The incumbent is able to independently work with veterans, their families and caregivers] who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems. Must independently complete thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of veterans, their families and caregivers. The incumbent must be able to utilize this assessment in treatment planning with the goal of attaining the highest level of independence and benefit that is possible and practical. The content and documentation of psychosocial assessments must be consistent with professional standards, guidelines, and agency policies. Must actively participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and actively collaborate with veterans, their families and caregivers as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members in the development and implementation of treatment goals and interventions. The content and documentation of treatment plans and progress notes must be consistent with professional standards, guidelines, and agency policies. Must possess a working knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology. Must facilitate action for community placements through collaboration with veterans, their families and caregivers as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate community placements are completed in a timely manner. Community placements can involve but are not limited to referrals to contract nursing homes, Community Living Centers, residential care homes, inpatient and outpatient hospice services. The incumbent must possess a high level of ability in the use of assessments, forms, and processes needed to facilitate placement (.e.g., Form 10-10 EC) The incumbent must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to refer veterans to VA programs. This includes but not limited to the following programs: Homemaker I Home Health Aide, Veterans Directed, Medical Foster Home, Community Residential Care, Community Nursing Home. The incumbent must possess a high level of ability in the use of assessments, forms, and processes needed to facilitate placement. Must serve as a liaison between veterans, their families and caregivers and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of social work services. Must be available to provide consultation to other treatment teams and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of veterans, their families and caregivers and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on health care planning and motivation to work toward personal health and wellness goals. Must maintain knowledge of Veteran's benefits and services, community resources, and process for making appropriate referrals to community and other governmental programs or agencies. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leav…

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education: Have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going tohttp://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going tohttp://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.] May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to utilize counseling skills when working with Veterans and family members. (b) Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. (c) Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. (e) Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. Grade Determinations: GS-11 Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. NOTE:Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year…

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.