Social Worker

Summary

This position will be assigned to provide social work services, medical case management, and discharge planning to Acute Care at the Troy Bowling Campus. The incumbent is a member of an interdisciplinary team and is primarily responsible for completing psychosocial history and assessments, completing the psychosocial portions of the care plan and the Minimum Data Set (MDS).

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of Veterans and family members. The incumbent has skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) and the differential influences of the environment, society, and culture. Active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines. The incumbent has knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures (e.g., acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. Participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate. Provide individual, family and group counseling as appropriate. The incumbent has skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgement and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. Has the ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment pan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Provide consultation and education to Veterans and families on community resources, advance directives, and VA benefits. Act as a consultant to other team/staff members. Provide consultation and education to medical students on social work practice and VA policy and procedure. The incumbent provides consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problem on health care and compliance with treatment. Ability to provide orientation and coaching to new social workers and social work graduate students. Ability to serve as a field instructor for social work graduate students who are completing VHA field placements. Act as a liaison between VA and community resources, to include marketing and public relation duties as needed. Provide case management to Veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care. Provide a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice which includes case work, individual, family and group counseling, discharge planning, case management, and other services as appropriate. The incumbent will provide wellness and prevention education and facilitate Veteran and family support groups as appropriate. Maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with Joint Commission, VA and medical center policy and procedures. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. Other duties, as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Some weekends and rotating holidays. 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 leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: GS-9: 30392-F GS-11:30393-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

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: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) Education: Candidates must 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 to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. Licensure: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. *Exception - For assignments at the GS-9 level, VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Grandfather Provision - A Social Worker employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (9/10/2019) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the o