Social Worker

Summary

The Patient Aligned Care Team is a comprehensive team which delivers primary care to Veteran patients in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and which has as its focus: prevention, health promotion and wellness, care coordination and chronic disease management. The Clinical Social Worker in this Veteran-centric approach often functions as a care coordinator with a panel of Veterans to ensure that health care meets the needs as defined by the Veteran.

Duties

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT) is an interdisciplinary team which delivers primary care services to Veteran patients in a longitudinal, rather than episodic fashion. The focus of PACT is health promotion and wellness, disease prevention, care coordination, and chronic disease management. The role of the PACT Social Worker in this model is that of a care coordinator to a panel of Veterans ensuring their health care needs are met, based upon identified goals defined by the Veteran. The PACT Social Worker will function as an integral member of their assigned team(s) by actively participating in patient assessment, treatment planning, case management, and the provision of a full range of services within the scope of social work practice, as required to meet the needs of Veterans. Duties include, but not limited to: Utilization of social work skills to establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with Veterans and their families/caregivers. Able to work with Veterans experiencing a wide range of complex medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and other Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) issues through recurring supportive case management. Independent practice level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or family members/caregivers in the PACT/Primary Care Clinic. Able to work independently with Veterans and family members experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, financial, legal and other Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) issues. Effective social work in the PACT context often occurs over a series of several visits. Must independently complete thorough SDOH assessments to determine the functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members. Able to assess functional acuity of the patient and provide appropriate interventions. Must be able to utilize this assessment in facilitating the Veteran's maximum use of treatment for attainment of the highest level of independence possible. Coordination of community placements through collaboration with Veterans, their families/caregivers, and PACT members to ensure that the process is completed in a timely manner for the appropriate level of care. Community placements can include, but are not limited to, referrals to state-licensed group and family care homes, community residential care facilities, assisted living facilities, adult day health care programs, VA contracted and private nursing home placements, States Veteran Homes; Community Living Center, also inpatient and outpatient hospice/palliative services. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Work Schedule is subject to change based on agency need. Compressed/Flexible: Authorized with Supervisor approval. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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 #: 63352F, 63353F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Qualifications

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 to http://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 to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. [(1) 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-09 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.] (a) For appointments at the GS-09 grade level, 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. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within o