Social Worker

Summary

The Social Worker provides comprehensive psychosocial assessment, triage and case management services to Veterans referred to Specialty Care through Care in the Community. The incumbent will coordinate needed services for discharge planning; assessing Veteran & caregiver needs via telephone assessments. The Social Worker will also provide clinical assessment, act as a liaison, insuring Care in the Community Veterans are able to connect with required services through the local VAMC if desired.

Duties

Clinical Functions: Have a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and caregivers assigned to specialty care through Care in the Community. Independently work with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems. Independently complete thorough initial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families. Participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team by collaborating with treatment team members in the mental health clinic, primary care clinic, and inpatient units when Veterans are readmitted to the medical center for stabilization of psychiatric or medical conditions, or have been discharged to the community from an inpatient unit. Possess a working knowledge and experience in use 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. Facilitate discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as community vendors, community specialty clinics, community hospitals and interdisciplinary treatment team members. Serve as a liaison between Veterans, their families, sponsors and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough follow through of required services. Possess knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families. Provide consultation and education to Veterans, their families and contracted vendors regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives. This includes knowledge of the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community programs. Provide consultation to other treatment team and staff members as well as sponsors/vendors regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veteran's health care planning, compliance with treatment, discharge planning, and ongoing adjustment following Community Care specialty clinic treatment. Administrative Functions: Responsible for supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facility. Participate in a rotation of on-call Social Workers, including modification of tour of duty, to accommodate patient care needs on weekends, if needed. Demonstrate knowledge and skill in the use of software applications for drafting documents and data management as well as other computer systems in use by the VHA. Maintain a level of productivity and quality consistent with the complexity of the assignment and consistent with Social Work standards, Joint Commission standards, and facility standards. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:300 pm 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 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 #: 23111F, 26451F 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. VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT): VHA Health Professional Trainees (HPT) pending the completion of education or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. NOTE: This applies to current/past/upcoming VHA HPTs only. An HPT is an individual appointed to a temporary position in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experiences to satisfy program or degree requirements or receiving VA Health Professional Scholarship Program. HPTs can be either VA-paid or Without Compensation (WOC). 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. 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 SW Licensure by State 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. For appointments at the GS-9 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 appointme