Social Worker (Patient Aligned Care Team)

Summary

The Marion, Illinois VA Medical Center is seeking a Social Worker to serve on the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). The PACT Social Worker provides clinical services in the Primary Care Clinic at the VA Medical Center and Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The Patient Aligned Care Team is a comprehensive team that delivers primary care to Veterans in a longitudinal rather than episodic manner, with a focus on prevention, health promotion, care coordination, and chronic disease management. Within this Veteran-centric model, the social worker often serves as a care coordinator for a panel of Veterans, ensuring that health care services align with the needs and preferences defined by each Veteran. Social workers are uniquely suited for this role through their education, training, and experience, which equip them to understand the person-in-environment perspective and the influence of family and community factors on Veterans' health care needs. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include but not limited to: Assesses and treats complex psychosocial needs of Veterans and their families or significant others. Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans in the Primary Care Clinic and/or their families. Completes comprehensive psychosocial assessments to determine psychosocial functioning and identify the needs of Veterans and/or their families. Actively participates as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and collaborates with Veterans, their families, and team members in developing and implementing treatment goals and interventions. Understands and applies medical and mental health diagnoses, terminology, disability definitions, and treatment procedures, including those related to acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses; substance use disorders; and common medications and their effects or side effects. Facilitates community placements by collaborating with Veterans, their families, and interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure appropriate and timely placement. Independently implements treatment modalities and provides educational classes and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families, including shared medical appointments. Provides consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding the psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of identified psychosocial issues on health care planning and treatment adherence. Provides case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care. Adjusts tour of duty as necessary to accommodate the needs of Veteran patients. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm 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: Position may be eligible for ad-hoc Telework, at managers discretion. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000

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. 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a Master 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. 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 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 one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Grandfather Provision. Detailed in Education section of announcement. 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-09 Social Worker Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrate Know