Social Worker - Dialysis/Renal Clinic
What you'd do
The incumbent provides clinical services including case management for the dialysis and renal clinic. Individual therapy, emotional support, discharge planning, and referrals to community resources are responsibilities required of this position. Active participation as a member of a multidisciplinary treatment team is necessary. These responsibilities include attending meetings and engaging in collaborative decision-making processes.
Major duties
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include, but not limited to: The completion of comprehensive psychosocial evaluations is a requirement including assessments of the applicant's suitability for particular ESRD treatment modalities. The incumbent resolves or minimizes emotional, personal, financial, and legal problems that may interfere with the patient's full recovery. The worker provides case management, individual therapy, group education, and emotional support as needed. Knowledge of discharge planning and referrals to community resources is required. The individual actively participates as a consultant with other professionals at the Medical Center or community organizations to discuss the social, economic, medical, and psychiatric factors that impact the patient's continuing care. Responsibilities include maintaining daily, monthly, and quarterly statistics as required. Serves on specific clinical and administrative committees designed to improve practice, service delivery, research, and education. Participates in professional staff development activities to maintain and refine clinical skills, which assume continual professional growth. Program Management and Coordination of care is a primary responsibility for this position. Determining eligibility for the unit and making referrals to outside agencies for dialysis is essential. These duties include coordinating the completion of referral packages and working with the receiving facility's coordinator to ensure coordination of care. Duties include coordinating transient dialysis care for Dom VAMC patients. Monitors monthly reports of veterans on fee-based dialysis in the community, including recommendations for renewal or termination of fee services. Coordinates dialysis care and funding with VA, Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. Works with dialysis head RN and MD on coordinating dialysis unit treatment schedule. Facilitates the dialysis team group process to ensure quality patient care is being provided. The individual manages education for staff and patients through the identification of learning needs and provision of appropriate education or referral. Functions as the team facilitator for staff interaction with difficult patients. Models appropriate boundary setting and provides education and feedback to staff on appropriate patient-staff interaction. The incumbent follows all chronic dialysis patients who receive dialysis at Dom VA. Performs necessary discharge planning after a hospital stay including referrals to the NHCU, contract nursing homes, home health, and community resources. Provides consultation services to pre-dialysis patients admitted to the hospital. Coordinates dialysis transfers and returns to community dialysis units for all dialysis patients admitted to PVAMC. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Work Schedule is subject to change based on agency need. Recruitment Incentive (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 #: Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
What you need to qualify
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). 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 one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. (b) A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. 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. 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker, 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-09 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. OR 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 of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. (b) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other backgrounds. (c) Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. (d) 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. (e) Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. Preferred Experience: Dialysis experience, Case Management experience, Kidney Transplant Knowledge. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: This work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals, record boxes, equipment or assisting patients. See https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OCHCO/SitePages/D5019.aspx VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
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