Social Worker
What you'd do
The Veterans Administration Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) is a multi-site medical system with an academic teaching mission that includes medical centers, rehabilitation facilities, and community based outpatient clinics. Services include primary health care, medicine, surgery, mental health and substance abuse treatment, home health care and geriatrics/long term care, respite, hospice, palliative care, and emergency care.
Major duties
The Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) Social Worker must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of Veterans. Social Work responsibilities include the assessment of psychosocial problems often at a time when the Veteran is experiencing crisis and include the provision of short-term, solution focused counseling with Veterans and/or their families. Referrals typically originate from members of the interdisciplinary team, from Veterans and/or their families coming via consults and walk-ins to seek assistance, and from community professionals. The Social Worker works closely with PACT multidisciplinary team members to coordinate Veteran care. Care interventions are provided via office, televideo and telephone contacts for the completion of biopsychosocial assessments. The Social Worker will function in support of Veterans, caregivers, and family members as assigned to the PACT to implement education, wellness, and supportive services. The incumbent must be a skilled communicator capable of developing positive, effective relationships with Veterans, caregivers, local, state, and federal agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations. The Social Worker will adhere to the NASW Code of Ethics, all local social work policies, and maintain an unrestricted, unsuspended license to practice social work. VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU A. Clinical Functions (90%): i. Must demonstrate a developing level of skill to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans in the Primary Care Clinic and/or their families. The incumbent works independently with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems. ii. Must complete thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families. The incumbent must be able to utilize this assessment in facilitating the Veteran's maximum use of treatment for attainment of the highest level of independence that is possible and practicable. iii. Must actively participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and actively participate through collaboration with Veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members in the development and implementation of treatment goals and interventions. Administrative Functions (10%): The Social Worker will attend all appropriate staff meetings (i.e., team meetings, Social Work staff meetings, Social Work supervision meetings, committee meetings, workgroups, etc., as appropriate) and perform other duties as required. The Social Worker will collaborate in the performance improvement processes and comply with performance measures as required by the VA for their specific population and/or program. The Social Worker will participate in activities that obtain feedback from Veterans/Residents and work to enhance services as needed. The incumbent is organizationally aligned under the Social Work Service and reports to the Acute and Ambulatory Care Supervisor. The incumbent has responsibility for providing a full range of social work services to Veterans and families. Supervision and consultation are of an administrative and professional nature; with the supervisor or designee providing guidelines as to the general policy and direction of the PACT SW care. Individuals assigned as a GS-9 Social Worker are at the entry level and are closely supervised, as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent Licensure or Certification. Social Workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to VHA program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience. The GS-11 PACT Social Worker performs clinical duties independently. The GS-9 and GS-11 PACT Social Worker report administratively to the Acute and Ambulatory Care Supervisor, with the SWSL Chief or Assistant Chief serving as secondary supervisor. The incumbent engages in accepted standard practices for Social Workers and follows appropriate ethical and professional policies and guidelines. The Social Worker consults with the Social Work Supervisor to develop knowledge and apply agency policies and practices to new matters. His/her work is reviewed for technical adequacy and conformance with procedures and practices applicable to the subject. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 260377-F, 260378-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
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. 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/. 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. 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). Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, 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 journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. 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 initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: Social Worker, GS-9:Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. 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-9 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. 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: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other backgrounds. 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. 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. 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: The incumbent uses initiative and resourcefulness in deviating from traditional methods or trends and patterns to develop new methods, criteria, and proposed new policies. 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 in the range of GS-09 to GS-11.
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