Social Worker
What you'd do
The Cheyenne VA Health Care System, Social Work Service, is currently recruiting for one (1) Social Worker in Cheyenne, WY.
Major duties
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Inpatient Medicine/Surgical Social Worker has primary responsibility to provide direct clinical care, including care coordination and discharge planning for Veterans admitted to the Cheyenne VA Medical Center. Duties and Responsibilities of the position include: Screening/Assessment - In conjunction with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker screens and assesses the veteran's psychosocial needs and barriers in order to facilitate his or her discharge from the hospital Through collaborative relationships with the veteran, his or her family/caregiver and other VA programs and VA staff, The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker coordinates the gathering of information vital to the process of setting appropriate discharge goals and discharge time frames. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - From screening/assessment information, The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker determines realistic discharge goals that consider such factors as a) the appropriate level of discharge care, b) the setting conducive to providing such care, c) the need for post-discharge interventions to enhance caregiver support to allow for the least restrictive level of care, d) transportation options/barriers and e) the steps to obtaining resources (VA or community) that make the transition from the inpatient setting successful Advance Directive Screening and completion - The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will screen Veterans while in the acute care setting to identify need to provide education and offer assistance with completing an advance directive. Referral to service providers - To facilitate the continuity of a veteran's recovery, the Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social will arrange referrals to needed VA and/or community resources (e.g., home health care, assisted living facilities, extended care facilities/nursing homes, services available through area agencies on aging, community support groups, hospice care, community-based extended care). Resource Usage/Development - As a developing subject matter expert on the services and resources available to veterans through both VA and the community, The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will monitor patterns of resource availability, identifying unmet needs and the resultant impact on the veteran's transition from the inpatient hospital setting. Advocacy - The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will advocate for the hospitalized veteran to ensure that he or she has access to all needed care and resources within VA and in the community. Crisis Intervention - The Medical Social Worker will assess and intervene in any medical or psychiatric crises presented by the veteran and participate in developing crisis management and safety plans to minimize the event of future crises. Education/Health promotion and prevention - The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will provide education about VA and community resources, entitlement programs, VA benefits and Advance Directives/Living, completing the advanced directive or living will as requested. Non-patient care responsibilities - The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will enter all veteran/family contacts in the electronic medical record using appropriate formats and templates. This information will be entered in a complete, confidential, timely and professional manner to promote relevant and effective communication with other VA employees about the veteran's care. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm or 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. 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 #: 442-56557-0; 442-56556-0 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. 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. Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) Education: You must possess 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. NOTE: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in Social Work. License: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Exception: For assignments at the GS-9 level, VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. 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. Grandfathering Provision: 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. GS-9 Social Worker - Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-09, you must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 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. GS-11 Social Worker Licensure: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Experience or Education: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-11, you must possess 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. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Working under close supervision in program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience. Identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect or exploitation; providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning; providing social work case management; acting as an patient/family member/caregiver advocate with community service providers/agencies; assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members. In collaboration with the patient, family, and interdisciplinary treatment teams, identifying strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and psychosocial acuity. Maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with appropriate referrals. -OR- 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. In addition to the experience above, you must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 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. 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-9 to GS-11. Preferred Experience: Medical social work experience, case management experience, discharge planning experience, and crisis Intervention experience. Physical Requirements: The Social Worker must be in good overall health and capable of performing primarily light and sedentary duties such as desk work and computer tasks. They should be able to engage in light to moderate physical activities, including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying office supplies. The role requires handling emotionally demanding situations with patience and emotional control, with reasonable accommodations if necessary, ensuring the safety of themselves and others. Additionally, a high level of self-awareness is essential due to the stressful nature of working with patients and their families.
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