Social Worker
What you'd do
This position provides services to veterans in the Community Living Center (CLC). The social worker is involved in discharge planning, case management, advocacy, providing psychosocial education, and coordinating linkages with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies as needed by the client. CLC social workers are also assigned duties assisting other program areas, as needed to assist the organization and ensure workload targets are met.
Major duties
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Community Living Center Social Worker duties include but are not limited to: Develops psychosocial assessments of the veterans under supervision and in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team, the veteran, family members and significant others, whenever possible. Responsible for developing discharge plans and setting achievable discharge goals with the veteran, family, and/or support person in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team members and under the supervision of their social work supervisor. Provides case management services to veterans serving as the liaison to other treatment programs. Engages veterans and when appropriate, other members of the veteran's support system, in an ongoing information-gathering and decision-making process to help the veteran identify their goals, strengths, and challenges. Responsible for developing discharge plans and setting achievable discharge goals with the veteran, family, and/or support person in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team members and under the supervision of their social work supervisor. Identifies needed psychosocial interventions, care coordination, case management, supportive counseling and/or brief psychotherapy services within the bounds of their level of licensure, as needed. Develops a resource file of VA and community social service programs. Finds a suitable means of treatment to help veterans and/or significant others. Based upon veterans needs and eligibility, facilitates and/or coordinates VA and community-based services and referrals. Acts as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the veteran/family. Provides education related to the veteran's VA entitlements, eligibility, services and programs, as well as community resources for medical and mental health needs. Educates and refers the veteran and as appropriate, veteran's family, caregiver and/or significant other, to the appropriate program, interdisciplinary team members, internal programs, or external programs for identified education needs. Participates in the orientation of new social work staff and other interdisciplinary team members, as assigned by supervisor. Works with students to develop training plans and goals. Regularly assesses students' progress toward training goals and students' overall performance. Prepares and provides students' progress reports to the school of social work field liaison. Coordinates referrals/consults for non-institutional and institutional services, both internally and externally, to include but not limited to, HBPC, community nursing homes, ADHC/CNH, hospice, transitional and supportive housing, skilled and non-skilled homecare services in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team members. Documents all social work case activities in the electronic health record and other programs as directed by the social work supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 8am to 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. 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). 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: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 53744-F, 53743F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
Health Profession Trainees (HPT's) 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. 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 English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education and/or Experience Combination - 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 or Certification* - 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. Grandfather Provision. A Social Worker employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (9/10/2019) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: Employees 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 journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels. 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 who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. Grade Determinations:GS-09 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 Licensure Requirement: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. GS-11 Experience or Education Requirement: 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. Preferred Experience: 2 years of experience providing case management services. 2 years of experience conducting psychosocial assessments. Experience coordinating community base services including information, education, and referrals. Experience with the psychosocial issues of aging, illness, disability, coping, and grief. Experience working with an interdisciplinary team. Long term care experience. 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. ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS CONTINUED IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SECTION.....
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