Social Worker (Inpatient Medicine)
What you'd do
Provides Medical Social Work services to the Veteran population on acute Medicine/Surgery teams and Community Living Center. Services include timely provision of discharge planning, case management, advocacy, crisis intervention, supportive counseling, patient/family education, assistance with advance directives, end of life and surrogate decision- making issues and coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers and/or agencies as needed by the patient.
Major duties
Major Duties: The ability to work with Veterans and their support system from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. Assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their support system, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Responds promptly to patient consults/referrals from the team/program to which they are assigned, as well as back-up rotations, maintaining contact at intervals appropriate to the needs of the case, and documents these contacts in the medical record as significant contacts occur. Assists the patient, family, and the multidisciplinary team in developing realistic and understandable treatment, discharge, and aftercare plans and goals which are based upon the medical/surgical/psychiatric needs of the Veteran and his/her level of functioning, age and disability. Develops, implements, and maintains methods for accessing internal and external resources for Veterans and their support system. Works on a multi-disciplinary team and actively participates in daily multidisciplinary rounds regarding patient needs, determination of treatment plan and goals, discharge planning, and aftercare. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:07747F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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: Citizenship: United States Citizenship English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)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). 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 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. 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. 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. 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-09: Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. 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. 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.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 diversified 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: Experience completing psychosocial assessments, discharge planning, and working with an interdisciplinary team. Experience providing case management, crisis intervention, and providing supportive counseling to patients and families. 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.
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