The Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare Network is recruiting a Social Worker for the Palliative Care Consult Team (PCCT) and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC). As a member of the interdisciplinary team, the social worker would demonstrates specialized social work training and competence in addressing unique psychosocial problems of a vulnerable older population. Experience working in a medical setting is highly preferred.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Completes a comprehensive psychosocial assessment for identification of psychosocial concerns, evaluating resources, assessing needs, identifying problems, identifying coping skills, and evaluating Veteran's personal plans. Formulate and implement treatment plans identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, and coping skills in collaboration with Veteran, family and treatment teams. Makes psychosocial diagnoses and interventions, sets goals for treatment to improve care. Experience in the use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures including acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology. Provides social work services to include case work, individual, family and group counseling, discharge planning, case management, care coordination, advanced health care planning, caregiver support and other services as needed. Advocate on behalf of the patients, ensuring that services and benefits are obtained in an expeditious manner. Coordinate and collaborate with community-based services, including information and referral for additional services, other VA programs and other government and community agency programs. Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with patients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Manages and coordinates retention of benefits, housing, home care, adjustment to illness and goals of care, legal issues, financial, transportation, bereavement to the veteran's family, advance care planning and Advance Directive, supportive counseling, and caregiver support. Coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members. Provides education, consultation, and training for VA staff about hospice and palliative care services and interventions. Provides consultation and education to Veterans, their caregivers, and staff on community resources and VA benefits related to end-of-life issues. Works closely with the treatment teams, other social work, and medical center staff to provide supportive care to Veterans and their families. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telework: As determined by supervisor Virtual: This is not a virtual position Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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. [Transcripts must be submitted at time of application. Conferral of degree(s) must be stated on transcript(s). Unofficial transcripts(s) are acceptable]. 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/. A COPY OF CURRENT LICENSE/CERTIFICATION MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION. 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. For appointments at the GS-9 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. 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. 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 Grade Requirements: (a) Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. 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 Grade Requirements: 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. 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: 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, cultural, ethnic, 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: Medical social work, palliative care social work References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Work Qualification Standard, GS-0185, Veterans Health Administration. 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. Physical Requirements: The position requires performance of work which involves light lifting (under 15 pounds); light carrying (under 15 pounds); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking; standing; hearing (aid permitted).

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System 11301 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90073 US
• Name: Sharlene Harrigan
• Email: [email protected]