The senior social worker is assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality.

Duties

Work Schedule: Part Time; Schedule to be discussed during the interview process; Subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required The VA Northern California Health Care system is currently recruiting a Senior Social Worker (Home Based Primary Care) at the Martinez location.Major duties include, but are not limited to: Participate in the development, evaluation, and communication of standards, policies, and procedures, and plans of care for the Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) Special Population Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) Program. Evaluate HBPC practices using relevant statutes and regulations and take action to improve identified deficiencies. Track HBPC program assessments, consults, authorizations, statistics, data management, identify significant findings, problem solve, complete documentation reports pertaining to caseloads, productivity, and trainings. Complete an initial screening of Veterans to determine whether they meet eligibility criteria for inclusion in the HBPC program. Reassess Veterans on a regular basis to ensure they are receiving the appropriate level of services and remain in need of program support. Develop a treatment plan of the Veteran in collaboration with the referring team, the Veteran, family members, and caregivers, whenever possible. Assist referring clinical teams in treatment planning process and goal setting by identifying HBPC resources when warranted. Serve as a liaison between the HBPC program and Veteran and/or family. Collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs for non-institutional and/or institutional services and programs and entitlements. Provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will, Life-Sustaining Treatment decisions, and will refer Veterans and/or families to other GEC programs or appropriate VA resource for identified health education needs. Coordination of referrals to non-institutional services in collaboration with team members. This includes reviewing GEC assessment notes, progress notes and consults from other providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of each Veteran being referred for non-institutional alternatives. Provide Veterans and their caregiver's ongoing supportive counseling. Collaborate in the performance improvement processes and comply with performance measures as required by the VA for their specific population and/or programs. Participate in activities that obtain customer satisfaction feedback from clients and work to enhance services as needed. This may include coverage responsibilities in the absence of other GEC staff to ensure timely access and coordination of care. The Social Worker willingly accepts additional and special assignments that are necessary to meet GEC service goals, program goals and/or customer needs. Other related duties as assigned. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and may be posted up to September 29, 2023. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be August 1, 2023, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st and 15th of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

Requirements

Qualifications

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. 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. 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. English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. 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: Senior Social Worker, GS-12: Experience/Education: The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice), and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard, GS-0185, Veterans Health Administration, dated September 10, 2019. Driver's License: Position requires operation of a motor vehicle, with varying road conditions, as well as weather conditions. Must possess a current California driver's license. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12. Physical Requirements: Involves considerable amount of standing, walking, stooping, bending, reaching, lifting, and turning. Requires carrying or lifting of objects weighing up to 25 lbs., but occasionally may require work that involves pushing or lifting in excess of 25 lbs. and going up and down flights of stairs. The position requires visual and auditory acuity at a level to provide safe nursing care. Requires use of hands for actions such as typing, simple grasping, fine manipulation, and repetitive actions. Requires the ability to frequently respond to multiple demands and priorities. Has potential for exposure to infectious diseases, hazardous waste, and chemicals. Ability to distinguish shades of colors. Ability to effectively utilize a stethoscope and distinguish breath and heart, and bowel sounds. Emotional and mental stability. Ability to effectively perform the essential functions of the position and respond appropriately in emergency situations.

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 VA Northern California Health Care System 10535 Hospital Way Mather, CA 95655 US
• Name: Allison Hoffman
• Phone: 304-350-2062
• Email: [email protected]