The Medical Foster Home (MFH) Program Coordinator is a social worker who is responsible for maximizing psychosocial quality of life issues in order to assist Veterans to remain in their home or in a less restrictive level of care other than a nursing home, and keep them out of the hospital as often as possible. Assigned an office at the Fayetteville VAMC-Serves Veterans located in Arkansas Counties: Benton, Carroll, Boone, Washington, Madison, Newton and Oklahoma Counties: Delaware and Adair.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Include, but not limited to: In charge of program development, recruitment, and development of the foster homes, recruitment and placement of Veteran residents, case management, development of policies and care processes, and coordination with HBPC interdisciplinary treatment teams. Marketing the model of care and reaches out to community groups and agencies to promote the foster care program. Incumbent serves as a mentor to other VA MFH program coordinators, social workers, and other interested health care providers. Providing training to caregivers, students, residents, interns and fellows from other disciplines regarding the advantages and disadvantages of a medical foster home. Topics include but are not limited to caregiver and family issues and the impact of psychosocial issues and problems of the Veteran in a medical foster home. Receives and completes consults from interdisciplinary teams and other social workers on complex, difficult cases, using advanced practice skills and expertise. Incumbent also provides consultation to referral sources and is responsible for development and maintenance of professional standards of practice and educating others regarding such. Documents independently in the medical records utilizing paper and/or electronic formats, including psychosocial assessments, diagnostics, treatment, progress notes, follow up and referrals. Interviews and conducts psychosocial assessments; interviews Veteran and family members and/or significant others to establish facts about the Veteran's unique situation; presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the Veteran's functioning and health as a part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment; assesses high risk factors, acuity and need for services. The social worker interprets and explains VA treatment and benefit programs. Develops psychosocial treatment plans in collaboration with HBPC interdisciplinary team, including goals for psychosocial clinical treatment. Using known available resources and the initial assessment of the Veteran's likelihood to accept differing types of assistance, makes initial and continuing decisions regarding use of VA and non-VA services and referrals. Provides independent consultation and makes recommendations to interdisciplinary team on course of treatment. These 3 decisions are based on the social worker's advanced practice skills, professional judgment and expertise regarding the Veteran's self-care capability, the family support system, the Veteran's health care needs and possible consequences; including medical foster home placement. Establishes a continuing relationship with the foster home caregiver and Veteran, and involved family members, evaluating progress towards goals and adjusting the treatment plan as appropriate. Meets with medical foster home caregiver, Veteran, and/or family members to assess accomplishments and re-establish goals. Monitors progress, maintains comprehensive documentation, ensures expert diagnosis and treatment of clinical disorders, and shows competent discretion in decision to adjust treatment. Makes recommendations for care and changes to interdisciplinary treatment plan. The program coordinator is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans to maintain the Veteran in a medical foster home. In the event of an alleged abuse case, medical or psychiatric emergency, the protocol of the HHCS and/or medical center policy will be followed. Incumbent ensures the interdisciplinary team is kept informed of any concerns with the patient and/or caregiver. If transporting Veteran patients, must take mandatory annual physical and driver training. Will provide social work services to Veterans in the community Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 0800-1630 Compressed/Flexible:Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 564-00402-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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. 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. 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. 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 and Education: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. 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: (a) Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. (b) Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. (c) Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. (d) Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s). (e) Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice. (KSAs must be clearly reflected in resume under description of duties in order to be found qualified for this position/grade level). Preferred Experience: 1. Community social work or public health social work experience in the community setting. 2. Direct social work care experience with frail, elderly patients and their family caregivers. 3. Demonstrated ability to plan, write and provide formal presentations to diverse community, professional and stakeholder groups. 4. Demonstrated ability to lead social work education groups for caregivers of frail, elderly, patients. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard dated April 3, 2018. The position is above full performance level of this vacancy (GS-12). Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Applicants must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and the Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position requires travel into the community to meet with Veterans, caregivers and community agencies and partners.

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 Fayetteville AR VA Medical Center 1100 North College Avenue Fayetteville, AR 72703 US
• Name: Ashley Coleman
• Phone: 601-206-6900 X66909
• Email: [email protected]