The Primary Purpose of the Position is: to provide care coordination and psychosocial services to PACT team Veterans.

Duties

Screening/Assessment/Treatment Planning/Goal Setting: Establishes and maintains effective relationships with Veterans in the Primary Care Clinic and/or their families. The incumbent is able to independently work with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, financial, legal, and psychosocial problems. Effective social work in the Patient Aligned Care Team context often occurs over a series of several visits. Must have knowledge of the PACT team approach and the role of each health and allied health care team members as well as an underrating of the role of the Social Worker in the PACT model Completes thorough comprehensive psychosocial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families. The incumbent is able to assess functional acuity of the patient and provide the appropriate interventions. The incumbent must be able to utilize this assessment in facilitating the Veteran's maximum use of treatment for attainment of the highest level of independence that is possible and practicable. Possesses a working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses, substance abuse disorders, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology. Administrative Functions: Responsible for supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facility. Serves on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor and Chief of Social Work Services. Keeping their supervisor apprised of problems and recommended solutions to problems encountered in the incumbent's area of responsibility. Provides assistance with the orientation and learning of less experienced Social Workers and to serve as a field instructor for graduate level social work students. Case Management/ Goal Setting/Discharge Planning: Provides case management services to Veterans serving as the liaison to other treatment programs. Engages Veterans and, when appropriate, other members of the Veterans support system, in an ongoing information-gathering and decision-making process to help Veterans identify their goals, strengths and challenges. Assesses the Veterans biopsychosocial status as well as the state of the social system, arranges, coordinates, monitors, evaluates, and advocates for multiple services to meet the specific needs. Resources and Referrals Develops a resource file of VA and community social service programs and will refer the Veteran to needed services. General knowledge of Veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs, service connected compensation, non-service connected pension. Facilitates referrals based upon Veterans needs and eligibility. Coordinates community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs and community agency programs. The Social Worker establishes effective working relationships with community agencies. Advocacy: Acts as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the veteran/family. Patient Education/Whole Health Coaching: Responsible for working with Veterans to develop and implement a Personal Health Inventory and Personal Health Plan. Assists Veteran's to identify and articulate SMART health goals to optimize health and well-being through the use of one-to-one and group health coaching sessions. Education/Training/Supervision: Participates in the orientation of new Social Worker staff and other interdisciplinary team members. Coordination of Non-Institutional and Institutional Services: responsible for the coordination of the referrals of non-institutional services such as but not limited to HBPC, ADHC, home hospice, skilled and non-skilled homecare services, substance abuse or behavioral health programs. Individual/Group Counseling: The PACT Social Worker is able to independently work with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems utilizing individual, group and family counseling and therapy skills if licensed as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Supportive counseling/education: The Social Worker will provide Veterans and their caregivers with ongoing supportive counseling and education. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm dependent on coverage assignment Telework: Ad-Hoc 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

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: Persons hired or reassigned to a social worker position in the GS-0185 series in the VHA must 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/Certification - 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/. 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. Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation. (1) All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, 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 journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (3) 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. (4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. (5) If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. ? 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS- 0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker. Grade Determinations: GS-09 Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements 1. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. (b) 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. (c) 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. (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. (e) 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 1) 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 (2) 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. (3) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. (b) 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. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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 bases services including information, education and referrals. Experience with the psychosocial issues of aging, illness, disability, coping and grief. Experience working with an interdisciplinary team. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II APPENDIX G39. SOCIAL WORKER QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-0185 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. Continued Information is located in Additional Information section below

Education

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

Accreditation Information: The master's or doctoral degree must be fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Verification of accreditation may be obtained from http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation

Verification of accreditation may be obtained from http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation

Note: If your school was accredited by CSWE at the time of graduation, but is no longer listed on the CSWE website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

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 Dallas VA Medical Center 4500 South Lancaster Road Dallas, TX 75216 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]