This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

The incumbent provides social work services to the Palliative Care Program. The social worker provides direct psychosocial and case management services to Veterans, family members, and community representatives to ensure high quality of care for Veterans in contracted nursing homes, adult day facilities, as well as those Veterans identified as needing advance care planning and related end of life concerns. Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: The incumbent is responsible for actively participating with interdisciplinary members of Palliative Care team in order to engage and encourage active participation of Veterans and significant family members in addressing the comprehensive psychosocial needs related to an end of life condition. The incumbent is expected to address needs, provide direct and case management services, and facilitate access to broad range of pertinent VA and non-VA services The incumbent must have the ability to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, and assistance needed. The incumbent has the ability to demonstrate involvement of the patient/family in developing and implementing treatment/discharge plans that are realistic, achievable, and understandable through documentation and clinical practice. The incumbent will independently provide clinical interventions and case management services, including servicing as the lead coordinator, to veterans with life-limiting illness and their loved ones. Services may be offered to veterans, and their loved ones, receiving care in an inpatient setting (e.g medicine, intensive care unit(s), or community living center setting), an outpatient settings, and/or in the community through a partnership with community agencies in nursing home or home based settings. Bereavement services may be offered to any surviving loved one who has experienced the loss of a veteran. The incumbent will work closely with the Palliative Care Team and Palliative Plus Team. The incumbent will engage in complex and multi-system involved aspects of care planning, end-of-life planning, advanced care planning, and treatment planning with Palliative Care Veterans. The incumbent is able to independently complete psychosocial assessments and provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethics, educational and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) and the differential influences of the environment, society, and culture. The incumbent establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and their families. The incumbent is able to independently work with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems. This requires independent judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problems solving, or crisis intervention techniques. The incumbent has the ability to independently provide counseling and support services to individuals, groups, and families. In accordance with license, the incumbent has knowledge and experience in the use of 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. The incumbent is able to provide consultation services to other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. The incumbent has the ability to independently evaluate his/her own practice through participation in professional peer review and other organized means. The incumbent has the knowledge and skill in the use of computer applications for drafting documents, data managements, and tracking, especially those programs in use by VHA. The incumbent has 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. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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: 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. Education Requirement: Master of Social Work: Applicants must have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Note: 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. COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED. Licensure Requirement: Appointment at the GS-11 Full Performance Level: Persons hired or reassigned to full performance 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. OR Appointment at the GS-9 (Entry or Developmental 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 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. Grade Determinations: GS-9 (Entry Level): Experience and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the applicant's resume 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 (Full Performance Level): 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, the applicant's resume 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. All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II, Appendix G39. Preferred Experience: Experience working in a home-care setting, working with an interdisciplinary team, and working with veterans is preferred. 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. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.

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 Nebraska-Western Iowa HCS - Omaha 4101 Woolworth Avenue Omaha, NE 68105 US
• Name: Kira Kuhn
• Phone: 3193380581 X636737
• Email: [email protected]