This Social Work Associate position is located within the Primary Care Social Work department located at the VA Healthcare System in Minneapolis, MN.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 13 months). Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration (more than 1 year but not more than 4). Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without further competition (up to the 4-year maximum). The appointment to a Term position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment. Performs a wide variety of duties in support of professional social workers, providing assistance and services as prescribed for individual cases by social workers in conjunction with their professional treatment. Assignments include interviewing patients and others for informational or service purposes; handling selected referrals to social and health facilities; obtaining and compiling data and similar types of work. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Works with patients and families experiencing acute injury or illness including but not limited to, cancer, chemical dependency, intensive care in the ICU, mental health crisis, palliative care, dialysis, HIV. Triages callers and makes appropriate referrals based on the patient and caregiver's individual needs. Assists patients/caregivers with facilitating and completing Medical Assistance (MA) and Elderly Waiver applications, to include completing an assessment of the patient's individualized situation. Documents progress towards and finalization of MA in computerized patient records system. Navigates and manages complex data base systems. Develops sound working relationships with Medical Center personnel, community agencies, and other governmental and community agencies. Interviews people to establish the nature and extent of their problems, assist in deciding the appropriate course of action, providing the services indicated in their scope, and providing follow-up to ensure continuity of care. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. ~AND~ To qualify for this position, you must meet the Basic Education Requirement for the job series and the minimum qualification requirement for the GS-8 level Social Work Associate position. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Bachelor's degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university in major fields of study such as: social welfare, sociology, psychology, public administration, philosophy, education, anthropology, history, economics and/or English. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~AND~ SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Two years of specialized experience as a social welfare worker or social work assistant in a voluntary, public, social, or health agency. One year of this experience must have been in a medical setting and equivalent to the next lower grade in Federal service. Specialized experience includes: providing assistance and service support as prescribed by social workers in conjunction with patients' treatment plans; interviewing patients; using general counseling and crisis intervention techniques to assist clients; obtaining and compiling data; and organizing mental health and medical treatment needs. Applicants must be suited in personality and temperament for this work and must have demonstrated ability to work well with others. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Analysis and Problem SolvingAttention to DetailCommunicationPsychological AssessmentTherapy and Counseling IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Requirements: Must be physically and mentally able to perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of position, usable vision, color vision, hearing, or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant for appointment. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation may also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include but is not limited to: the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

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 Minneapolis VA Medical Center One Veterans Drive Minneapolis, MN 55417 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]