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

Position Title: Social Worker - Geriatrics Clinic (Geri-PACT) Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm (HST) The primary purpose of this position is to provide clinical social work to Veterans in Geri-PACT and render social work expertise in the consultative Geriatric Clinic. This position is under the supervision of the Geri-PACT Director. The social worker performs duties independently and reports to the Geri-PACT Director. This position resides in the Geriatrics Rehabilitation and Extended Care (GREC) Service Line. In Geri-PACT, the Social Worker is an integral and vital member of the Geri-PACT team. the Veterans in this special population PACT are frail elders and often have complex psycho-social needs overlying their multi-morbidities. Additionally, Veteran's caregivers are often stressed and require support and intervention by the Social Worker. The Social Worker case manages these aspects of care. In the consultative Geriatric clinic, Social Worker provides assessment and recommendations depending on the consult needs and may also provide case management depending on the needs. The Geri-PACT/Geriatric clinics Social Worker is involved in the education and training of Geriatric Fellows, Residents, Medical Students, and various health care professionals. The Geri-PACT/Geriatric clinics Social Worker, depending on the clinic, serves in various roles and functions. The following includes roles/functions but is NOT all inclusive: Identify social needs and connect Veterans to VA and community resources Coordinate the social aspect of healthcare needs for Veterans Facilitate communication of the social aspects of care Participate in direct patient care and transitions of care Educate Veterans and caregivers and provide pertinent educational materials as appropriate Actively participate in interdisciplinary assessment, plans of care including social interventions Perform independently a psychosocial assessment and provide social work services as indicated Assist Veterans with obtaining benefits and/or community resources as appropriate within the purview of social work Assist Veterans within social work purview in fulfilling their Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) to maintain their quality of life Assist Veterans within social work purview in locating and maintaining housing appropriate for each Veteran's level of care needs Assist with advanced care planning Work with Veteran's family members by providing counseling/education/support May conduct Caregiver Support Groups Assess for signs of elder abuse/neglect Assess the needs of caregivers in regards to caregiver burden Assist in identifying transportation resources as needed Coordinate social aspects of care with Non-VA providers and agencies/institutions as needed Discuss VA medical benefits as needed Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Contact 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: a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy). b. Education. Have a masters 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. c. 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. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. (1) Exception. 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 the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. (a) 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 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. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, masters level within one year of meeting the state prerequisites for licensure. Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. d. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 USC 7403(f). 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: Social Worker GS-9 a. Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. b. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). 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. Social Worker, GS-11 a. 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 b. 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. c. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G-39 (VHA Social Worker Qualification Standard GS-185) The full performance level of this vacancy is at the GS-11 level. 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: The Social Worker duties include computerized work for extended periods of time requiring physical attributes to perform these duties, interactive abilities with Veterans and/or their caregivers/families not limited to but includes functional ability to hear and communicate. The Social Worker duties encompass interacting and engaging in an interdisciplinary manner as well as functioning and collaborating as a team member thus requiring physical attributes that do not detract from this function.

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 Spark M Matsunaga Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 459 Patterson Road Honolulu, HI 96819 US
• Name: Courtney Blansfield
• Phone: (916) 640-8042
• Email: [email protected]