The Acute Psychiatry Social Worker provides inpatient, transitional, and emergency acute psychiatric social work services to the Veteran population enrolled at VAPORHCS.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to: Screening/Assessment- The social worker develops an assessment of the Veteran in crisis that involves care coordination and consultation with medical, nursing management, non-VA legal, state, and social work staff in other care areas to which Veterans are referred, consulted, treated and/or co-managed. This can include screening Veterans for admission and presenting screenings to the inpatient admission team. Inpatient assessments, completed in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members, and significant others result in a social work treatment plan accounting for unique characteristics of each Veteran. The goal of the acute psychiatric inpatient assessment is to highlight the Veteran's strengths, limitations, and internal/external supports and service needs in order to optimize the Veteran's functional status and to prepare him/her for discharge back to the community. The assessment will be completed and updated when needed, as specified by the policy for the assigned work area and will include care directives from the Veteran. In the Emergency Department, the social worker presents assessments to the Emergency Department Attending physician in the role of a mental health consultant. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting- The social worker is responsible for contributing to the interdisciplinary treatment plan and independently develops a social work plan that includes setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran and/or family. The incumbent demonstrates an understandingof the range of treatment and skills needed for all adult patients including geriatric patients related to their physical limitations, psychological needs, and age associated illnesses and conditions. Discharge Planning - The discharge plan may involve but is not limited to housing the homeless, engagement in recovery, increasing the Veterans support system, symptom management, assisting with financial and disability resources, and locating treatment opportunities for Veterans in areas such as PTSD and MST. The social worker also consults with legal representatives (county and court) and assists with guardianships by educating patients and families about resources and procedures and by seeking funding assistance from county and state resources when no family is available. The social worker will assist the Veteran in following through with goals identified in the treatment plan within social work scope. The social worker will monitor, provide, and document outreach to discharged Veterans when necessary as part of the need to provide safe and quality care during transitions in care such as inpatient to outpatient. Crisis Intervention - Social workers in the acute psychiatric setting will make rapid assessments of a developing crisis that may involve danger to either staff or patients and are trained to take appropriate action in conjunction with other staff and the VA Police when necessary. Referral to Service Providers - Throughout the course of treatment the social worker is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources. The social worker will collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs. The social worker is responsible for educating the Veteran and/or caregiver of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of the surrogate decision-maker. Work Schedule: Variable - subject to negotiation - 40 hours weekly Compressed/Flexible: No Telework: No Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in seasonal influenza program may be required
• To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

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. Education- Master's degree in social work (MSW) from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), or other master's in science in social work (MSSW), social service administration (MSSA), social service (MSS), social administration (MSA) or social welfare as accredited by the CSWE. Those without the required master's degree will be disqualified. Licensure - Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. English Language Proficiency - Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations Social Worker, GS-9 (1) Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. 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 Requirements: This is the full performance level for social workers. GS-11 Social Workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. They are assigned to all program areas, including inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area. Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 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. References: VHA 5005, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-11. Preferred Experience: Two (2) years LCSW experience, Full license for independent practice, experience in working in acute psychiatry settings, experience in ED consultation role. Physical Requirements: Moderate carrying (15-44 pounds); Straight pulling (0.25 hours); Pulling hand over hand (0.25 hours); Pushing (1 hour); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Walking (4 hours); Standing (3 hours); Repeated bending (1 hour); Climbing, legs only (1 hour); Both legs required; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid permitted); Mental & emotional stability. Environmental Requirements: Outside and inside; Excessive noise, intermittent; Slippery or uneven walking surfaces; Working closely with others; Working alone.

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.

Note: Only master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). 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.

Contacts

• Address VA Portland Health Care System 3710 Southwest US Veterans Hospital Road Portland, OR 97239 US
• Name: Artan Hoxha
• Phone: 5032208262 X58486
• Email: [email protected]