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 Social Worker position is in the Geriatric (GERI) Clinic Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), which delivers Veterans, their families, and caregivers, comprehensive care that focuses on health promotion, prevention measures, and management of chronic disease issues. The social worker functions as a care coordinator with a panel of Veterans to ensure that health care meets Veteran needs, as defined by the Veteran, his/her family, and/or caregiver. The role of the GERI PACT Social Worker (SW) is to assess and treat psychosocial and environmental factors that impact the patient's ability to achieve maximum health and wellness. The PACT SW assesses the patient's psychological and emotional adjustment to illness within the context of medical diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options. Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Responsible for independently conducting psychosocial assessments to identify Veteran strengths, needs, social support systems, disabilities, and barriers to accessing needed services and available treatment options. Develops treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team. Demonstrates an understanding of the range of issues and needs of Veterans from multiple eras and backgrounds, with varying physical limitations, psychological needs and age-associated mental health, substance abuse issues, physical conditions, and gender-specific needs. Subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources. Provides both informal and formal education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, advance directives/living wills, and will refer Veterans to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health and education needs. Independently implement treatment modalities, and provide counseling or psychotherapy to individuals, families, and groups. Provides support to Veterans and families dealing with end-of-life issues, dementia issues, and assists Veterans and families in coping with a long-term care setting. Has general knowledge of Veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs, service-connected compensation, and non service connected pensions. Provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint, coordinates family conferences, and serves as liaison to family members. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries and medical terminology. Attends all appropriate staff meetings (interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, Social Work staff meetings, other committees) as appropriate. The incumbent will fulfill ethical responsibilities to Veterans, colleagues, and the VA, in accordance with relevant discipline Code of Ethics, VHA Code of Ethics, and local Ethics policies; which include but are not limited to compliance with all laws and regulations related to confidentiality and release of information, and protecting Veterans' PII. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 0730-1600 Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Social Worker (Geriatric (GERI) Clinic Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT))/PD402-F02849 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 NOTIFICATIONS: Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement This position is an AFGE Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. Travel and relocation expenses are not authorized. This position is in the Excepted Service. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) will be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. Veterans' preference does not apply for other current permanent Federal agency employees. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's

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. Education: 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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 on the OHRM website. 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. 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. 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). 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-11: 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. 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. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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, Part II, 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. Physical Requirements and Work Environment: The work requires the ability to move around the office and facility. The work is performed in offices and meeting rooms and is largely sedentary. The work can be mentally and psychologically demanding and stressful, and the ability to utilize effective coping and self-care strategies is essential.

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 Togus VA Medical Center 1 VA Center Augusta, ME 04330 US
• Name: Melissa Kumar
• Phone: 802-295-9363 X6509
• Email: [email protected]