Serve as a Social Worker Associate by providing services as assigned by the Chief of Social Work Service, GEC Social Work Supervisor and Program Coordinators in the Community Nursing Home (CNH), State Veterans Home (SVH), Personal Care Services (PCS) and Veteran Directed Care (VDC) Programs. You will expedite Social Work services and implement objectives for selected Veteran cases in which goals can be achieved by use of the knowledge, skills, etc., in which you have been trained.

Duties

Assists with the processing of Start of Care (SOC) documentation, contacting community providers for confirmation of services, contacting Veteran/Caregiver to clarify obstacles to care, collecting and maintaining necessary documentation for agency compliance monitors. Provides support to the Veteran and family as they transition to/from different levels of care, e.g., hospital, SNF, home with services. Works with Veterans participating in the GEC Programs in a variety of settings. Follows-up on the acquisition of documents or information needed for Social Work re-authorization of GEC Program services. Makes telephone calls on behalf of the Social Workers to providers, nurses, families, community agencies; and/or follow-up with community agencies regarding the status of GEC Program services. Contacts the Veteran or Veteran's family to assess any additional needs regarding GEC Program services as outlined in service policies, Standard Operating Procedures, and as requested by the GEC Program Supervisor, Program Coordinator, or Social Workers. Independently, or in consultation with a Social Worker, provides or obtains information or arranges for services which supports the Veteran's care plan. Provides information obtained from these contacts to Social Workers and documents their findings in the Veteran's electronic medical record (CPRS, Gerner, etc.). Documents all Social Work Service activities in the Veteran's electronic medical record in accordance with service and Medical Center Policies. Assists with entering and/or scheduling travel consults, specialty consults, or other tasks on behalf of Veterans admitted to GEC programs for continuity of care. Investigates community resources and makes information about them available to GEC Social Work and/or PACT Social Work staff as appropriate. Keeps abreast of changes in the referral and consult procedures for GEC community services and makes Social Work staff aware of the changes as appropriate. Participates in program planning and in the development of sound working relationships with the Medical Center personnel, active CCN community providers, and other governmental and community providers. Interviews community providers and Veterans to establish the nature and extent of their concerns, assist in deciding the appropriate course of action, provide the services indicated in their Scope of Practice, and provide follow-up to ensure continuity of care. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 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. Position Description/PD#: Social Worker Associate/PD675-07355-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/17/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Individual Occupational Requirements (Basic Requirements): You MUST meet the Basic Requirements and the Minimum Qualifications to qualify for this Social Worker Associate position. Undergraduate Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, in 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 AND Experience: Two years of experience as a social welfare worker or social work assistant in a voluntary, public, social, or health agency, which must have included 1 year in a medical setting. Specialized experience includes performing 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. In addition to meeting the above requirements, you must also meet one of the following requirements for this position. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower level (GS-7) in the normal line of progression. Specialized experience is experience in a program of direct social welfare services that required the application of program policy and operations knowledge in providing social welfare services and/or assisting social workers. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)Technical PracticesWork with Others 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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. Physical Requirements: The work may be carried out within the office/workspace provided or in other community-based settings. A significant amount of walking is required for contact with other medical center staff and community agencies. The Social Work Associate must meet the requirements to drive a Government Vehicle when needed. 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

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 Orlando VA Medical Center 13800 Veterans Way Orlando, FL 32827 US
• Name: Necory Smith
• Phone: 608-372-3971 X63901
• Email: [email protected]