The Social Worker will provide social work service in Inpatient Psychiatry. Primary duties include completing thorough psychosocial assessments, discharge planning, community and VA referrals, and involvement with the interdisciplinary treatment team. The incumbent provides care to Veterans admitted to the inpatient psychiatric unit or presenting to the facility to best support the agency's mission.

Duties

Duties include but not limited to: - Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. - Ability to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, and assistance needed. Ability to demonstrate involvement of the patient/family in developing and implementing treatment/discharge plans that are realistic, achievable, and understandable through documentation and clinical practice. - Ability to independently complete psychosocial assessments and provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethics, educational and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) and the differential influences of the environment, society, and culture. - Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with veterans and their families. Incumbent is able to work with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. - Ability to independently provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals and families in accordance with license. Knowledge and experience in the use of 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. - Ability to independently provide consultation services to other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. - Acts as an integral member of the interdisciplinary treatment team. Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with colleagues to ensure full understanding of psychosocial factors affecting patients. Provides staff education on issues related to social work as needed. - Ability to provide training for new social work staff and MSW students. Ability to independently evaluate his/her own practice through participation in professional peer review and other organized means. - Knowledge and skill in the use of computer applications for drafting documents, data managements, and tracking, especially those programs in use by VHA. Knowledge of veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs, service connected compensation, non-service connected pension. Facilitates referrals based upon veterans needs and eligibility. - Able to meet the needs of customers while supporting VA missions. Consistently communicates and treats customers (veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Incumbent is able to provide the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. - Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the consumer constructively and appropriately. Has working knowledge and skill in the use of word-processing, data management and other computer systems, especially those programs in use by VHA. - Knowledge of end of life issues including advance directives, palliative care, and grief. - Participate in hospital committees and workgroups as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm; subject to change based on the needs of the agency Telework: Not Available Functional Statement #: 503-00303-F / 502-00304-F Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education: Candidates must 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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. 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/. 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. Grade Determinations: GS9: 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: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. 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. 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. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. 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. (KSAs must be clearly reflected in resume under description of duties in order to be found qualified for this position/grade level). GS11: 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-09 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, 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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. (KSAs must be clearly reflected in resume under description of duties in order to be found qualified for this position/grade level). Preferred Experience: Experience working with an interdisciplinary team Experience working with person diagnosed with serve mental illness Experience with crisis intervention References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. 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: May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing.

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 Alexandria VA Medical Center 2495 Shreveport Highway Pineville, LA 71360 US
• Name: Teri Bankhead
• Phone: 2057719942
• Email: [email protected]