Senior Social Worker whose duties and responsibilities are assigned to the care management of veterans in the Community Nursing Home (CNH) Programs. Responsibilities include the management, coordination and provision of social work services to veteran and their families in community settings. Senior Social Worker will participate in regular multidisciplinary inspections of CNH faculties to ensure that veterans placed in these settings are receiving appropriate psychosocial services.

Duties

A Senior Social Worker provides comprehensive psychosocial and case management services to veterans placed in community nursing homes. Veterans in the CNH Program typically have histories of complicated by other medical illnesses and/or serious mental illness. The incumbent has a working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. The incumbent continuously assesses and monitors the medical, psychiatric condition, and behavior of veterans in the CNH program through bi- monthly oversight visits to determine the veterans' ongoing adjustment to the facility and/or program. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: Independently work with veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems. Participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team by collaborating with treatment team members in the mental health clinic, primary care clinic, and inpatient units when veterans are readmitted to the medical center for stabilization of psychiatric or medical conditions. The incumbent must actively participate through collaboration with veterans and family as well as residential care sponsors and interdisciplinary treatment team members in the development and implementation of a resident centered treatment plan. Possess a working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology. Facilitate discharge planning through collaboration with veterans and their families, as well as, facility staff and interdisciplinary treatment team members when veterans in the CNH Program are identified as needing alternative placement or when veterans request return to independent community living. Serve as a liaison between Veterans, their families, residential care sponsors and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of services. Possess knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families. provide consultation and education to Veterans, their families, and residential care sponsors regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives. Knowledge of the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community programs. Responsible for furthering one's own professional growth through continuing education and for ensuring continuing education appropriate to the area of assignment. Maintain a level of productivity and quality consistent with the complexity of the assignment and consistent with Social Work standards, Joint Commission standards, and facility standards. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Not Eligible Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Senior Social Worker, GS-0185-12 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU

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: 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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. Experience: The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Licensure/ Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. 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: Senior Social Worker, GS-0185-12 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management. (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. (c) Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. (d) Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills. (e) Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor and are generally sedentary in nature but may require occasional travel. Physical activity involves sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping, climbing stairs, and carrying light items such as papers, books or other supplies. The incumbent uses a computer and standard office equipment to complete tasks. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with the Veteran/Patient population and their families/caregivers. A level of self-awareness 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 Memphis VA Medical Center 1030 Jefferson Avenue Memphis, TN 38104 US
• Name: Sharkita Thompson
• Phone: 6158738845
• Email: [email protected]