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 PACT Senior Social Worker conducts psychosocial screens and/or assessments of the Veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members, and significant others. The purpose of the assessment is to understand the Veteran's situation, presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the Veteran's level of functioning and health as part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment that highlights the Veteran's strengths, limitations, risk factors, acuity levels, and internal/external supports and service needs in order to optimize the Veteran's functional status. The initial assessment will be completed as specified by the policy for the assigned work area. After the initial patient assessment, reassessments may also be required as defined in policy. It is the responsibility of the incumbent, working with the interdisciplinary treatment team, to develop a treatment plan with the Veteran based on this assessment. The PACT Senior Social Worker uses advanced knowledge and mastery of theories and modalities required for the treatment of complex medical, behavioral, and psychosocial health care needs of Veterans in the above assigned clinics and specialty care programs. The incumbent works closely with Veterans to identify and support their preferences in care and personal treatment goals, and offers resources and support tailored to the uniquely expressed needs and desires of the Veteran. PACT Senior Social Worker serves as the key link for education and psychosocial support for Veterans, families, and caregivers across the continuum of care. The PACT Senior Social Worker uses advanced knowledge and mastery of theories and modalities required for the complex medical, behavioral, and psychosocial health care case management and care coordination needs of needs of Veterans with medical and behavioral diagnoses and conditions. The incumbent provides intensive and comprehensive psychosocial case management and care coordination across episodes of care. The incumbent provides specialized clinical case management and care coordination centered on diagnosis and disorder-specific education, treatment, care continuum, symptom management, and self-care. The incumbent acts as a health coach by proactively supporting the Veteran to optimize treatment interventions and outcomes. The PACT Senior Social Worker assists in identifying the health education needs of Veterans and their families or caregivers and works with the interdisciplinary team to develop a plan to address health education needs. The incumbent provides specialized health and psychosocial education services to the Veteran, family, and/or caregivers. Education services include, but are not limited to, disease education, diagnosis and treatment options, acute symptom management, chronic disease management, medication, health promotion and self-care interventions, VA and community resources, benefits and entitlements, and Advance Health Care Planning (Advanced Directives, Living Wills, Power of Attorney for Health Care, and related documents). For specialized health education outside of the incumbent's scope of practice, the incumbent will refer Veterans and/or families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs. The PACT Senior Social Worker collaborates with other disciplines involved in providing specialty care to ensure the best possible care services and outcomes. The incumbent is a key member of the interdisciplinary treatment team, and regularly confers and consults with other team members on treatment issues and on provision of health care services. The incumbent participates in case presentation and conceptualization. The incumbent facilitates patient and caregiver conferences. The PACT Senior Social Worker accepts additional and special assignments that are related to meet program goals or client needs. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0800-1630 Telework: Ad Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 53860-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required EDRP is authorized

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. 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. 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/. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. 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: Experience/Education 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. 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. 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. 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. Preferred Experience: References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is 12. Physical Requirements: The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

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 Fort Harrison VA Medical Center 3687 Veterans Drive Fort Harrison, MT 59636 US
• Name: Rodney Riggleman
• Phone: (210) 980-9493
• Email: [email protected]