The Battle Creek VA Medical Center's Social Work Service is hiring an Outpatient Social Worker to serve in the Transitional Care and Specialty section.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Description: This position has responsibility for the provisions of social work within assigned segments of the Pain Clinic. The Social Worker assigned to the pain team will partner with other interdisciplinary staff, i.e. physical therapists, providers, etc. in a coordinated approach to multimodal chronic pain management within the Pain Management Team. This treatment approach will teach Veterans core nonpharmacological strategies for chronic pain management to help them improve their overall functioning, well-being and quality of life. Duties: 1. Clinical Functions: Work in cohort with the AMP Physical Therapist to lead the AMP program and provide evidence-based treatment intervention as an integrated team to Veterans with chronic pain. Perform assessments and develop clinically driven treatment goals which will be recorded on the Pain Clinic treatment plan. These goals will be developed with the input of the Veteran in order to meet their psychosocial needs. The incumbent will review for social determinants of health and refer appropriately when resources and support are needed. Practice within the framework of the Stepped Care Model of Pain Management in contributing to system-wide, patient-centered, biopsychosocial pain care with other facility interdisciplinary team members. Participate in functions of the interdisciplinary Pain Management Team, including but not limited to, evaluation and follow-up of patients with complex pain conditions. Serve on the facility Pain Management Committee, which provides oversight, coordination and monitoring of pain management activities and processes to facilitate implementation of the VHA Pain Management Strategy, in compliance with evidence-based standards of pain care and requirements of external accrediting bodies. Collaborate with key facility stakeholders to develop and implement programs to expand the provision of evidence-based psychotherapies, including but not limited to, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for chronic pain. Assess the Veteran's understanding of their diagnosis and proposed treatment. Provide education/instruction on those diagnoses and proposed treatment. Provide education on coping strategies and nonpharmaceutical intervention. Provide referrals to community agencies that may assist in the Veteran's treatment. Link Veterans with appropriate support groups and educational programs. Facilitate discussions with the Veteran's family regarding diagnosis, treatment and supports available. Address the impact of the Veteran's pain on the family system. Assist with case management tasks, including by not limited to, transportation, benefits, coordination of care between the Veteran's Pain Clinic Team and PACT team. Provide education to medical providers, mental health providers and other VA staff in general in regard to the Pain Clinic and roles associated with the treatment of Veterans in the Pain Clinic. 2. Administrative Functions: Is willing to serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility as deemed appropriate by leadership Is mindful of keeping their supervisor apprised of problems and recommended solutions to problems encountered in the incumbent's area of responsibility. Will enter all Veteran contact, including with Veteran's stakeholders, in the electronic medical record using appropriate formats and templates. Information will be entered in a complete, confidential and professional manner. Will attend all appropriate staff meetings to include, but not limited to, interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, Social Work team meetings, Social Work supervision meetings, the Pain Committee meeting, and other committee and workgroups, as appropriate. Will participate in activities that obtain feedback from Veterans and the work place, in order to enhance services. Is responsible for furthering one's own professional growth through continuing education and for ensuring continuing education appropriate to the area of assignment. Is able to provide assistance with the orientation and learning of less experienced social workers and, if interested, to serve as a field instructor for social work students. Demonstrates knowledge and skill in the use of software applications for drafting documents and data management as well as other computer systems Is able to 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 Other duties as assigned as determined by the direct supervisor, Chief of Social Work Service and/or the Executive Leadership Work Schedule: Mon-Fr 8:00-4:30 Telework: This position regularly teleworks 1-2 days per pay period. Availability of telework is at the supervisor's discretion and may require a probationary period. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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. 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. 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. Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Current employees 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). Creditable Experience. The candidate must have knowledge of current professional social work practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional social work practice. The experience or education must be post-Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree. Experience and education satisfying this requirement must be active professional practice, which is paid/non-paid employment as a professional social worker, as defined by the appropriate state licensing board. Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a master's degree in social work and if it includes work as a professional social worker directly related to the position to be filled. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to social work experience at the next lower level. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time work week. For example, one week of full-time credit is equivalent to two weeks of part-time work. Fellowships or Post-Graduate Training. Fellowship and post-graduate training programs are typically in a specialized area of clinical practice, i.e., group or family practice. Training as a fellow or post-graduate may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for-year basis. Practicum in a VA Setting. A VHA practicum experience may not be substituted for experience, as the practicum (field placement) is completed prior to graduation with a master's degree in social work. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker, 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. 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: (a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. (b) 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. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 September 10, 2019 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

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 Battle Creek VA Medical Center 5500 Armstrong Road Battle Creek, MI 49037 US
• Name: Alexander Phillips
• Phone: 317-681-4780
• Email: [email protected]