The Hospice and Palliative Care Senior Social Worker is an independent professional specialized social worker assigned to Geriatrics and Extended Care Service and aligned with the Palliative Care Consult team at the Sacramento VA Medical Center on inpatient acute care and intensive care units, in the Emergency department (ED), in the outpatient palliative care clinics, and on the Behavioral Health Intensive Care Unit (BHICU).

Duties

Work Schedule: Full Time; Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency Telework: Telework authorized per Agency policy; this is not a remote or virtual position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required The Senior Social Worker performs specialized treatment, case management, and collaboration of care with the medical and community providers involved in providing care to Veterans. The incumbent serves on an interdisciplinary team and must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of veterans with complex physical and mental symptoms resulting from serious and life-limiting illnesses. The incumbent's duties include but are not limited to completion of thorough biopsychosocial assessments, provision of case-management for patients with ongoing palliative care needs, referral and coordination of services and resources, supportive counseling for patients and their families, conducting goals of-care discussions, coordinating hospice referrals and placement into skilled nursing facilities or residential care facilities, acting as liaison with community hospice partners, providing counseling and assistance with advance directives, and palliative care program development. Duties for the position may include but are not limited to: Incorporation of complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment in Veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Provision of individual, group and family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level case management interventions used in the treatment of veterans with complex medical and psychiatric disorders in either an inpatient or outpatient basis. Participation as an active member of the inpatient and outpatient Palliative Care interdisciplinary treatment teams to provide social work interventions to Veterans and/or their families to meet treatment goals within the context of their goals of care. Development and implementation of a bereavement support program, in conjunction with the Chaplain service, for the families of veterans who die at the Sacramento VA Medical Center. Participation in active case finding for the inpatient and outpatient Palliative Care services. Provision of training, consultation and education to other treatment teams, staff members, and the community at large regarding hospice and palliative services, and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Helping the Veteran cope with end-of-life or complex chronic illness diagnoses and assessment of treatment options and when appropriate, making referrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of the surrogate decision-maker. Supporting end-of-life planning/care preferences through assistance with advance directives and completion of goals of care conversations. Making rapid assessments and developing management plans in periods of crisis for Veterans and their families. Providing education and referrals where appropriate related to the patient's VA, Social Security, disability benefits, and community resources. Referral to and coordination of hospice care services including facilitation of Community Care referrals. Having knowledge of and making referrals to a wide range of community services, including Medical Foster Homes, group and family care homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Adult Day Health Care programs, Contract Nursing Homes, Community Living Centers, residential care homes, and inpatient and outpatient hospice services. Participation in specialty hospital committee meetings and initiatives. Acting as the representative and liaison of Hospice and Palliative Care from the facility to the greater community and acting as an advocate to serve the best interests of the Veteran, family, and caregiver. Other duties as assigned. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and may be posted up to September 30, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be December 13, 2023, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st and 15th of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

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. 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. 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. English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. 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: GS-12 Senior Social Worker 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard, GS-0185, Veterans Health Administration, dated September 10, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is 12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12 Physical Requirements: Hearing required (aids permitted).

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 VA Northern California Health Care System 10535 Hospital Way Mather, CA 95655 US
• Name: Allison Hoffman
• Phone: 304-350-2062
• Email: [email protected]