You are expected to accept and support the guiding principles of the Medical Center. Performs assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, outstanding customer service, and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving veterans. Actively supports the team concept and functions as a team player. Contributes to team initiatives and continuously strives to improve the effectiveness of the team.

Duties

Social Work Support: The Social Work Associate will provide services in accordance with his/her limited scope of duties as outlined in the position description. The incumbent provides services to selected cases as referred by the appropriate team members with the Veteran Aligned Care Team (PACT) and functions as a Community Resource Specialist (CRS). S/he expedites treatments and implements objectives for the Veteran providing total social services to selected cases in which goals can be achieved by use of the knowledge, skills, abilities, in which s/he has been trained. Helping Veterans fill out applications/paperwork, forms (including but not limited to Advance Directives paperwork), gathering information, handling details around case management/care coordination including Veterans benefits, Medicaid applications, assisted living facilities and contract community nursing home placement. Initiating home health services, Community Adult Day Health Care services, etc. and collecting information including contact information about the Veteran's significant others are typical tasks. May conduct screenings as applicable. Completing necessary paperwork, providing support to the family and the Veteran as they struggle with the factors associated with a debilitating illness, are also typical tasks. Some of the principle duties and responsibilities of this position include: ambulatory care/specialty care social services, social work support, and case management/care coordination follow-up. Provides those services that support the clinical treatment or case management/care coordination responsibilities. Such supportive services may include: acquiring or following up on the acquisition of documents, reports, or information needed for social work treatment; making telephone calls or personal contacts on behalf of social workers to providers, nurses, families, community nursing home personnel, community agencies, significant others; follow-up with Business Office, veteran service organizations and community agencies regarding referrals to VA and community providers. In routine case management/care coordination cases, the incumbent takes full responsibility for execution of tasks in support of psychosocial needs. Care Coordination: Upon referral, the Social Work Associate interviews the Veteran or the Veteran's caregiver either face to face or by telephone to assess the need and develop a Veteran centered plan to meet the identified needs. The Social Work Associate independently, or in consultation with a social worker, provides or obtains information (including interviewing Veterans and families), and arranges for services which support the care plan. Other Duties Documents all Social Work Associate activities in the Veteran's medical record in accordance with service and Medical Center policies. Investigates community resources and makes information about them available to social work staff. Keeps abreast of changes in the referral procedures for community services and makes social work staff aware of the new procedures. Participates in program planning and in the development of sound working relationships with Medical Center personnel, community agencies, and other governmental and community agencies. Social Work Associates will primarily be expected to: interview people to establish the nature and extent of their problems, assist in deciding the appropriate course of action, providing the services indicated in their scope, and providing follow-up to ensure continuity of care. Other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. Position Description/PD#: Social Worker Associate/PD99890-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/04/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in major fields of study such as: social welfare, sociology, psychology, public administration, philosophy, education, anthropology, history, economics and/or English AND Experience: Two years of experience as a social welfare worker or social work assistant in a voluntary, public, social, or health agency which must have included one year in a medical setting. Specialized experience is experience in a program of direct social welfare services that required the application of program policy and operations knowledge in providing social welfare services and/or assisting social workers; performing a wide variety of duties in support of professional social workers; providing assistance and services as prescribed for individual cases by social workers in conjunction with professional treatment; interviewing patients and others for informational or service purposes; handling selected referrals to social and health facilities; obtaining and compiling data and similar types of work. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationCustomer ServiceInterpersonal Skills Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work involves sitting, standing, and walking and is carried out within the confines of the office/work space provided. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

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 San Juan VA Medical Center 10 Calle Casia San Juan, PR 00921 US
• Name: Caitlin Sprayberry
• Phone: 901-633-8005
• Email: [email protected]