The Social Worker is under the immediate supervision of the Chief, Case Management and Social Work (CMSW) or designee. CMSW is a multi-disciplinary staff service that serves a wide diversity of outpatient and inpatient Veterans with a variety of needs and issues. The Social Worker is a member of this multidisciplinary team and will participate in all aspects of social work and case management services as applicable and appropriate.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The Social Worker will perform a variety of case management and service assignments which requires specialized knowledge in completing biopsychosocial assessments, goal setting/treatment planning, CMI assessments, advanced directives, PACT, medical/inpatient social work, discharge planning, VA programs, community resources, and making appropriate referrals. The position requires an individual with comprehensive professional competence and judgment. Consultation with members of the outpatient interdisciplinary team is provided in order to coordinate a collaborative effort to meet the agreed upon goals for the Veteran's treatment needs and include liaison with community professionals regarding needed services for Veterans, their families, and/or caregivers. Working with various patient populations include, but are not limited to homeless services, Hospice Services, Community Living Center, Home Health services, Behavioral Health, financial resources, VA benefits, and transportation services. Duties include: - Screening/Assessment- The social worker will complete an assessment of the Veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members and significant others. The goal of the assessment is to identify needs and formulate a plan to meet those needs. The social worker will demonstrate an understanding of the range of treatment and skills needed for all adult Veterans including geriatric Veterans related to their physical limitations, psychological needs and age associated illnesses and conditions. It is the responsibility of the Social Worker, working within the interdisciplinary treatment team, to share in the development of a treatment plan with the Veteran based on this assessment. - Treatment Planning/Goal- Setting- The Social Worker is responsible for contributing to the development of the treatment plan and setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran and family members/caregiver. - Referral to service providers- Throughout the course of treatment, the Social Worker is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources. The Social Worker will collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs. The Social Worker is responsible for educating the Veteran and family members/caregivers of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate rereferrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of his surrogate decision-maker. - Resource Usage/Development- The social Worker is responsible for using the current Social Work resource file of VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of Veterans. The Social Worker will refer the Veteran to needed services. - Advocacy- The Social Worker understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and the family members/caregiver. When appropriate and feasible, the Social Worker will educate and encourage the Veteran to advocate on his/her own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. - Crisis Intervention- The Social Worker is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans. The Social Worker has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis. In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, staff will follow the protocol of his/her respective clinic and facility at AVAHCS. - Education/Health promotion and prevention- The Social Worker provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer Veterans and family members/caregiver to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs. - Coordination of non-institutional and institutional services- The Social Worker will review the progress notes from the other providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of each Veteran. The Social Worker will educate the Veteran, their family members/caregiver and the team of all the options available to them and will collaborate with the Veterans and family members/caregiver on the preferred option. Duties are continued in the Education Section of this announcement. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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. HPTs who are on track to graduate/complete the requirements should respond as if they have met the requirements. Provide details in the narrative sections of the assessment. 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. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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 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. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. 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. 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). Preferred Experience: experience working with a multidisciplinary team highly organized and able to manage time effectively experience completing assignments and other social work- related documentation effective communication skills experience and assessing for suicide risk and other high- risk behaviors Grade Determinations: GS-9 Social Worker: Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. (b) Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. (c) Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. (e) Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. Individuals assigned as GS-9 grade level social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised, as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification. Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience. GS-11 Social Worker: 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. 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. This is the full performance level. Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. Incumbents are assigned to all program areas, including but not limited to: inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. 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 The full performance level for this vacancy is GS-11. The grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-9 or GS-11. Reference: VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

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.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

If your school was accredited by CSWE at the time of graduation, but is no longer listed on the CSWE website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.


Duties Continued:
- Supportive counseling- The Social Worker will provide the Veterans and their family members/caregivers with ongoing supportive counseling. The purpose of such counseling is to deal with the psychosocial impact of coping with illnesses which are chronic and/or disabling.
- Administrative responsibilities- The Social Worker will enter all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates. This information will be entered in a complete, confidential and professional manner to insure information on the patient is shared with other VA staff. The information will be reviewed on a regular basis. The Social Worker will establish and maintain positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies. The Social Worker will attend all appropriate staff meetings (interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, Social Work staff meetings, Social Work supervision meeting, and other committees and workgroups, as appropriate) and perform other duties as required. The Social Worker will collaborate in the performance improvement processes and comply with performance measures as required by the VA for their specific population and/or program. The Social Worker will participate in activities that obtain feedback from clients and work to enhance services as needed.

Contacts

• Address Thomas E Creek VA Medical Center 6010 Amarillo Boulevard, West Amarillo, TX 79106 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]