Social Worker serves as a core member of the interdisciplinary Hospice treatment teams which are specialized programs located in Geriatrics and Extended Care with social work position organizationally under Care Management and Social Work Service (CMSWS). Primarily serves Veterans/Caregivers who would normally receive their care from the Amarillo VA Health Care System (AVAHCS) or community hospice programs.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The Social Worker works in the Hospice/Palliative Care Program to provide comprehensive psychosocial interventions and case management services to Veterans with complex medical, social and behavioral conditions in which routine clinic-based care is not effective. Patients served under the Hospice/Palliative Program typically are those who have impaired mobility due to disability or functional limitation, inability to cope with the clinic environment due to cognitive, physical, or psychiatric impairment, and the need for frequent coordinated interventions from multiple disciplines. Incumbent utilizes independent practice skills, knowledge, and judgment in developing and measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services and utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. Coordination of specialized psychosocial services and programs is also provided. The Social Worker possesses specialized knowledge of practice typically related to terminal, chronically ill and/or elderly Veterans. provides a comprehensive psychosocial assessment and integrate it into an overall plan of care in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members and significant others, whenever possible. The goal of the assessment is to highlight the Veteran's strengths, limitations, and internal/external supports and service needs to optimize the Veteran's functional status and safely maintain the Veteran in his/her home. The assessment requires a home visit. It is the responsibility of the social worker, working within the interdisciplinary treatment team to develop a treatment plan with the Veteran based on this assessment. possesses practice skills to independently make a psychosocial diagnosis and offer psychosocial interventions, and then measures outcomes to interventions participates in weekly interdisciplinary care planning meetings. Ongoing assessments and updating treatment plans are done when necessary or on a quarterly basis given the changing needs as health status changes. Social workers will address the unique needs of Veterans who are homebound, frail, chronically disabled and/or at end of life. coordinates community-based services, from a wide spectrum of available resources requiring a broad knowledge base. facilitates and prioritizes referrals based upon Veterans needs and eligibility. provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer Veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs. identifies and prioritizes high-risk patients and provides case management services. provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members. Has working knowledge and experience in use 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. establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and their families. Incumbent independently works with Veterans and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems utilizing individual, group and family counseling skills. Makes rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans to maintain patient in the home, or facilitate admission to acute, short term and/or long-term placements. utilizes necessary skills, professional judgment and expertise regarding the Veteran's self-care capability, family support system, and the Veteran's health care needs and possible consequences. In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, staff will follow the protocol of the Hospice/Palliative Care Programs. provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of Veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment plan. evaluates practice through professional peer review, case conferences and other organizational means. Incumbent communicates effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. uses word-processing, data management and other computer systems, especially those programs in use by VHA. Duties are continued in the education section of this announcement: Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Not Available 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

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 with community outreach and engagement experience working in an inpatient medical setting advanced care planning experience effective communication skills experience working with a multidisciplinary team 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 Accreditation Directory | CSWE, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.


Duties Continued:

• provides the Veterans and their caregivers with ongoing supportive counseling utilizing the knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities. The purpose of such counseling is to deal with the psychosocial impact to Veterans/family members coping with chronic/disabling illness (es), onset of a catastrophic illness and/or dying, need for non- institutional or institutional services as needed during the course of the Veteran's enrollment in the Hospice/Palliative Care Programs.
• enters 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 ensure information on the patient is shared with other VA staff.
• establishes and maintains positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies.
• collaborates in the performance improvement processes and support performance measures as required by the VA for their specialized population and/or program
• is accountable and assigned administrative responsibility for clinical social work program development and effectiveness, to enhance or modify services as needed based on program effectiveness outcome data, performance monitors, and client feedback. This may include coverage responsibilities in the absence of other staff to ensure timely access and coordination of care.
• serves as a subject matter expert to colleagues, providing professional opinions and support for psychosocial treatment of this complex population when consulted.
• serves as a mentor to other Social Workers, particularly those at the entry level, and may provide field instruction for graduate-level social workers if deemed appropriate by the Social Work Executive.

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]