The Social Worker (MSW) is assigned to Primary Care/Mental Health Integration Program and will be responsible for the management, coordination and development of social work services to Veterans and their families assigned to the clinic. Located at Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHCS). This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2024.

Duties

Major Duties: Will conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of Veterans and family members. An active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines Social Worker Will participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate. Will provide individual, family and group counseling as appropriate. Will provide consultation/education to Veterans and families on community resources, advance directives and VA benefits. Will act as a consultant to other team/staff members. Will provide consultation/education to medical residents on social work practice and VA policy and procedure. Will act as liaison between VA and community resources, to include marketing and public relation duties as needed. Will provide case management to Veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care. Will provide a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice which includes case work, individual, family and group counseling, discharge planning, case management and other services as appropriate. Will address Advance Directives and Organ Donation in accordance with the standards of their work area. Will provide wellness/prevention education and facilitate Patient/family support groups as appropriate. Will as appropriate, supervise the practice of social work students, or a less experienced social worker. Will coordinate treatment and communicate with the care lines to facilitate continuity of care for Veterans. Will participate in committee assignments, as deemed necessary by the service manager. Will maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with JCAHO, VA and medical center policy and procedures. Will assist patients and their significant others with coping and dealing with the loss and grief experiences in disability, terminal illness and death. Will document social work interventions and activities in patient's clinical record utilizing CPRS and ensure appropriate hand off when transferring of patient care. Will provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological), and the differential influences of the environment, society, and culture. All other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0800am -4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 619-252 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. 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). NOTE: Verification of the degree can be made by going to the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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 GS-11 Social Worker Grade Determinations: Experience, Education and Licensure:. Promotion to the GS-11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of 1 year of post-MSW degree experience in the field of health care work (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. OR A doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required 1 year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. AND In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge; Skills; and Abilities: 1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. 2. Ability to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed, in collaboration with the patient, family and interdisciplinary treatment team. 3. Ability to independently conduct psychosocial assessments and provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) and the differential influences of the environment, society and culture. 4. Knowledge and experience in the 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. 5. Knowledge of psychosocial treatment and ability to independently implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems to achieve treatment goals. This requires independent judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving or crisis intervention techniques. 6. Ability to independently provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups and families. Social workers must practice within the bounds of their license or certification. For example, some states may require social workers providing psychotherapy to have a clinical level of licensure. 7. Ability to provide consultation services to other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. Ability to provide orientation and coaching to new social workers and social work graduate students. Ability to serve as a field instructor for social work graduate students who are completing VHA field placements. 8. Ability to independently evaluate his/her own practice through participation in professional peer review case conferences, research studies, or other organized means. 9. Knowledge and skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, and tracking, especially those programs in use by VHA. References: VA Handbook 5005/23, Part II, Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Central Alabama VA Medical Center-Montgomery 215 Perry Hill Road Montgomery, AL 36109 US
• Name: Vincent Sykes
• Phone: 334-847-0947
• Email: [email protected]