Incumbent serves as a mental health provider in the Hines VA Mental Health Intake Center/Acute Recovery Center providing mental health services to Veterans using traditional face-to-face or telehealth modalities. Services include completing mental health assessments, making treatment recommendations, providing evidence based treatment, provision of high quality case management, advocacy, and coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Duties include but are not limited to: Screening/Assessment - The social worker will develop 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 highlight the veteran's strengths, limitations, and internal/external supports and service needs in order to optimize the veteran's functional status. The incumbent demonstrates an understanding of the range of treatment and skills needed for all adult patients including geriatric patients related to their physical limitations, psychological needs and age associated illnesses and conditions. The incumbent must have an understanding of the problems of advancing age and respect for the diversification of the aging veteran population, being sensitive to human growth and development, age-appropriate needs and concerns of the geriatric veteran, and be able to provide current and advanced techniques to the treatment of this veteran population. 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. The initial assessment will be completed by the time of the veteran's third visit for Mental Health Services. A reassessment is required annually or more frequently if there is a change in the patient's life plan. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting- The social worker is responsible for developing the treatment plan, and setting achievable treatment goals with the veteran/family. The treatment plan will be completed by the patient's third visit for mental health services. 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/or caregiver of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals 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. Advocacy- Social worker understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the veteran/family. When appropriate and feasible, social worker will educate and encourage the veteran/family to advocate on own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. Crisis Intervention - Social worker is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission to mental health inpatient programs. Social worker has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis. Education/Health promotion and prevention - Social worker 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. 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 being referred for mental health services. Social worker will educate the veteran, their families and the team of all the options available to them and will collaborate with the veteran and family on the preferred option. Supportive counseling - Social worker will provide the veterans and their caregivers with ongoing supportive counseling. The purpose of such counseling is to deal with the psychosocial impact of coping with chronic/disabling illness (es), onset of a catastrophic illness. Social worker will spend 40% of time in the ARC program providing group and individual therapy to Veterans who often experience suicidal ideation and may have had a recent attempt. Knowledge and experience providing individual and group therapy is preferred. Administrative responsibilities - The social worker will enter all veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates. Clinical Telehealth Services- The Social Worker utilizes clinical video telehealth (CVT) equipment to facilitate patient access to care via that technology. The Social Worker is able to use equipment effectively and can perform basic troubleshooting techniques. The Social Worker is aware of how to access technical resources when needed. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 730-400 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. 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). 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 http://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. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: Social Worker, GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following 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. Social Worker, GS-11 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. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 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. References: VHA Handbook 5005 PART II Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. SW Service is committed to developing and preserving a culture of diversity, inclusion and acceptance and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply

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 Edward Hines Junior Hospital 5000 South 5th Avenue Hines, IL 60141 US
• Name: Vanessa Houliston
• Phone: 725-210-2766
• Email: [email protected]