The Social Worker is assigned to Social Work Service line at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center or a Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) and will provide Social Work Services. Social Worker promoted 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 social work (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.

Duties

Functions of Position: A. Clinical Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - The Social Worker is responsible for contributing to the development of the treatment plan and setting achievable and measurable treatment goals with the Veteran, family members/significant others and other Social Work Clinical staff. The social worker must facilitate discharge planning through collaboration with Veteran and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate discharge plans are executed in a timely manner. Tele-Mental Health - The social worker may be required to conduct screenings, assessments, treatment planning, goal setting, supportive counseling, group therapy, and individual therapy for Veterans via the V-Tel system for patients at other CBOCs or in the home. The incumbent must learn to use the V-Tel equipment. 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 services the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. When appropriate and feasible, the Social Worker will educate and encourage the Veteran to advocate on him/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 for admission to Mental Health inpatient programs. 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 mental health unit/program and Carl Vinson VA Medical Center. 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/significant others to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs. Coordinator 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/significant other and the teams of all the options available to them and will collaborate with the Veteran and family members/significant others on the preferred option and facilitate discharge planning. Case management - The social worker must possess skills and knowledge to provide case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care. The social worker must be able to review social work consults in a timely manner and scheduling appropriate social work services as needed or when referred. Therapy - The social worker will be equipped to utilize clinical treatment modalities both in individual and group settings including Evidence-Based Psychotherapy (EBP) approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Acceptance/Commitment Therapy (ACT), Problem-Solving Therapy (PST), etc. The social worker will attend VA EBP trainings as availability of such trainings allows. B. Administrative The social worker is responsible for supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veteran affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facility. 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 ensure information on the Veteran is shared with other VA staff. This 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 (i.e. Team meeting, Social Work staff meetings, Social Work Supervision meetings, committee meetings, work groups, MHC staff meetings, etc. 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. Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Regular telework 3+ days per pay period Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55061F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. 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 (MSW) 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. Please note: A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work. Licensure. 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 in accordance with VA Regulations. 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). Must pass a background check. Grade Requirements: GS-11 Social Worker Assignments. This is the full performance level for social workers. GS-11 social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. They are assigned to all program areas, including inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area. 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 social work (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. OR, In addition to meeting basic requirements, 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below. Demonstrated 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. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-11. Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary. There is some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers, files, manuals and records. For additional information on Physical Standards please see VA Directive and Handbook 5019. http://www.va.gov/vapubs/

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 Carl Vinson VA Medical Center 1826 Veterans Boulevard Dublin, GA 31021 US
• Name: Jenna McCarthy
• Email: [email protected]