This position is located at the Lebanon VA Medical Center. The Social Worker directs the Whole Health & Patient Centered Care (WH &PCC) system; Services include provision of expertise in health coaching, patient centered care, clinical services, and education throughout the agency. These programs are accomplished in collaboration with other members of the interdisciplinary treatment team.

Duties

The major duties of the position include, but are not limited to: The incumbent oversees the implementation and coordination of patient-centered care initiatives to facilitate an environment that improves the delivery of care in a planned and systematic fashion. The incumbent: - Coordinates the development and implementation of the patient-centered care concept throughout the organization. Uses individual and aggregate needs assessments, standards of professional practice, and strategic plans in the process of program development. - Develops clinics and systems (including documentation templates) required for the delivery of Whole Health Veteran services to include, but not limited to), coaching and veteran education courses. - Leads, facilitates, and evaluates system changes that support meeting performance measure goals and thus effective patient outcomes. - Acts as a consultant in patient-centered care principles and performance measures. - Effectively uses group process, interpersonal, and communication skills to facilitate win-win outcomes in a positive and productive working environment. - Uses knowledge, expertise, principles or models, and current research to plan, implement, and evaluate organizational progress towards accomplishing patient-centered care initiatives. Also uses data trends and patterns which indicate need for change. - Serves as the liaison between the medical center, patients and staff, and the community regarding the patient experience, patient rights and advocacy. - Leads the Whole Health Information Center supporting the center to provide robust Whole Health Veteran Education and Coaching services. The incumbent has advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Incumbent performs specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Incumbent incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Incumbent demonstrates the ability to determine priority for services and provide specialized treatment services. The incumbent has advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management interventions used in the treatment of all veterans. Develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the medical specialty areas utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. Incumbent is able to demonstrate the ability to design changes based on empirical findings. Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications. The incumbent will also be involved in providing psycho-educational classes, Whole Health courses, leading Veteran Orientation and specific educational courses, psychotherapeutic support groups, as well as individual psychotherapy opportunities when determined appropriate in relation to disease adjustment. The incumbent will conduct psychosocial assessments and develop clinically driven treatment plans which will be developed with the Veteran's input in order to assist him/her in meeting their needs.The incumbent may do so supporting Veteran's educational and Whole Health needs. The incumbent will assist Veterans in identifying disability resources, initiating applications, obtaining medical information and follow up paperwork as needed or appropriate. The incumbent will provide education to medical providers, mental health providers and staff in general regarding the role of the social worker in all stated programs. The incumbent evaluates his/her practice on an on-going basis through participation in professional peer review, case conferences, research studies, or other organized means. Is active in and accepts responsibility for the development and maintenance of professional standards of treatment. The Social Worker will fulfill ethical responsibilities to Veterans, colleagues and VA in accordance with relevant discipline Code of Ethics, VHA Code of Ethics, and local Ethics policies, which includes but is not limited to compliance with all laws and regulations related to confidentiality and release of information, and protecting Veterans' personal identifying information. Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4:00pm, Monday - Friday Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: PD000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/08/2024. 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/. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Grade Determinations: Social Worker (Service Chief), GS-13 Experience and Education: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. The chief social work service must evidence possession of supervisory and management skills. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency skills and judgment. May have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. Licensure/Certification: Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in administrative and supervisory duties which includes personnel actions, clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments, and quality improvement. Skill in applying legal, ethical, and professional standards applicable to social work practice. Skill in developing, maintaining, and managing social work services in all settings. Ability to ensure compliance with social work practice, policy, and accreditation standards across the continuum of health care. Skill in providing consultation to facility leadership, managers, and other staff on social work qualification standards, practice, competency, productivity, and continuing education requirements. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005, PART II, APPENDIX G39. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve active listening, reading, observing, and evaluating verbal and nonverbal behavior, walking, speaking, writing clinical notes, using office equipment such as computers, telephones, fax, photocopy machines. This position is primarily sedentary in nature.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.

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 Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 South Lincoln Avenue Lebanon, PA 17042 US
• Name: Evan Lynch
• Phone: 3152439074
• Email: [email protected]