The Boise VA Medical Center Behavioral Health Service provides extensive care in outpatient, inpatient, residential, and community settings. General Outpatient Social Workers or Specialty Outpatient Social Workers are assigned to one or more Patient Aligned Care Clinics and/or specialty programs such as Oncology, Non-Institutional Care, or Behavioral Health Outreach.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Provides social work services to Veterans, caregivers, family members, and significant others. Adjusts treatment plan if results are inadequate; meeting with clients to assess accomplishments and re-establish goals; developing and maintaining professional standards of service; and initiating and effecting changes in methods that will promote efficient practice. Conducts psychosocial screens and/or assessments of the Veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members, and significant others with a special focus on life-limiting and/or end-of-life illness. Conducts clinical reminders during clinic visits and, as needed, by telephone as clinic visit follow-ups. Incorporates multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice and can determine priority for services and provide specialized treatment services. Participates in the creation of the Veteran's treatment plan, with special attention to the psychosocial elements of the treatment plan and identifies needed psychosocial interventions as they relate to life-limiting illness or end-of-life. Uses knowledge and mastery of theories and modalities required for the complex medical, behavioral, and psychosocial health care case management and care coordination needs of needs of Veterans, with special attention to advance care planning and end-of-life. Acts as a health coach by proactively supporting the Veteran to optimize treatment interventions and outcomes. Provides specialized health and psychosocial education services to the Veteran, family, and/or caregivers. Ensure treatment summary and recommendations are communicated to the assigned interdisciplinary team and any involved specialty services, will facilitate transition of care to the PACT team or hospice team for continued care (as appropriate), and will work collaboratively with other VHA staff for warm hand-off of the patient's care for follow-up care. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday Virtual/Remote: This is not a virtual/remote position. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• The position requires that the incumbent must possess a valid driver's license
• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination programs are requirements for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov

Qualifications

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: Earned 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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). 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/ (Copy of license or certification required). 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. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. (a) 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. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. (b) A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. Grade Determinations: Social Worker GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure: The entry level is used for Social Workers with less than one year of post-master's degree experience or for Social Workers who are graduates, not yet licensed at the independent practice level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the basic requirements, the candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below: 1. Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. 5. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, including knowledge of addiction treatment and the recovery model, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. GS-11 Social Worker: Experience, Education and Licensure: Appointment 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) 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the basic requirements, the candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below: 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

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 Boise VA Medical Center 500 West Fort Street Boise, ID 83702 US
• Name: Aleric Dubbels
• Phone: 208-422-1363
• Email: [email protected]