PLEASE READ THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY BEFORE BEGINNING THE APPLICATION PROCESS TO ENSURE YOU SUBMIT ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS. This Job Opportunity Announcement will be used to fill a Social Worker Inpatient Medical / Surgical GS-0185-9/11 position in Social Work Service at the Cheyenne VA Health Care System, Cheyenne, WY. Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf

Duties

The primary duties of the Social Worker Inpatient Medical / Surgical care are to provide direct clinical care, including care coordination and discharge planning, for Veterans admitted to the Cheyenne VA Medical Center. The incumbent is an integral member of the Interdisciplinary Treatment Team (IDTT), working to ensure the Veteran transitions efficiently from an inpatient level of care to the appropriate level of care (e.g. outpatient with home health care, acute or sub-acute rehab, or extended care facility). By involving and educating Veterans, families, or caregivers throughout the inpatient episode and discharge process, the incumbent works to optimize social supports available to the Veteran to promote maximum recovery and functioning. Major duties and responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to: Screening/Assessment - In conjunction with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker screens and assesses the veteran's psychosocial needs and barriers in order to facilitate his or her discharge from the hospital. Through collaborative relationships with the veteran, his or her family/caregiver and other VA programs and VA staff, the Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker coordinates the gathering of information vital to the process of setting appropriate discharge goals and discharge time frames. Assessment information may include, but is not limited to: Marital/family/social status Concern for abuse / neglect / financial exploitation Employment/financial status Use of entitlement programs Legal problems/issues Impact of medical problems on psychosocial functioning Strengths/Limitations Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - From screening/assessment information, the Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker determines realistic discharge goals that consider such factors as: Appropriate level of discharge care Setting conducive to providing such care Need for post-discharge interventions to enhance caregiver support to allow for the least restrictive level of care Transportation options/barriers Steps to obtaining resources (VA or community) that make the transition from the inpatient setting successful By collaborating with the medical teams, the Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will anticipate problems in the discharge flow process and intercede proactively to coordinate timely discharges. Referral to service providers - To facilitate the continuity of a veteran's recovery, the Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will arrange referrals to needed VA and/or community resources (e.g., home health care, assisted living facilities, extended care facilities/nursing homes, services available through area agencies on aging, community support groups, hospice care, community-based extended care). The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will collaborate with other service providers in re-assessing the veteran's needs during the eligibility determination process, coordinating access to information needed for the referral. Additionally, the Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will educate the veteran and/or caregiver about the available services and their shared responsibility in accessing such services. The veteran's preferences or that of his or her surrogate decision-maker will be considered throughout the referral and care coordination process. Resource Usage/Development - As a developing subject matter expert on the services and resources available to veterans through both VA and the community, the Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will monitor patterns of resource availability, identifying unmet needs and the resultant impact on the veteran's transition from the inpatient hospital setting. Crisis Intervention - The Medical Social Worker will assess and intervene in any medical or psychiatric crises presented by the veteran and participate in developing crisis management and safety plans to minimize the event of future crises. The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will work collaboratively with other disciplines on complex cases (i.e. the Mental Health Team). CCICM duties - The incumbent is a lead member of the Care Coordination & Integrated Case Management (CCICM) initiative, serving on the Care Coordination Review Team (CCRT). The incumbent identifies Veterans with frequent admissions, social admissions, or complex issues pertaining to unresolved Social Determinants of Health that would benefit from assignment of a Lead Coordinator (LC). Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Telework: This position is not eligble for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 56556-O, 56557-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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: 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 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 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. Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. 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: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. 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. 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. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. 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. NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to the paragraph above. OR 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: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. 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. 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. 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. 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. Preferred Experience: Medical Social Work, Discharge Planning, Case Management, Crisis Intervention, and prior inpatient medicine experience. 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 in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies such as papers, books, or small parts. The incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others.

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 Cheyenne VA Medical Center 2360 East Pershing Boulevard Cheyenne, WY 82001 US
• Name: Carrie Konowicz
• Phone: 303-202-8633
• Email: [email protected]