The Social Work Associate serves in VISN 8 Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC), Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, West Palm Beach, FL.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties and responsibilities include: Social Work Support: Provides services in accordance with his/her limited scope of duties as outlined in the position description. Provides services to selected cases as referred by the appropriate team members with the Veteran Aligned Care Team (PACT) and functions as a Community Resource Specialist (CRS). Helps Veterans fill out applications/paperwork, forms (including but not limited to Advance Directives paperwork), gathering information, handling details around case management/care coordination including Veterans benefits, Medicaid applications, assisted living facilities and contract community nursing home placement. Initiates home health services, Community Adult Day Health Care services, etc. and collecting information including contact information about the Veteran's significant others are typical tasks. Conducts screenings as applicable. Completes necessary paperwork, providing support to the family and the Veteran as they struggle with the factors associated with a debilitating illness, are also typical tasks. Care Coordination: Interviews the Veteran or the Veteran's caregiver either face to face or by telephone to assess the need and develop a Veteran centered plan to meet the identified needs. Performs independently, or in consultation with a social worker, provides or obtains information (including interviewing Veterans and families), and arranges for services which support the care plan. Other Duties: Documents all Social Work Associate activities in the Veteran's medical record in accordance with service and Medical Center policies. Investigates community resources and makes information about them available to social work staff. Keeps abreast of changes in the referral procedures for community services and makes social work staff aware of the new procedures. Participates in program planning and in the development of sound working relationships with Medical Center personnel, community agencies, and other governmental and community agencies. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-8 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING: THERE IS AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. PLUS THERE IS A BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: You must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in major fields of study such as: social welfare, sociology, psychology, public administration, philosophy, education, anthropology, history, economics and/or English. (COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED) PLUS SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have two (2) years of experience, which must have included one (1) year in a medical setting as a social welfare worker or social work assistant in a voluntary, public, social, or health agency. This experience must be equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-7) in Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience for this position is having knowledge of basic interviewing and general counseling techniques and crisis intervention to use in support of MSW social workers' clinical work; capable of fact/data gathering (social history) to identify needs of the problems/issues confronting the individuals and recommendations with regard to strengths-based approach to resolution; having good interpersonal skills, as well as oral and written skills in order to effectively communicate with individuals from varying educational and economic backgrounds; ability to conceptualize information and transmit such information and concepts to others in telephone conversations, interviews and interagency referrals; having an understanding of personal computers and Microsoft Office Applications (to include email, word processing and spreadsheet capabilities) for communication, reports, and the maintenance of accurate statistics. (EXPERIENCE MUST BE SUPPORTED BY YOUR RESUME.) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)Influencing/NegotiatingInterpersonal SkillsPlanning and Evaluating IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Requirements: The applicant must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing, or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant for appointment. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation may also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of the position. The work involves sitting, standing, and walking and is carried out within the confines of the office/workspace provided. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Contacts

• Address West Palm Beach VA Medical Center 7305 North Military Trail West Palm Beach, FL 33410 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]