The clinical and program activities assumed under this position are conducted as part of the Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) program. The HBPC Social Worker is a core member of the HBPC interdisciplinary team. The primary responsibilities of this position are to provide comprehensive clinical assessments, identify psychosocial issues, develop a psychosocial plan, facilitate access to and maximize VA and community resources, advocacy, and discharge planning.

Duties

DUTIES: Clinical Functions: Provide clinical services to an assigned caseload of Veterans and significant others, consistent with the goals and methods of HBPC and with all relevant Medical Center policies and procedures This HBPC social work position requires visits to be conducted in the Veteran's home using a Government Vehicle, so applicants must be able to pass the driver's physical exam as a condition of employment. This is not a remote position, but telework 6+ days per pay period is approved with the requirement of conducting visits to the homes of assigned Veterans based on the needs and scheduling preferences of the Veteran and significant others involved in the Veteran's care. Screening/Assessment: Perform comprehensive initial clinical assessments and follow-up assessments when clinically indicated, or at minimum annually, to determine the psychosocial needs and functioning of the patient, caregiver, and their support systems Treatment Planning/Goal Setting: Incumbent is responsible for identifying psychosocial issues impacting the patient/caregiver's ability to achieve optimal outcomes and implementing interventions to address psychosocial needs and support patient driven goals of care. With this information, the incumbent develops a psychosocial plan of care which may include individual/family counseling, long-term and advance care planning, non-pharmacological pain interventions, stress management, caregiver respite, psycho-educational programs, as well as grief and bereavement counseling. Incumbent is also responsible to participate in in the development of the individual plan of care at interdisciplinary care meetings for assigned panel of patients. The treatment plan/goals of care will be completed as specified by the policy for the assigned work area Referral to Service Providers: Incumbent is responsible for providing referrals to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits, as well as community-based social services and other non-VA entitlement programs. If appropriate, the social worker will provide referrals or consults, and in some cases facilitate direct admission of a Veteran to other VA programs including, but not limited to Community Residential Care, Adult Day Health Care, Respite, Community Health Care Coordination, Hospice, Home Based Primary Care, Telehealth, and the Community Nursing Home programs Advocacy: The incumbent acts as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. When appropriate and feasible, incumbent will educate and encourage the Veteran to advocate on his/her own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment Supportive Counseling/Skills Training: The incumbent demonstrates skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used with HBPC Veterans. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling and advanced level of psychosocial and/or case management Administrative Functions: Responsible for supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facility Enter all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates and in accordance with Medical Center standards. This information will be entered in a complete, confidential, and professional manner to ensure information on the patient is shared with other VA staff. This information will be reviewed on a regular basis Be mindful of keeping their supervisor apprised of problems and recommended solutions to problems encountered in the incumbent's area of responsibility Meet with VA, community, and professional organizations and individuals as needed to carry out assigned developmental and implementation responsibilities Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:45am-4:30pm Telework: 6+ days/PP Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU

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: 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/ Grade Determinations: GS9: 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: (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. (b) 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 (c) 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. (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. (e) 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. Assignments. Individuals assigned as GS-9 grade level social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised, as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification. Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience. Duties may include but are not limited to: identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect or exploitation; providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning; providing social work case management; acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver; assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and psychosocial acuity, in collaboration with the Veteran, family, and interdisciplinary treatment teams; maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the Veteran and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals. Since social workers at this level are not practicing at an independent level, they should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required, such as in a CBOC, unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice. GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision. GS11: 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 paragraph 3c. 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: (a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services (b) 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 (c) 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 (d) 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 (e) 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 Assignments: This is the full performance level. Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. Incumbents are assigned to all program areas, including but not limited to: inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area. Duties include but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; and acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. Incumbent independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. In collaboration with the Veteran, family/caregiver, and interdisciplinary treatment team, the social worker facilitates the delivery of health care services. The social worker identifies family/caregiver stressors, conducts assessment and provides specific interventions. Reference: VA HANDBOOK REFERENCE: PART II APPENDIX G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 11. Physical Requirements: The incumbent 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. Incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the incumbent and 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Salem VA Medical Center 1970 Roanoke Boulevard Salem, VA 24153 US
• Name: Kera Madden
• Phone: 540-982-2463 X2770
• Email: [email protected]