The Cincinnati, OH VA Medical Center is recruiting for a full time Senior Social Worker for our Caregiver Support Program (CSP) which is located in Social Work Service. The Social Worker in this position is expected to practice at the independent level.

Duties

The Cincinnati VA Medical Center (CVAMC) is a two-division campus located in Cincinnati, OH and Fort Thomas, KY serving 15 counties in Southwest OH, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana with 6 Community Based Outpatient Clinics located in Bellevue, KY; Florence, KY; Lawrenceburg, IN; Hamilton, OH; Clermont County, OH, and Georgetown, OH. The CVAMC also supports two off main campus locations in the Cincinnati area via an Eye Center and Mental Health Outreach Community Division. The mission of the Caregiver Support Program is to promote the health and well-being of family caregivers who care for our nation's Veterans, through education, resources, support, and services. Under the VA MISSION Act, VA is significantly expanding services and supports provided to family caregivers of Veterans of all eras. Other duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: Provides specialized consultation on the administrative and clinical considerations of the CSP as referenced in VHA Directive 1152 (1). Provide education and training, respite care, mental health services, beneficiary travel (to attend required caregiver training and for an eligible Veteran's medical appointments), a monthly stipend payment, and access to health care (if qualified) through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) as set forth in VHA Directive 1152 (1). Will be assigned to work independently with multiple VA healthcare services and with community agencies, leaders and organizations with no access to direct clinical supervision. Assess a Veteran's functional needs, including the need for personal care services using standardized assessments--which will assist the Centralized Eligibility and Appeal Teams (CEAT) in determining eligibility. Assess Veterans needs for personal care services, particularly Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), supervision, protection or instruction, working closely with the CSP Manager and/or designee(s), to complete Veteran functional assessments and re-assessments. The incumbent will also assist other program staff in providing clinical services, completing notes and gathering/monitoring data related to the day-to-day functioning and evaluation of the program. Conducts initial home assessments as part of the application or reassessment process for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. The purpose of these home visits is to assess for functional and mobility needs and safety as well as to assess need for personal care services using standardized assessments--which will assist the CEAT in determining eligibility. Assists in the day-to-day operations of the CSP specific to his/her area of assignment and ensures compliance and collaboration with local facility and the VA Central Office CSP initiatives. Participates in face-to-face or virtual contact with the caregiver and Veteran to assess function and the need for personal care services, and as needed, the development and application of directed clinical treatment interventions. Utilizes and assists in maintaining a data monitoring system to measure the efficacy of the program and assists in collecting and analyzing local data for reports. Evaluates program progress and outcomes and utilizes data to continuously modify and improve the program, processes, and use of a standardized assessment instrument. Advises and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams throughout the medical center on caregiver issues. Creates educational tools, develops programs and implements training focused on specific caregiver needs/issues. Provides education and in-­service training to VAMC employees, Veterans, families and caregivers. Provides ongoing consultation and support to colleagues regarding caregiver support. Develops and facilitates caregiver support groups (face-to-face or virtual) and educational programs. Serves as a consultant for navigating the complex processes caregivers, Veterans, and families encounter when interacting with government and community agencies. Collaborates with the VA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), mental health, and geriatric primary care clinicians to provide Veteran and staff education on caregiver issues and to obtain input on Veteran's functional needs. Coordination will include chart review, case consultation, in-person, phone or electronic communication, and training of patient aligned care team clinical social work staff. Responds to inquiries from the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team and will be responsible for tracking and processing applications, wellness contacts and annual assessments. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized. Telework: Yes, determined by agency policy. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. Required: Current Valid Driver's License.

Requirements

Qualifications

GRADE DETERMINATIONS.In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Experience/Education. The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Licensure/Certification. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a).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. (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. (c) Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. (d) Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills. (e) Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. References: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Full Performance: The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. Physical Requirements: Must able to sit at a desk to work at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. 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 social worker or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. Position requires extensive travel into the community to meet with Veterans, caregivers, community agencies and/or partners who assist and support the Caregiver Support Program. Applicant must have a valid, active, unrestricted driver's license.

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 Cincinnati VA Medical Center 3200 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH 45220 US
• Name: Michelle GradyCagle
• Phone: 513-557-8818
• Email: [email protected]