Senior Social Worker - Acute Mental Health Emergency Department

Full Job Description

The Senior Social Worker is assigned to provide appropriate clinical services including, but not limited to, assessing Veterans for a full spectrum of mental health and substance use disorders, conducting brief screening for such conditions, providing risk assessment and safety planning, participating in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings to coordinate complex care, assisting with post-discharge care planning, and other relevant duties to support Veterans treated in the medical center.

Resume Requirement: Your resume must be detailed include the following information: Job title, description of duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment; and average hours worked per week.

Basic Requirements Citizenship: Citizen of the United States.

Licensure: Candidate must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

[Copies of licensure/certification must be submitted with application packet] Education: Master's degree in social work (MSW) 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 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 master's degree in social work. [Transcripts must be submitted at time of application.

Conferral of degree(s) must be stated on transcript(s).

Unofficial transcripts(s) are acceptable] Preferred Experience:- Experienced in Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program Grade Determinations: GS-12 Senior Social Worker Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, applicants 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.

In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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.

Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.

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.

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.

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. Assignments.

Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level.

Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity.

The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns.

Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics.

The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality.

The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff.

They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services.

This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 - Social Worker Qualification Standard.

Preferred Experience: Emergency Department; Crisis Intervention Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Infrequently, assignments may require prolonged standing.

The selectee may carry light items, such as books, files, or a laptop computer.

Duties require ability to walk distances, communicate verbally in a clear manner, which includes normal hearing and manual dexterity. Major Duties:

VA Careers - Social Work: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The incumbent will provide day-to-day oversight of clinical operations in the Emergency Department (ED), including assigning cases to ED social workers, coordinating schedules and coverage as needed when staff are on planned or unplanned leave, addressing open encounters related to ED social work clinics, providing clinical and programmatic consulting to team members as requested.

The incumbent will convene one weekly ED Social Work team meeting to promote effective functioning of the clinical program. The incumbent will coordinate in-house trainings as needed.

The incumbent will advocate for other training needed by ED staff.

The incumbent is assigned the administrative responsibility of ensuring ED Social Work participation in the High-Risk Workgroup, ED huddles and department meetings.

The incumbent will assist in developing policies and procedures for program operation and will prepare reports and statistics for the Acute Mental Health Supervisor, Acute Mental Health Section Chief, Mental Health Service, facility, VISN and/or VACO use as needed.

The incumbent will ensure that program staff adhere to ED policies and procedures and will collaborate with the Acute Mental Health Supervisor as needed.

The incumbent will assume primary responsibility for preparing the ED Social Work Team for Joint Commission and county audits, ensuring that the program adheres to all standards and that the appropriate documentation to support accreditation is in place.

The incumbent will participate in auditing at least one chart from each team member per month and address deficiencies/opportunities as needed individually and during weekly team meetings.

The incumbent will track productivity, efficiency, and veteran needs to request additional resources as needed.

The incumbent will identify gaps in the delivery of care and take corrective actions as needed. Incumbent performs specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness.

Incumbent incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.

Independently performs case finding functions and outreach, identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needs.

Incumbent possesses the knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals, families and groups.

Independently performs case finding functions and outreach, identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needs.

Incumbent possesses the knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals, families and groups.

Independently conducts psychosocial assessments. Develops treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team.

Incumbent possesses the skills to offer psychosocial interventions and measures outcomes to interventions, Incumbent is able to coordinate community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs and community agency programs.

Independently performs case finding functions and outreach, identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needs.

Incumbent must possess the knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals, families and groups.

Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and their families.

Incumbent is able to independently work with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems utilizing individual, group and family counseling and therapy skills.

Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in their special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications.

Float responsibilities: may float to other programs within Acute Mental Health. Assignments will vary based on program area assigned.

Functions could include screening, intakes, assessments, group therapy, treatment planning, work with families, advocacy, crisis intervention, safety planning, and patient/family education.

Accomplishes other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Every other Monday 1430-2300; Tues-Thurs 1130-2400 , Subject to change based upon the needs of the service.

Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #:0000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized