Senior Social Worker - Home Based Primary Care (HBPC)

Full Job Description

Senior Social Worker - Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) serves as a core member of the interdisciplinary HBPC team which is a specialized program under the administration of Patient Care Services.

Serving patients who would normally have received their care from the Community Based Outpatient Clinics or those who have impaired mobility due to disability or functional limitation, inability to cope with the clinic environment due to cognitive, physical or psychiatric impairment.

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. English Language Proficiency.

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.

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.

Note: 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.

Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work 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.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade.

The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade.

Experience: 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 and 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

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.

Preferred Experience: Specialized experience in working with Geriatric care, Home Visits, working within an interdisciplinary medical team and excellent command of writing and verbal skills, Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, 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 of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Major Duties:

The Senior Social Worker - HBPC will independently provide a comprehensive psychosocial assessment and integrates it into an overall plan of care in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the veteran, family members and significant others, whenever possible.

The assessment requires a home visit.

It is the responsibility of the social worker, working within the interdisciplinary treatment team to develop a treatment plan with the veteran based on this assessment.

Possesses the advanced practice skills to independently make a psychosocial diagnosis and offer psychosocial interventions, and then measures outcomes to interventions.

Participates and can lead weekly interdisciplinary care planning meetings when asked by the HBPC program director. Designs systems changes based on observations, data and experience.

Ongoing assessments and updating treatment plans are done when necessary or on a quarterly basis given the changing needs as health status changes.

Addresses the unique needs of homebound, frail, disabling/chronic and/or dying veterans.

Coordinates community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs and community agency programs.

Knowledges of veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs, service connected compensation, non-service connected pension.

Facilitates and prioritizes referrals based upon veterans needs and eligibility.

Provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs health status changes.

Addresses the unique needs of homebound, frail, disabling/chronic and/or dying veterans.

Coordinates community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs and community agency programs.

Facilitates and prioritizes referrals based upon veterans needs and eligibility.

Provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs.

Identifies and prioritizes high-risk patients and provides case management services.

Incumbent provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint, coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members.

Knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures.

Works with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems utilizing individual, group and family counseling and therapy skills.

Possesses advanced knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals, families and groups.

Makes rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans to maintain patient in the home, for admission to acute, short term and/or long term placements.

Utilizes advanced practice skills, professional judgment and expertise regarding the veteran's self-care capability, family support system, and the veteran's health care needs and possible consequences.

VA Careers - Social Work: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Work Schedule: Full-time - Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: As determined by the agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 00000/Senior Social Worker (HBPC) Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized