Social Worker

Full Job Description

The Patient Aligned Care Team is a comprehensive team which delivers primary care to Veteran patients in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and which has as its focus: prevention, health promotion and wellness, care coordination and chronic disease management.

The Clinical Social Worker in this Veteran-centric approach often functions as a care coordinator with a panel of Veterans to ensure that health care meets the needs as defined by the Veteran.

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. 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.

Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards.

Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation.

(1) All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.

(3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

(4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

(5) If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C.

§ 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

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 for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Social Worker, GS-9 (1) Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. (2) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors.

(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. Social Worker, GS-11 (1) 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.

(2) 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.

(3) 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, educational, and other 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.

Preferred Experience: Applicant must have a valid drivers license and be able to operate a government issued vehicle.

Employee selected will be required to conducted in person oversight visits to various adult daycare center within the Columbia VA catchment area.

Prefer at least one year experience working with aging population. Areas of consideration/Duty location: Columbia VA catchment area.

The selected applicant is expected to reside within the Columbia VA catchment area.

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-11.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties: Independent practice level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or family members/caregivers in the PACT/Primary Care Clinic.

Incumbent must be able to work independently with Veterans and family members experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, financial, legal and other Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) issues.

Must independently complete thorough SDOH assessments to determine the functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members.

Able to assess functional acuity of the patient and provide appropriate interventions.

Must be able to utilize this assessment in facilitating the Veteran's maximum use of treatment for attainment of the highest level of independence possible.

Maintain availability to address on demand/same day Veteran walk-ins for urgent SDOH and/or other crises within Social Work Scope of Practice.

Participation as an active member of the interdisciplinary treatment team (PACT) to include the Veteran; their family/caregiver, and all PACT members in the development and implementation of Veteran's identified treatment goals and preferred interventions.

Demonstrate competency regarding clinical documentation and encounters vs administrative tasks that are non-encounterable on all VA authorized electronic health platforms.

Must possess knowledge and ability at the advance practice level to independently implement treatment modalities and evidence-based practices, when appropriate may provide educational classes, and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families, including shared medical appointments.

Communication with Veterans and/or their families/caregivers using their preferred modality will require that the PACT Social Worker demonstrate proficiency in the use of the My HealtheVet (MHV) system for those who choose to utilize this platform.

Provide consultation and education to Veterans and family members regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and Advance Directives.

Must be available to provide consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding SDOH needs of the Veteran and/or families and the impact of the identified SDOH issues on the Veteran's health care planning and compliance with treatment.

Will maintain knowledge of Veterans benefits and services, community resources, and process for making appropriate referrals to community and other governmental programs or agencies.

Must have an understanding of caregiver stressors and provide appropriate caregiver-specific interventions and support.

Must have a working knowledge of program evaluation and quality assurance principles and techniques. All other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am -4:30pm Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 544-55947F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized