Social Worker

Summary

The Social Worker serves at the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System in Primary Care Clinics and the 6-Bed Acute Inpatient Medicine Unit. The incumbent provides social work services in the Urgent Room and Transition Care Management Program as needed - using advanced skills to assess and treat complex psychosocial issues affecting Veterans and their families.

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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Social Worker - GS-9: 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: Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans - their family members - caregivers - and survivors
• 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
• 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
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients - staff - and representatives of community agencies
• 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 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
• 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: Knowledge of community resources - how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services - and ability to coordinate services
• Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic - educational - and other backgrounds
• 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
• 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
• 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 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)
• Preferred Experience: Experience providing social work services in an Acute Inpatient Medical Unit Experience delivering care in Ambulatory or Primary Care settings Experience working with POST 9/11 Veterans
• 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-09 to GS-11
• Physical Requirements: This work is primarily sedentary but also requires some standing - walking - bending - lifting and carrying of items.
  
  

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The Social Worker functions as an integral member of the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) and/or the Acute Inpatient Medicine Unit - providing professional clinical social work services to Veterans - their families - and caregivers
• The incumbent uses a high level of skill in assessing and treating the psychosocial and environmental factors that impact Veterans' health and functioning within the medical center and community
• Duties include - but are not limited to: Conducts comprehensive psychosocial assessments to determine the needs of Veterans and their families - identifying strengths - weaknesses - coping skills - and psychosocial barriers to optimal health
• Develops individualized treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran - interdisciplinary treatment teams - and community partners to achieve identified health and psychosocial goals
• Provides case management services to coordinate care across the continuum - ensuring Veterans receive appropriate and timely services both within VA and the community
• Utilizes a variety of treatment modalities including supportive - problem-solving - and crisis intervention techniques to address complex psychosocial issues impacting the Veteran's health
• Provides individual - group - and family counseling to assist Veterans and their significant others in dealing with the psychosocial impact of illness - disability - and hospitalization
• Collaborates with other members of the interdisciplinary team to develop discharge plans - arrange appropriate aftercare - and facilitate community placement when indicated
• Identifies high-risk patients and provides ongoing monitoring - coordination - and follow-up to ensure continuity of care and successful community reintegration
• Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources - VA benefits - and advance care planning
• Acts as a liaison between the VA and community agencies - engaging in resource development and advocacy to enhance service delivery
• Participates actively in quality improvement - program evaluation - and performance measurement activities to ensure services meet national standards of care
• Documents all clinical encounters and administrative activities in accordance with VA policy and Joint Commission standards
• Maintains current knowledge of VA and community resources - eligibility criteria - and referral processes to maximize service coordination and effectiveness
• Provides coverage and support to other social work staff during absences or high-volume periods to ensure seamless patient care
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00A-4:30P Telework: Ad-hoc Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized