The Social Worker in this position serves as Coordinator for the Non-Institutional Care (NIC) programs within Social Work Service. The Social Worker assumes the technical and administrative responsibility for the management of the Homemaker / Home Health Aid (H/HHA) Program, Respite Program and Veterans Direct Home, Adult Day Health, and Community Based Programs.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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/. Loss of Licensure or Certification: Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Grade Determinations: 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate 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, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified 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. Assignment: This is the full performance level. Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. Incumbents are assigned to all program areas, including but not limited to: inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area. Duties include but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; and acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. Incumbent independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. In collaboration with the Veteran, family/caregiver, and interdisciplinary treatment team, the social worker facilitates the delivery of health care services. The social worker identifies family/caregiver stressors, conducts assessment and provides specific interventions. The incumbent provides case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services, incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. The social worker links the Veteran with services, resources, and opportunities, in order to maximize the Veteran's independence, health, and well-being. The social worker conducts timely assessment of at-risk Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs, evaluate risk, and initiate safety plan as appropriate. The social worker provides interventions independently with Veterans and their families/caregivers who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, behavioral health, financial, legal, and psychosocial problems. They provide a range of interventions and treatment modalities which may include individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy. They independently formulate and implement a treatment plan including measurable, achievable goals identifying the Veterans' needs, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. Social workers serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility and VISN level or in the community. They provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of Veterans offering professional opinions based on experience, expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. The social worker establishes and maintains ongoing education programs for Veterans, community agencies, students, and staff, to facilitate understanding of social work interventions specific to the Veteran/Military population. 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. Physical Requirements: This work requires light lifting (under 15lbs), use of fingers, operation of motor vehicle, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, depth perception, hearing (aid may be permitted), emotional and mental stability, and clear speech. Environmental factors are working outside and inside, dust, working closely with others, working alone, and protracted or irregular hours of work.
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional This position includes planning, establishing, and implementing policies and procedures, developing program goals and objectives as well as monitoring, operating, evaluating, and coordinating the activities of the programs. Strong emphasis will be placed on data collection including patient and caregiver satisfaction and feedback and tracking of performance measures for NIC. Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties Develops and maintains relationships as related to issues within the NIC programs. The position will function in office and work with community-based agencies and Veterans in their home. Responsible for working with and advising a team of clinically independent professional practitioners. Brief the Social Work Supervisor on level of compliance for the Non-Institutional Long-Term Care Programs. Continuous monitoring and improvement of the efficiency, effectiveness, timeliness, and quality of services. Prepares, plans, and advises the Social Work Supervisor of anticipated changes in workload, staffing needs, and program developments. Remain current on clinical aspects of NIC programs and prepare to fill in for the various social work clinicians. Provide clinical support to the Community Health Nurse Coordinators working with NIC programs and will serve as a consultant with other disciplines. Provide timely and accurate information to the Social Work Supervisor and others. Writes program specific guidelines and policies and sees that these policies are implemented. Recruit new NIC agency providers and establish contracts for numerous services. Development of policies and operating procedures. Addresses the relationships with community agencies and contract providers. Oversees the program operations and program evaluations, identifies areas for improvement, gathers and assesses relevant data, develops, and implements improvement plans, and evaluates the efficacy of improvements. Prepares reports from available data. Works to establish quality management monitors for NIC responsibility. Functions as the professional representative of the VA Medical Center, Social Work Service, and program by providing public relations and community education regarding the NIC Program. Interacts with Congressional staff and caseworkers regarding Congressional inquiries, investigating the inquiry and preparing a response. Maintain open lines of communication. Liaison with community agencies. May service as a field instructor or preceptor, supervises Social Work graduate students in a practicum setting and oversees their clinical field training. Regularly assesses student's progress toward training goals and student's overall performance. Participates in the school of social work's field instructor training programs and the affiliation process and may serve as an adjunct faculty member. Ensuring curricular and accreditation requirements are met and monitoring HPTs and their supervisors. Coordinating with the VA medical facility DEO and Sponsoring Institution Program Director. If not prohibited by conflict-of-interest standards and after consultation with the OGC Ethics Specialty Team, tracking HPT attendance and managing schedules. Serving as a clinical supervisor/preceptor for HPTs. Attending APC meetings. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized 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: AD-HOC Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized