This position is located at the VA Medical Center Iron Mountain, Michigan, Nursing and Patient Care Service. The incumbent is a professional clinical social worker providing direct services to individuals and families, including work with individuals in groups. The incumbent is assigned to the Outpatient, Primary Care Department and CBOCs (Community Based Outreach Clinics) and Care Coordination and Integrated Case Management (CCICM).
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. (Transcripts Required) 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/. (Copy of License Required) Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must meet the following grade requirements. GS-09 Grade Level (Entry Level): At the GS-09 level, position requires the ability to conduct psychosocial assessments of a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. Position requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological), and the differential influences of the environment, society, and culture.The patient care activities are carried out in full-accordance with the broad program goals of the VA health care system. Within these broad categorizations, the incumbent must tailor patient care/support services to meet the needs of individual patients. This includes responsibility for assessment of each patient's needs, and delivery of services, which are responsive to the concerns of individual patients to the extent possible. Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. 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. GS-11 grade level (Full Performance Level): Experience and Licensure: 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. (Copy of License Required) 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. {Transcripts Required} 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, 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. Preferred Experience: Primary Care Social Work Experience. References: 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: The work is sedentary, but may require walking, bending, standing, and /or carrying of light items such as files and manuals. The work does not require any special physical effort or ability.
The incumbent has collateral duties as assigned, in assisting the Geriatric Clinic, Palliative Care Clinic, Dialysis Clinic, Transplant Clinic, ALS Clinic, SCI Clinic, Respite, Blind Rehab, and Community Nursing Home and will provide coverage to 4 East, Urgent Care and CLC during periods of absence of co-workers. The CCICM Social Worker is administratively responsible, in collaboration with the CCICM RN, for the clinical programming and daily operations of the CCICM throughout the facility. Position requires the ability to independently conduct psychosocial assessments of a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. Position requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological), and the differential influences of the environment, society, and culture. Incumbent possesses the skills to offer psychosocial interventions and measures outcomes to interventions. Major Duties include: Independently conduct psychosocial assessments of a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. Offers psychosocial interventions and measures outcomes to interventions. Tailor patient care/support services to meet the needs of individual patients meeting broad program goals of VA healthcare systems. Independently work with patients and families who are experiencing emotional, medical, and social problems utilizing individual, group, and family counseling skills. Assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, and formulates and implements a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed Independently performs case finding functions and outreach, identifying, and screening patients for psychosocial needs Develops treatment plans in collaboration with the patient/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team Independently provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care Evaluates incumbents own practice through professional peer review, case conferences and other organizational means Identifies high-risk patients and provides case management services Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with patients and their families. Coordinates community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community agency programs Serves as liaison to community agencies and networks with agency representative. VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday-Friday; 8:00 am-4:30 pm Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Salary Ranges: GS-09 $63,387 - $82,402 GS-11 $76,693 - $99,696 This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.