The New Mexico VA Healthcare Network is recruiting for a Senior Social Worker assigned to provide coverage to a program area managed by the Assistant Chief of Social Work Service or the Chief of Social Work Service. The Float Medical Social Worker program area managed consist of Inpatient Med/Surg., outpatient or Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), Emergency Department, and other areas within the Social Work service line. 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 Senior Social Worker positions in the GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and 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: Senior Social Worker, GS-0185-12 Experience and Education: Two year 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) 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. (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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: Unrestricted Social Work licensure References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard, GS-0185, Veterans Health Administration. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU In the Inpatient Med/Surgical setting the focus of the social worker role is to provide care continuity between the acute setting and community based services in Inpatient Medicine, and Surgery settings. In the outpatient or Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) setting the focus is on 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, coordination and chronic disease management. In the Emergency Department setting the Senior Social Worker is responsible to provide direct services to Veterans and their families who present for services in this area in conjunction with follow-up as appropriate to inpatient areas. The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: interventions to increase access to care, including transportation assistance and advanced directives, economic assistance, including assistance with medical bills, financial aid services and strategies to increase income (employment, vocational rehabilitation, VA benefits, disability), and/or reduce expenses, find the appropriate housing for the patient's level of need (affordable independent housing, homeless shelters, group and family care homes, Veterans Homes, assisted living, nursing homes, respite care, hospice care) and order necessary services to assist with functional decline. Participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and actively participate through collaboration with Veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members in the development and implementation of treatment goals and interventions. Facilitate action for community placements through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate community placements are completed in a timely manner. Serve as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of services. Provide consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives. Evaluate social worker's own practice through professional peer review, case conferences and other organizational means. Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. Utilization of electronic documentation of assessments, treatment plans, interventions, outcomes, customer and agency contacts, and referrals. Identify through case finding and collaboration opportunities for enhanced care provision and minimization of extended acute stays. Provide substance abuse, tobacco use, depression, and PTSD screening. Assist patients/families with the process for guardianship. Provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment plan. Identify and report suspected abuse and neglect in compliance with social work ethics, VHA and state policy. Teach Veterans in the effective use of the My HealtheVet (MHV) system. Must possess skill in using computer systems, especially the internet for Veterans who choose this modality to communicate with the team. Work Schedule: Tuesday thru Saturday; 8:30am to 5:00pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
