Career Center

The Social Work function is to be responsible for the implementation of Primary Care Clinic Social Work services to the veteran population enrolled at the Harry S Truman Veterans Memorial Hospital including Community Base Outpatient Clinics (CBOC). Services include a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of veterans and/or their family members/significant others. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, by date you are appointed to the position. 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 the CSWE website (http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation) to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) GS-9: PENDING LICENSURE: VHA may waive the licensure requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure examinations. VHA social workers who are not licensed at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within 3 years of their appointment as a social worker. Failure to Obtain License or Certification. Failure to become licensed or certified within the proscribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-185 social work series and may result in termination of employment. GS-9 Social Worker: (a) Experience, Education and Licensure. GS-9 is the entry level grade for the GS-185 social work series and is used for social workers with less than one year of post-MSW experience and for social workers who are not yet licensed or certified at the independent practice level. Social workers at the GS-9 level are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure or certification. In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the KSAs 1. Ability to provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological), and the differential influences of the environment, society, and culture. 2. Ability to work with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems utilizing individual, group, and family counseling skills. Work with more complex problems is done under close supervision. With guidance from the social work supervisor, ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. 3. Basic knowledge of psychosocial treatment modalities and, under supervision, 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. 4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. 5. 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. 6. Basic skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, and tracking. Ability to learn and utilize software programs in use by VHA. GS-11 Social Worker (a) Experience, Education and Licensure. The GS-11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of 1 year of post-MSW degree experience in the field of health care social work (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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 on the OHRM website. COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED IF APPLYING FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL. OR, In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required 1 year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. 2. Ability to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed, in collaboration with the patient, family and interdisciplinary treatment team. 3. Ability to independently conduct psychosocial assessments and provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) and the differential influences of the environment, society and culture. 4. Knowledge and experience in the use 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. 5. Knowledge of psychosocial treatment and ability to independently implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems to achieve treatment goals. This requires independent judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving or crisis intervention techniques. 6. Ability to independently provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups and families. Social workers must practice within the bounds of their license or certification. For example, some states may require social workers providing psychotherapy to have a clinical level of licensure. 7. Ability to provide consultation services to other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. Ability to provide orientation and coaching to new social workers and social work graduate students. Ability to serve as a field instructor for social work graduate students who are completing VHA field placements. 8. Ability to independently evaluate his/her own practice through participation in professional peer review case conferences, research studies, or other organized means. 9. Knowledge and skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, and tracking, especially those programs in use by VHA. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 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: Light Lifting (under 15 lbs); Light carrying (under 15 lbs); Straight pulling (1hr); Walking (2hr); Standing (2hr); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Hearing aid permitted. Environmental Factors: Working closely with others; Working alone ["Screening/Assessment- Social Worker maintains responsibility for psychosocial assessment, case management, and other collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team (s), the veteran, family members or significant others. Progress notes are reviewed from other interdisciplinary team providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of each veteran. The assessment highlights the veteran's strengths, limitations, and internal/external supports and service needs in order to optimize the veteran's functional status.\nIncumbent assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary disposition plan involving veteran, family members or significant others.\nIncumbent independently uses advance practice skills to make a psychosocial diagnosis of needs based on the assessment. Advance practice skills are applied to perform insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness, catastrophic medical conditions, dementia, and other high-risk diagnoses.\nIncumbent demonstrates an understanding of the range of treatment and skills needed for all adult patients including geriatric patients related to their physical limitations, psychological needs and age associated illnesses and conditions. The incumbent must have an understanding of the problems of advancing age and respect for the diversification of the aging veteran population, being sensitive to human growth and development, age-appropriate needs and concerns of the geriatric veteran, and be able to provide current and advanced techniques to the treatment of this veteran population.\nIncumbent will review all data, subjective and objective, and make a clinical assessment of identifying needs and strengths. Effective use of professional skill, clinical training and experience will be used for the purpose of interpreting data to identify viable treatment options and need for services.\nThe initial assessment will be completed by the Incumbent as specified by the policy for the assigned work area. An initial veteran assessment is required as well as reassessments as defined in policy.\nTreatment Planning/Goal Setting- The Social worker is responsible for developing the treatment plan with the assigned team and setting achievable treatment goals with the veteran, family or significant other.\nIncumbent provides independent consultation and makes recommendations to the interdisciplinary team on course of treatment.\nIncumbent participates with the interdisciplinary team in the assignment of veterans to treatment teams and programs and may consult with other specialists in planning treatment for veterans with co-morbidities. The plan will be updated and documented when there is a change in the veteran's condition or needs.\nReferral to service providers - Social Worker is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources.\nIncumbent is responsible for educating the veteran and/or caregiver of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the veteran's preference or that of his surrogate decision-maker.\nIncumbent collaborates with other service providers in reassessing the veteran's needs.\nCrisis Intervention - Social Worker uses advance practice skills in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans.\nIncumbent has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis.\nSupportive counseling- Social worker provides the veterans and their caregivers with ongoing supportive counseling or short-term solution focused counseling. Preferred Experience:\n1-2 years' experience medical social work (inpatient/outpatient)\n1-2 years' experience providing various levels of case management\n1-2 years' experience with community referrals (home health, hospice, nursing home)\nKnowledge of VA resources and community resources\nKnowledge of Medicare/Medicaid programs\nAbility to complete psychosocial assessment to assess for in home needs\nSystem Redesign experience (yellow belt preferred) VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 8:00am to 4:30pm\nFunctional Statement #: 000000\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]