Details
Posted: 02-Jun-22
Location: Butler, Pennsylvania
Salary: Open
Categories:
Mental Health/Social Services
Internal Number: 657322700
The social worker in this position functions as the VA Medical Center's Health Care for Homeless Veterans Programs(HCHV), HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD/VASH) and Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program. The social worker is responsible for monitoring and coordination of services provided by community-based programs funded under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. 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/. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Experience/Education: The candidate must have at least two years 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. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. 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. 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. 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: State issued driver license; do not include a copy of your driver license with your application. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005, PART II, APPENDIX G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Moderate, the work may be performed 50% or more of the time in the community. Physical activity involves driving, getting in and out of vehicles, sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping, climbing stairs (generally no more than 3 floors), and carrying light items such as papers, books or other supplies. Due to the community based nature of the work and the unpredictable population, staff must be CPR/BLS and PMDB certified. The incumbent uses a computer and standard office equipment to complete tasks. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with the patient population and their families. A level of self-awareness is essential. Work Environment: Part of the work is performed in an office environment, as well as clinic and inpatient areas. This environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, libraries, residences, or commercial vehicles, e.g., use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals. The work area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. In addition, patient contact will be made. Appropriate principles of infection control will need to be applied to the work. ["The GPD Program, an essential and critical part of VHA, is vital for providing safe transitional housing and supportive services for homeless Veterans. VA medical centers must ensure that Veterans in community-based funded programs are receiving quality services. The liaison/case manager is responsible for the oversight of these services as well as the case management of the Veterans who receive them. Major duties include, but may not be limited to: The social worker provides case management at GPD funded sites as described in the GPD program rules, regulations, and directives (VHA Handbook 1162.01). The social worker utilizes various treatment modalities of individual and group work, casework, community organization, and community outreach activities to alleviate or remove problems that interfere with the Veteran participants' ability to achieve independence. The social worker coordinates care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans to ensure comprehensive service delivery, and linking and referring Veterans to the VA Medical Center, VA Regional Offices and/or community agencies. The social worker monitors the clinical care and assesses the compliance of the programs receiving per diem as described in the grant recipient's original grant application. When necessary, the social worker intervenes to facilitate compliance or corrective actions and, when appropriate, develops, facilitates and monitors plans of correction. The social worker completes consults and monitors the homeless team's pager. The social worker will cover for the HCHV, VJO and HUD/VASH teams when necessary. The social worker will be responsible for completing intakes, completing all consults/referrals, providing customer service to all walk-ins and monitoring the HUD/VASH pager. The social worker provides services and oversight of the GPD funded programs as defined in the GPD rules, regulations, and directives including verification of Veteran status and eligibility for participation in the GPD Program, maintaining admission and discharge dates of participants for billing purposes, reviewing and approving/disapproving readmissions to and extensions of care, and collecting and submitting participant information as outlined by NEPEC evaluations procedures. The social worker coordinates and participates in program site inspections in accordance with the GPD Program rules, regulations, and directives as guidance and forwards completed inspection packages to the appropriate offices. When necessary, the social worker notes inspection deficiencies and establishes methods to monitor corrective actions. The social worker recommends a response to the Medical Center Director as a result of inaction or insufficient actions related to the correction of deficiencies in accordance with the GPD Handbook. The social worker engages in coordination with community agencies, organizations, and groups to learn of services or resources available for homeless Veterans as well as provides current information on services and benefits available in the VA for Homeless Grant and Per Diem Program participants. The social worker participates in Medical Center research by identifying questions and trends that should be studied as a basis toward improving aspects of social service and/or physical or mental health care delivery to Veterans as well as devising and carrying out studies designed to test appropriate hypotheses. May perform other duties as directed. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday\nTelework: Not available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: Senior Social Worker (GPD) / 000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]