The Geriatric Patient Aligned Care Team (GeriPACT) Social Worker participates in the Geriatric Primary Care Clinic at the VA Medical Center and at Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC). The GeriPACT is a comprehensive team which delivers longitudinal primary care and occasional episodic care to Veteran patients with a focus on: prevention, health promotion, advance care planning coordination and chronic disease management. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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. Grade Determinations: Social Worker, GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate 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. 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. 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. 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: Geriatric social work experience preferred. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 9 to 11. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the Social Worker or others. Social Worker must be able to pass VA requirements for operation of a government vehicle. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position requires travel to provide clinical services to Veterans in the community, clinics, medical centers, CBOC's, etc. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. ["The GeriPACT Social Worker will conduct psychosocial assessments in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran patient, family members and significant others; interviewing Veterans and family members/significant others and writing the psychosocial assessment. The GeriPACT Social Worker participates as a medical Social Worker with the PACT. The GeriPACT is 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. The GeriPACT Social Worker is a professional Social Worker. The Social Worker must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of Veterans and their families/significant others. Social work responsibilities include the assessment of psychosocial problems that cause distress, which often impact the health condition and create barriers to care. The GeriPACT Social Worker will coordinate with other VA staff and community agencies to assist in problem solving as needed. The GeriPACT Social Worker is responsible for developing the psychosocial treatment plan and setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran/family, independently establishing this plan and following up as needed. Throughout the course of treatment, the GeriPACT Social Worker acts as the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources. The GeriPACT Social Worker is responsible for using the current Social Work resource file of VA and community social services programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of Veterans. The GeriPACT Social Worker understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate within the VA system when it serves the best interest of the Veteran/family. The GeriPACT Social Worker is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission to mental health inpatient programs. The GeriPACT Social Worker provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlement/benefits, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer Veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs. The GeriPACT Social Worker will review progress notes from the other providers to accurately determine and assess the strengths and limitations of each Veteran being referred for mental health services. The GeriPACT Social Worker will provide Veterans and their caregivers with brief supportive counseling. The GeriPACT Social Worker will enter all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates. The GeriPACT Social Worker willingly accepts additional duties and special assignments that are necessary to meet program goals or customer needs. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 54697-O, 54698-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
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.
