The incumbent is an independent Clinical Social Worker who is clinically responsible for the Personal Care Services program. Maintains local-level programmatic and clinical responsibility for Personal Care Services administration and coordination. Manages the daily operation of the Personal Care Services program while monitoring and tracking data to provide clinical recommendations for facility use. 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-09 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. 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. 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. 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: Position is sedentary in nature. ["Screening/Case Management - Participates in the screening of veterans for the Personal Care Services program. Determines space availability in the appropriate setting. Provides copies of required documentation to the non-institutional setting as appropriate and in accordance with privacy regulations. Ensures that all appropriate documentation is available, without permitting delay in veteran's consideration or admission due to lack of documentation. Provides case management to veterans in these non-institutional settings. Documents according to service level and medical center policy. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - Coordinates with the accepting agency and the treatment team to develop an appropriate plan of care for the veteran, documenting the treatment plan within the veteran's electronic medical record. Collaborates with the community agency to determine the progress of the veteran and the continued need for services. Investigates any concerns of the family or patient while in the community agency and consults with the Team Coordinator and Coordinator of Geriatric and Extended Care Services Social Work to determine if further action is needed. Facilitates meetings with agency staff and treatment team when appropriate to allay either VA or beneficiary concerns. 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. Demonstrates 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. Throughout the course of treatment is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources related to Personal Care Services. Collaborates with other service providers in reassessing the veteran's need for non-institutional care or discharge from the program. Completes rapid assessments and develops crisis management plans using sound clinical judgment. Maintains access to multiple resource directories to meet the demands of a crisis. Provides process and guidance in alleged abuse cases according to policy. Ensures that Coordinator, Geriatric and Extended Care Services Social Work is informed of any concerns/issues with veterans/caregivers or community facilities. Maintains responsibly for the coordination of the referrals to non-institutional services such as ADHC, Homemaker/Home Health Aide, Respite, and Community Nursing Home care services in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team members. Manages the screening of veterans to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of each veteran being referred for care. Educates the veteran/family members and the team of the options available. Maintains primary responsibility for managing the responsibilities of all Personal Care Services to include In-Home Respite Care, Adult Day Health Care and the Home Maker/Home Health Aide programs. Provides current, accurate reports regarding expenditures for the program. Identifies VA need for resources in a specific geographic area and will facilitate acquisition of additional contracts for services with community provider additionally, enters all veteran/family contacts in the electronic medical record using appropriate formats and templates, and coding. This information is entered in a complete, confidential, and professional manner to ensure the veterans' health information is available to health care providers as needed. Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies. Attends all meetings (interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, Social Work staff meetings, GEC committees, etc.) and performs other duties as required. Collaborates in the performance improvement processes and complies with performance measures as required by the VA for their specific population and/or program. Participates in activities that obtain feedback from veterans and care providers to enhance services. Provides necessary education and training to support staff in an effort to build more efficient methods of service delivery and ensuring that goals of veteran care are met. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Maybe available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 56445-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.
