The Battle Creek VA Medical Center is recruiting a Post 9/11 Military2VA Social Work Case Manager. The Social Worker will function within Social Work Service. 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. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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). 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. *Exception: VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment. 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: 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. 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 5005/120, 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-9 to GS-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. Applicants 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 applicant or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and the Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an 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 primary responsibility of the Post 9/11 M2VA Social Work Case Manager is to coordinate care and services for transitioning Service Members and Post 9/11 era Veterans with health and/or social complexity. The Post 9/11 M2VA Social Work Case Manager is also responsible for: conducting case management screens, psychosocial assessments, treatment planning; providing education and resources; completing referrals and consults; coordinating and participating in interdisciplinary team meetings. Adhering to VHA case management practice and process standards. Contacting transitioning SMs and Veterans prior to transfer to VA to facilitate their registration, enrollment, initial VA appointment scheduling or inpatient admission and provide education on VA care, services and benefits. Collaborating with VA medical facility Enrollment and Eligibility staff to initiate verification of SM and Veteran eligibility and completion of eligibility procedures. Collaborating with VA medical facility Schedulers to facilitate SMs' and Veterans' VA health care appointment scheduling. Screening and assessing for case management needs and risk factors, including suicide and homelessness. Coordinating any necessary appointments and services at the VA medical facility under TRICARE that the SM will use while still on active duty including terminal leave and convalescent leave. communicating regularly with the SM's command representative and providing periodic status updates no less than monthly while the SM remains on active duty. Entering case management documentation into EHR. Continually reassessing Veteran's acuity and complexity of biopsychosocial need(s) and adjusting level of case management intensity as clinically indicated. Providing case management during transitions of care for SMs and Post 9/11 era Veterans. Applying clinical interventions uniquely tailored to the SM or Veteran, their family and/or caregiver, and communicating with them on the contents of the agreed upon plan of care, including case management contact frequency. Serving as the Lead Coordinator (LC) when deemed appropriate. May serve on the Care Coordination Review Team (CCRT). VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: May be available for highly qualified applicants Telework: May be available for highly qualified applicants Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 91742-0 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.
