The New Mexico VA Healthcare Network is recruiting for a Senior Social Worker assigned to the Patient Aligned Care Team. Responsibilities include the assessment of psychosocial problems that cause distress, often impacting the health condition and creating barriers to care. These stressors can include adjustment to the current medical condition, untreated or under-treated mental health or substance abuse condition, economic instability, legal problems, and inadequate housing and transportation. 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 Senior Social Worker positions in the GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. 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: Senior Social Worker, GS-0185-12 Experience and Education: Two year 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) 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. (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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: Unrestricted Social Work licensure References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard, GS-0185, Veterans Health Administration. Date: September 10, 2019 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The Senior Social Worker is assigned to rural CBOC locations in the catchment area of the New Mexico VA Health Care System. These CBOC locations are located in or around the NM cities of Artesia, Gallup, Silver City, Santa Fe or Raton. The incumbent is in a setting where he/she has no on-site access to specific clinical social work supervision. The Senior Social Worker is located at a distance from the main medical center and is remotely supervised by the PACT Social Work Supervisor. Specific social work supervision/oversight is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The major duties and responsibilities of the Senior PACT Social Worker includes but are not limited to: Completes thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families. Utilizes this assessment in facilitating the Veteran's maximum use of treatment for attainment of the highest level of independence that is possible and practicable. Participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and actively participate through collaboration with Veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members in the development and implementation of treatment goals and interventions. Possess a working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses, substance abuse disorders, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology. Facilitates action for community placements through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate community placements are completed in a timely manner. Community placements can involve but are not limited to referrals to group and family care homes, assisted living facilities, adult day health care programs, contract nursing homes, Community Living Centers, residential care homes, inpatient and outpatient hospice services. Serves as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of services. Possess knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide educational classes, and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families, including shared medical appointments. Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives. This includes the incumbent's knowledge of the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community programs. Offers consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in specialty areas, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications. Develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in specialty areas, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. Incumbent is able to demonstrate the ability to design changes based on empirical findings. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday: 0800am - 4:30pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
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.
