The Cheyenne VA Healthcare System, Social Work service, is recruiting for a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) Social Worker for the Loveland, CO location. The Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) Social Worker provides comprehensive social work services to Veterans receiving outpatient services CVAHCS, as well as to their family members. Services are typically provided to Veterans receiving Ambulatory/Primary Care, though may also include Urgent or Emergent Care, Specialty Care, or Community Care. 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. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. 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/. (1) Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker, GS-9 (1) Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. (2) 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 (1) 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. NOTE: Refer to license or certification for appointment at this level. OR (2) 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. (3) 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: Medical Social Work experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. 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 such as papers, books, or small parts. The incumbent 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. This position also requires close visual acuity (near vision correctable at 13" to 16") 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. Use of fingers, both hands required, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, hearing (aid permitted), and clear distinctive speech are all required. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Screening/Assessment - In conjunction with the interdisciplinary treatment team, The PACT Social Worker screens and assesses the veteran's psychosocial needs and barriers in order to facilitate his or her discharge from the hospital through collaborative relationships with the veteran, his or her family/caregiver and other VA programs and VA staff, The PACT Social Worker coordinates the gathering of information vital to the process of setting appropriate discharge goals and discharge time frames. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - From screening/assessment information, The PACT Social Worker determines realistic goals that consider such factors as a) the appropriate level of discharge care, b) the setting conducive to providing such care, c) the need for interventions to enhance caregiver support to allow for the least restrictive level of care, d) transportation options/barriers and e) the steps to obtaining resources (VA or community) that make the transition from the inpatient setting successful. Advance Directive Screening and completion - The PACT Social Worker will screen Veterans while in the outpatient setting to identify need to provide education and offer assistance with completing an advance directive. Referral to service providers - To facilitate the continuity of a veteran's recovery, the PACT Social Worker will arrange referrals to needed VA and/or community resources (e.g., home health care, assisted living facilities, extended care facilities/nursing homes, services available through area agencies on aging, community support groups, hospice care, community-based extended care). Resource Usage/Development - As a developing subject matter expert on the services and resources available to veterans through both VA and the community, The PACT Social Worker will monitor patterns of resource availability, identifying unmet needs and the resultant impact on the veteran's transition from the inpatient hospital setting. Advocacy - The PACT Social Worker will advocate for the Veteran to ensure that he or she has access to all needed care and resources within VA and in the community. By availing the veteran of his or her choices in complex decisions and by guiding the veteran through complicated enrollment procedures and bureaucratic processes, Crisis Intervention - The PACT Social Worker will assess and intervene in any medical or psychiatric crises presented by the veteran and participate in developing crisis management and safety plans to minimize the event of future crises. Education/Health promotion and prevention - The PACT Social Worker will provide education about VA and community resources, entitlement programs, VA benefits and Advance Directives/Living, completing the advanced directive or living will as requested. The PACT Social Worker will refer veterans and their families/caregivers to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs. Supportive counseling - The PACT Social Worker will provide the veteran and his or her family/caregivers with time-limited, supportive counseling. With the intent of assisting the veteran and his or her family/caregivers in coping with the psychosocial impact of chronic and disabling illnesses, the onset of catastrophic illness, bereavement issues, domestic violence. Coordination of non-institutional and institutional services - The PACT Social Worker will educate the veteran, their families and the team of all the palliative care/hospice options available to them and will collaborate with the veteran and family to formulate the most appropriate plan. Perform other duties as assigned by grade level. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Compressed/Flexible: Available Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 50894A, 50895A"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.