The Eastern Colorado Health Care System located in Aurora, Colorado is currently recruiting for one GS 12 Senior Social Worker to work in the Oncology 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: U.S. Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English 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 the social worker position GS-0185 series in the 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/ORHM//T38Hybrids. Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. 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 Determination Requirements: GS-12 Experience/Education. The candidate must have at least two years 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. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. AND Licensure/Certification. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1) 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. 2) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. 3) 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. 4) 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. 5) 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: Experience facilitating groups, working with multidisciplinary teams and knowledge, understanding and experience of the treatment process and available resources for Veterans with hematology/oncology needs and end of life issues. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39. The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12. Physical Requirements: Primarily light and sedentary duties, occasional moderate physical demands Able to sit at desk for prolonged periods of time-typing/using mouse & keyboard Frequently engages in light to moderate physical activities including sitting, walking, bending and carrying supplies up to 35 pounds Must be able to exercise patience and control emotions ["Senior Social Worker duties in Oncology duties include, but aren't limited to the following: Applies specialized knowledge of issues w/ various cancers in oncology that Veterans & their families face: including treatments, psychosocial concerns & tells them about available community resources, such as cancer support groups & educational programs & has a general knowledge about military toxic exposure benefits Provides specialized treatment w/ complex physical & mental illness followed by Oncology team Provides a variety of psychosocial services in outpatient/inpatient settings Administers supportive counseling & appropriate case management services to address Veterans psychosocial needs throughout all phases of cancer diagnoses/treatment Incorporates complex multiple causation for differential diagnosis, including making psychosocial & psychiatric diagnoses w/in approved clinical privileges/scope of practice Conducts psychosocial assessment for wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational & other diversified backgrounds using National Comprehensive Cancer Network distress thermometer w/ all new oncology patients in active treatment Performs social work transplant evaluations for all bone marrow/stem cell transplant candidates Educates Veteran on how to cope w/ cancer diagnosis & gives instructions for self-relaxation, coping strategies, resources & referrals Facilitates a variety of oncology support groups Assesses treatment options considering Veteran's financial, familial & other pertinent circumstances Participates Inter/Intra agency collaboration w/ Veteran's cancer care involves multiple entities Provisions resources & referrals, i.e. transportation to/from appointments Assists w/ end of life planning/preference, designation of care Advanced Directives, Life Sustaining Treatment goals & preferences note. Conducts discharge planning; for placement in, in/out patient residential care facilities, skilled nursing facilities &/or alternative options Addresses what impact cancer may have on an individual's overall functioning level of intimacy, body image, living as a survivor with uncertainty of remission Advocates for home hospice/home health upon Veteran's request Obtains adaptive equipment for Veteran's home to assist help them increase his/her/their level of safety Provides individual, group, & family psychotherapy & advanced level case management interventions used in treating Veterans w/ serious medical/psychiatric disorders w/ concurrent cancer diagnoses Uses advanced knowledge of psychosocial treatment modalities; & has ability to implement treatment modalities, provide counseling, or psychotherapy for individuals, families & groups to achieve treatment goals Offers suggestions based on professional judgement/skills to provide support, assist Veteran with problem solving, or if necessary, perform crisis intervention techniques Develops/implements methods for measuring the effectiveness of social work practices & services in the Oncology specialty area, utilizes outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. Consults/mentors w/ colleagues, staff & students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in specialty areas, rendering professional opinions based on experience & expertise & role models effective social work practice skills in the special area Provides supervision for licensure/specialty certifications Performs case finding functions/outreach, identifies/screens patients for psychosocial needs Coordinates community-based services, including information/referrals for additional services from other VA, government & community agency programs Documents all clinical & administrative tasks associated w/ Veteran care according to VHA, federal & state, law, policy, procedure &/or guidance in a timely manner Completes Reports of Abuse/Neglect according to VHA & State deadlines and reporting requirements according to applicable licensure board & NASW Code of Ethics Demonstrates I Care values to internal/external customers Protects printed/electronic files containing sensitive data according to laws, federal regulations, VA statutes & policy; protects data from unauthorized release, loss; alteration, &/or unauthorized deletion; follows applicable regulations & instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, etc Performs other duties as required Work Schedule: 7:30am-4:00pm Monday-Friday Telework: Ad hoc telework may be available for the highly qualified applicant Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PD579970 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
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.
