Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• 1
• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• 2
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 3
• Education: Candidates must 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
• 4
• 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/
• Grandfathering Provision: 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-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
• 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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice
• 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
• 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
• 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
• The full performance level of this vacancy is 12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12
• References: VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Appendix G39 - Dated September 10 - 2019
• Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking - talking - driving - use of the telephone - etc
• Strenuous physical activity is not required although the incumbent is expected to withstand pressure and stress as part of their daily activities
• Light lifting and carrying - under 15 pounds
• Hearing aid permitted as needed.

Duties

• The Senior Social Worker provides social work services to the Veteran population in the Emergency Department
• This position will focus on psychosocial issues as they pertain to pre-admission screening and or interventions necessary to prevent a social admission or decrease the inpatient length of stay the due to pre-discharge assessment and planning for all Veterans treated through the Emergency Department
• Continuity of care is an essential role to ensure patient safety - completion of assessment and referrals
• firm hand-offs to inpatient providers and community resources will be an essential role in this position
• The Senior Social Worker will work very closely with the inpatient social workers to provide warm hand-offs to assist in expediting discharges
• Services are timely - comprehensive - and effectively coordinated with services provided by other health professionals
• The Senior Social Worker works as a part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Services consist of high-quality psychosocial assessment and intervention: assessment of coping in the community - including assessment of suspected abuse and issues related to capacity
• interventions such as counseling to patients and families addressing psychosocial stressors - mental health - addiction - illness - declining functional status - and loss
• crisis intervention
• advance directive education and completion when appropriate
• coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers/agencies
• short-term focused case management
• consultation to interdisciplinary teams on the psychosocial aspects of individualized patient-care plans
• discharge planning to ensure safe - efficient discharges to the appropriate level of care
• The position will also assist with drop-in to the emergency department and provide cross-coverage for Med/Surg/PICU teams as needed
• Other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:30pm or as determined by supervisor
• Telework: Not available at this time
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact v21ccoedrp@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more