Summary

The Social Worker provides Veterans in the Charles George VA Medical Center Community Based Outpatient Clinic - Hickory - NC - with high quality - clinical treatment consisting of individual and group psychotherapy.

Qualifications

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 - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) Education and/or Experience Combination - You must possess 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
• Note: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in Social Work
• License or Certification - You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Preferred Experience: Minimum of 2 years working in outpatient/inpatient mental health setting
• Trained in at least 2 Evidence-Based Practices [e.g
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression - CBT-D
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - ACT
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy - DBT] - Experience treating mental health diagnosis in Veteran population
• Experience with risk assessments - treatment planning and working within an interdisciplinary team
• GS-11 Licensure Requirement: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• GS-11 Experience or Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements - to qualify for the GS-11 - you must possess 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
• Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Working under close supervision in program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience
• Identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect or exploitation
• providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning
• providing social work case management
• acting as an patient/family member/caregiver advocate with community service providers/agencies
• assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members
• In collaboration with the patient - family - and interdisciplinary treatment teams - identifying strengths - weaknesses - coping skills and psychosocial acuity
• Maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with appropriate referrals
• -OR- 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
• In addition to the experience above - you must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: 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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit VA Handbook 5005 - Part Ii - Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11
• Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary
• The employee may sit comfortably in an office or clinic to perform the work
• However - there may be some walking - standing - stooping - bending - and carrying light items such as papers - books - etc
• It may require some lifting (10-20 lbs.) occasionally
• Reaching above shoulder
• Frequent keyboarding (4-7 hours per day)
• Sitting (4-7 hours per day)
• Walking up to 6 hours per day)
• Standing (up to 8 hours per day)
• Infrequent climbing/descending of stairs
• Some bending
• Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• Correctable near sighted and far-sighted vision
• Hearing (Aid permitted).

Duties

• The duties and responsibilities included but are not limited to the following: Screening/Assessment- The social worker will develop an assessment of the Veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team - the Veteran - family members and significant others - whenever possible
• The goal of the assessment is to highlight the Veteran's strengths - limitations - and internal/external supports and service needs in order to optimize the Veteran's functional status and safely maintain the Veteran in his/her home
• It is the responsibility of the social worker - working within the interdisciplinary treatment team - to develop a treatment plan with the Veteran based on this assessment
• Psychotherapy- Social worker will provide the Veteran with individual and group psychotherapy uniquely tailored to meet the needs of the Veteran
• The purpose of such therapy is to focus of the unique needs of the Veteran - address personal trauma and or needs
• Treatment Planning/Goal Setting-The social worker is responsible for developing the treatment plan - and setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran/family in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team members
• The social worker will include psychosocial problems onto the interdisciplinary treatment plan - will attend weekly interdisciplinary care planning meetings
• ongoing assessments and will update treatment plans when necessary or as health status changes
• Social workers will address the unique needs of the chronically mentally ill - frail - disabled Veteran
• Referral to service providers -Throughout the course of treatment the social worker is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources
• The social worker will collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs for non-institutional - institutional services/programs and entitlements
• The social worker is responsible for educating the Veteran and/or caregiver of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of his surrogate decision-maker
• Advocacy- Social worker understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran/family
• When appropriate and feasible - social worker will educate and encourage the Veteran/family to advocate on their own behalf - thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment
• Crisis lnteNention -Social worker is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans to maintain patient in the home - for admission to acute - short term and/or long term placements
• Social worker has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis
• Education/Health promotion and prevention -Social worker will provide education related to VA and community resources - entitlements - Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer Veteran/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs
• Administrative responsibilities -The social worker will enter all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates
• This information wilI be entered in a complete - confidential - and professional manner to insure information on the patient is shared with other VA staff
• This information will be reviewed on a regular basis
• The social worker will establish and maintain positive working relationships with employees - volunteers - consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: M-F 0730-4:00PM Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• 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) Functional Statement #: 000000