CHA Career Center

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Learn more 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. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: 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. Grade Determinations: 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. 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, September 10, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The position requires light lifting/carrying (under 15lbs), straight pulling (up to 6 hours), pushing (up to 2 hours), use of fingers, walking (up to 6 hours), standing (up to 2 hours), repeated bending (up to 6 hours), operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle; ability to distinguish basic colors, and hearing (aid permitted). Must be able to work with hands in water and work closely with others and alone. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU This Social Worker is assigned to a Community Based Outpatient Clinic at VA Puget Sound Health Care System located in Washington with responsibility to provide direct services for Veterans, their families and caregivers. The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services. Duties will include: The individual will conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of veterans and family members. The individual is an active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines. The individual will participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate. The individual will provide individual, family and group counseling as appropriate. The individual will provide consultation/education to veterans and families on community resources, advance directives and VA benefits. The individual will act as a consultant to other team/staff members. The individual will provide consultation/education to staff on social work practice and VA policy and procedure. The individual will act as liaison between VA and community resources, to include marketing and public relation duties as needed. The individual will provide case management to veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care. The individual will provide a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice which includes case work, individual, family and group counseling, discharge planning, case management and other services as appropriate. The individual will address Advance Directives in accordance with the standards of their work area. The individual will provide wellness/prevention education and facilitate Patient/family support groups as appropriate. The individual will as appropriate, supervise the practice of social work students, or a less experienced social worker. The individual will coordinate treatment and communicate with the care lines to facilitate continuity of care for veterans. The individual will participate in committee assignments, as deemed necessary by the service manager. The individual will maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with The Joint Commission, VA and medical center policy and procedures. The individual will assist patients and their significant others with coping and dealing with the loss and grief experiences in disability, terminal illness and death. The individual will document social work interventions and activities in patient's clinical record and ensure appropriate hand off when transferring of patient care. Duties include working independently with Veterans and their caregivers in a community setting. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm\nTelework: May be available for highly qualified candidates.\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nPosition Title/Functional Statement #:Senior Social Worker/PD000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nEDRP Authorized: Please contact the VISN 20 EDRP Coordinator Stacy Hermann @ V20CompensationTeam@va.gov\n.Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]