Summary

This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) - Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6) - Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center (HVAMC). This position is aligned with the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program/ Outpatient Mental Health Services.

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
• 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
• 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
• 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: GS-09 Experience - Education - and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members
• (b) 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
• (c) 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
• (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients - staff - and representatives of community agencies
• (e) 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
• Assignment
• Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience
• Duties may include but are not limited to: 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 advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver
• assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifying the Veteran's strengths - weaknesses - coping skills and psychosocial acuity - in collaboration with the Veteran - family - and interdisciplinary treatment teams
• maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the Veteran and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals
• Since social workers at this level are not practicing at an independent level - they should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required - such as in a CBOC - unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice
• GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision
• GS-11 Experience and Licensure: 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 - and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice 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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - And Abilities: (a) Knowledge of community resources - how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services - and ability to coordinate services
• (b) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic - educational and other backgrounds
• (c) 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
• (d) 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
• (e) 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
• Assignments
• This is the full performance level
• Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work
• Incumbents are assigned to all program areas - including but not limited to: inpatient or outpatient medicine - surgery - mental health - neurology - rehabilitation medicine - and geriatrics
• Employees provide professional - independent social work services in the assigned area
• Duties include but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect - exploitation and/or intimate partner violence
• use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies - handbooks or directives
• and acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver
• Incumbent independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members - identifying the Veteran's strengths - weaknesses - coping skills - and psychosocial acuity
• In collaboration with the Veteran - family/caregiver - and interdisciplinary treatment team - the social worker facilitates the delivery of health care services
• The social worker identifies family/caregiver stressors - conducts assessment and provides specific interventions
• The incumbent provides case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services - incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans - including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice
• The social worker provides interventions independently with Veterans and their families/caregivers who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical - behavioral health - financial - legal - and psychosocial problems
• 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-09 to GS-11
• Physical Requirements: Lifting (10-20lbs)
• Frequent - Sitting - Walking - Standing (up to 8 hours)
• Rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• Correctable vision
• Hearing Aid permitted
• With patients who may suffer with mental illness - there is occasional risk of violence requiring the use of good judgment and safety precautions.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Principal Duties and Responsibilities: Must be knowledgeable about Serious Mental Illnesses (SMI) and have a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with veterans and/or their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical - psychiatric - emotional - behavioral - and psychosocial problems
• Must actively participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and actively participate through collaboration with veterans and family
• Must possess a working knowledge and experience in serious mental illness and other mental health diagnoses - disabilities - medical problems and treatment procedures - including acute - chronic - and traumatic illnesses - common medications and their effects/ side effects - and medical terminology
• Must possess knowledge and ability to implement SMI treatment and modalities - provide case management - individual or group counseling and/or supportive groups for veterans with SMI and their families under supervision
• Interviews Clients and Conducts Psychosocial Assessments: Interviews veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the veteran's situation - presenting problems and their causes - and the impact of such problems on the veteran's functioning and mental health as part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment
• Interprets and explains VA's treatment and benefit programs
• Assesses high risk factors - acuity and need for services
• Psychosocial Diagnoses: Performs insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric disorders - dependence on substances and other high-risk diagnoses
• Makes professional decisions and recommendations for agency action regarding mental health needs of patients - subject to administrative and medical approval
• Finds a suitable means of treatment to help veterans and/or significant others cope with stressful situations
• Plans Effective Treatment: Develops psychosocial treatment plans in coordination with interdisciplinary team members - including goals for psychosocial clinical treatment
• Is responsible for developing and maintaining a professional standard of patient treatment in the mental health/ primary care services area and initiating and effecting changes in methods to improve efficiency and effectiveness - including promotion of Social Work services as a key component of treatment
• Implements Treatment: Provides clinical psychosocial services to veterans and family members/significant others in support of the veteran's treatment
• Provides Case management and possibly organizes community services on behalf of beneficiaries - developing and coordinating procedures for use of these services by related staff
• Evaluation - Education - Supervision - Coaching and Mentoring: Documents independently in the medical records utilizing electronic formats - including psychosocial assessments - diagnostics - treatment - progress notes - follow up and referral
• Provides training to students - residents - interns and fellows from other disciplines
• Instructs them on psychosocial treatment and on the services available from Social Workers
• Helps them to understand family dynamics and the impact of psychosocial issues and problems on the veteran's health and response to treatment
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am- 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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) Telework: Ad-hoc as needed
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized