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. 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of 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. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. English Language Proficiency Requirement - Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. GS 12 Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates 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. One year of experience equivalent to the GS- 11- 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 links the Veteran with services, resources, and opportunities, in order to maximize the Veteran's independence, health, and well-being. The social worker conducts timely assessment of at-risk Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs, evaluate risk, and initiate safety plan as appropriate. 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. 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, the candidate 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 Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard. Preferred experience and/or training in:Previous experience in a social work, healthcare setting. The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-12. 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 sitting, walking, standing, bending and carrying items such as books, papers and files are required. When carrying out job related duties, it may be necessary for the incumbent to travel to MEDVAMC and/or into the community to meet with Veterans, their families, community partners, internal/external stakeholders and other representatives to complete official job related duties. ["The Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) is seeking a Senior Social Worker-Primary Care. This position will be located in Beaumont, TX. Current permanent VA employees and Federal employees from other federal agency should apply under CBST-11804108-23-LG. VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Incumbent will provide high quality medical social work care and services to Veterans enrolled in outpatient Primary Care. This includes active case management and care coordination, clinical assessment and treatment, advocacy, and coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers/agencies as needed by the Veteran and family. The incumbent is uniquely prepared for this role by virtue of their education, training, and experience. The incumbent understands the impact that family and community have on the health-care needs of Veterans. Incumbent incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans, including psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges and scope of practice. Incumbent is able to provide individual, group, and family psychotherapy and advanced level case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans. Specifically, the incumbent also facilitates and/or participates as an interdisciplinary team member in health promotion, behavioral, and psychoeducational groups with a focus on chronic illness (i.e. smoking cessation, diabetes, weight management). Incumbent coordinates with outside medical facilities to promote continuity of care to include: creation of a network of social services providers in the local community to enhance services provided by the VA; fill service gaps identified in the Veteran's care and treatment due to limitations in Veteran's services. Functions within the interdisciplinary team to coordinate with medical staff re: home health care and extended care referrals. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Title/Functional Statement # Senior Social Worker - Primary Care/PD000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact Demetrius.Roberts@va.gov the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
