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The Social Worker is assigned to the Salt Lake City VAMC Caregiver Support Program. The mission of CSP is to promote the health and well-being of caregivers who provide care to eligible Veterans. This is accomplished by providing support and assistance to Primary and Secondary Family Caregivers of Veterans participating in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers and to all caregivers through the Program of General Caregiver Support and Services. 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. 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. 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. Grade Determinations: Social Worker, GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. 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. 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. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. 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. Social Worker, GS-11 Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of 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. 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. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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. Preferred Experience: Preferred experience performing psychosocial assessments, mental health therapy; education or evidence based training related to social work practice in gerontology, mental health, substance abuse, brain injury; experience as VASLC employee or intern. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 9 to 11. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the social worker or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position will require travel into the community to meet with Veterans, Caregivers, community agencies, and partners who assist and support to the Caregiver Support Program and its Veterans. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. ["The CSP Social Worker assists in the day-to-day operations of the Caregiver Support Program specific to his/her area of assignment and ensures compliance and collaboration with local facility and the VA Central Office Caregiver Support Program initiatives. The Social Worker participates in direct caregiver and Veteran contacts to identify and assess caregiver stress/burden and the development and application of directed clinical treatment interventions. Advises and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams throughout the medical center on caregiver issues. Creates educational tools, develops programs, and implements training focused on specific caregiver needs/issues. The Social Worker conducts caregiver and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of caregiver stress, psychiatric illness, emotional distress, and social needs as treatment issues. Professional judgment, including the knowledge of normal and abnormal behavior, is an inherent competency applied in daily interactions with caregivers and the Veterans they care for. The Social Worker provides referrals to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits, community-based social services, and other non-VA entitlement programs. If appropriate, he/she provides referrals or consults, or in some cases facilitates direct admission of a Veteran to other VA programs including but not limited to the Respite Program, Hospice, Home Based Primary Care, Telehealth, and the Community Nursing Home Program. The Social Worker serves as a consultant for navigating the complex processes caregivers, Veterans, and families encounter when interacting with government and community agencies. As a Social Worker, the employee stays informed regarding current federal and state legislation directed at assisting caregivers to continue to provide caregiving in an environment that is safe for both themselves and the Veteran. The Social Worker will maintain a knowledge base of current theory and treatment modalities by reading professional journals, attending conferences, clinic seminars and teleconferences, and materials distributed through VA and private sector sources. The Social Worker will collaborate with the VA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), mental health, and geriatric primary care clinicians to provide Veteran and staff education on caregiver issues. Coordination will include hands-on support group work involvement, and training of patient aligned care team clinical social work staff in the development and facilitation of such groups. The Social Worker will develop/maintain a library of caregiver support information materials for distribution through the various inpatient/outpatient and specialty clinic settings. The Social Worker serves as a liaison between the VA and community agencies. He/she participates in caregiver support activities in the local community and state to promote and recognize the role of the caregiver. Participates on state and local caregiver support committees as needed. Invites state and community caregiver related agencies to participate on the local VA Caregiver Support Advisory Board. Develops and fosters relationships with community partners to assist with system navigation, maintain collaboration and coordinate services. The Social Worker, in collaboration with other clinical staff and program manager and coordinators, will establish a caregiver support protocol (resources, education and training) sensitive to the issues of the caregivers who are providing care to our youngest returning Veterans. In conjunction with the CSP Manager and Coordinators, the Social Worker assists in coordinating events and programs for the annual National Family Caregivers Month in November, which includes announcements and advertising of month-long activities, mobilization of participants, educational sessions, caregiver recognition events, and caregiver support programs. The Social Worker will utilize and assist in maintaining a data monitoring system to measure the efficacy of the program. The Social Worker assists in collecting and analyzing local data for reports to local management, the VISN Caregiver Support Coordinator Lead, and the National Caregiver Support Program, Care Management and Social Work Service office, and the Office of Patient Care Services. The Social Worker performs a wide range of services and may provide technical assistance to state, local, and private agencies, and universities. Technical assistance is based on monitoring activities and program reviews, and the development and analysis of information. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 54805-O, 54806-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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