Summary

This Social Worker is assigned to Clinical Care - Community Living Centers (CLC) Programs at VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle - Washington with responsibility to provide direct services for Veterans - their families and caregivers. The incumbent is a member of an interdisciplinary team and is primarily responsible for completing psychosocial history and assessments - completing the psychosocial portions of the care plan and the Minimum Data Set (MDS).

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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:

• Citizenship
• Be a citizen of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3g this part)
• 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
• (COPY OF TRANSCRIPT WITH CONFERRED DATE REQUIRED)
• Licensure/Certification
• 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/
• (COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED FOR GS-11)
• Exception
• VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified - pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations
• This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level
• For the GS-11 grade level and above - the candidate must be licensed or certified
• At the time of appointment - the supervisor - chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification - including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline
• Failure to Obtain License or Certification
• In all cases - social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment
• Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• English Language Proficiency
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• GRADE DETERMINATIONS
• Social Worker - GS-9 Experience - Education - and Licensure
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic - cultural - ethnic - educational - and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills
• (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
• 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 - and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level
• OR - 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 (COPY OF TRANSCRIPT WITH CONFERRED DATE REQUIRED)
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (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 - cultural - ethnic - educational and other diversified 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
• 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-9 to GS-11
• PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The position requires light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds)
• use of fingers
• walking (up to 6 hours)
• standing (up to 6 hours)
• and hearing (aid may be permitted)
• Work may be performed outside and inside and you must be able to work alone and closely with others.

Duties

• The incumbent is assigned to the Social Work Department and reports to the Community Living Center Social Work Supervisor
• The social worker provides comprehensive social work services to Veterans and their families - including the management - coordination and provision of social work services to Veterans and their families in inpatient - outpatient - and community settings
• The CLC Social Worker is responsible for the following duties and responsibilities: Facilitate Interdisciplinary Treatment Team meetings - emphasizing culture transformation - including Veteran centered care planning
• Conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of Veterans and family members
• Be an active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines
• Participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and is responsible for ensuring discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate
• Provide individual - family - and group counseling as appropriate
• Provide consultation and education to Veterans and families on community resources - advance directives - and VA benefits
• Act as a consultant to other team and staff members
• Provide consultation and education to medical residents on social work practice and VA policy and procedure
• Act as liaison between VA and community resources - to include marketing and public relation duties as needed
• In the performance of official duties - the incumbent has regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive data which must be protected under provision of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws - Federal Regulations - VA statues - and policy
• The Social Worker is responsible for protecting data from unauthorized release of access codes as stated in the computer access agreement
• Provide a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice throughout the continuum of care which includes case work - individual - family and group counseling - discharge planning - case management - and other services as appropriate
• Address Advance Directives and Organ Donation in accordance with the standards of the Community Living Center
• Provide wellness and prevention education and facilitate Patient and family support groups as appropriate
• As appropriate - supervise the practice of social work students - or a less experienced social worker
• Coordinate treatment and communicate with the care lines to facilitate continuity of care for Veterans
• Participate in committee and program assignments - as deemed necessary by the service manager
• Maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with TJC - LTCI - VA - and medical center policy and procedures
• Assist patients and their significant others with coping and dealing with the loss and grief experiences in disability - terminal illness - and death
• Document social work interventions and activities in the patient clinical record utilizing CPRS or other active medical record documentation program and ensure appropriate hand off when transferring of patient care
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Mon - Fri - 8:00am to 4:30pm
• Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• 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)
• 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: Not eligible
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.