The Off-Tour Inpatient Acute Medicine Senior Social Worker will provide an extension of clinical social work services on the weekends and off-tour hours at the Long Beach VA Facility. Services will include documentation of clinical assessments, coordination of discharge planning and other functions to assist with supporting Veterans through the continuum of care. Basic Requirements Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. Licensure: Candidate 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. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. Proof of licensure must be submitted with application. Education: Master's degree in social work (MSW) 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 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 master's degree in social work. Grade Determinations: GS-12 Senior Social Worker Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, applicants 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. 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. Assignments. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. 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. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. Preferred Experience: Experience in hospital settings, with discharge planning in VA and in Community. Preferred experience in working with an interdisciplinary medicine team to support complex patients, family and team dynamics. Knowledge of Advanced Care Planning. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 - Social Worker Qualification Standard. 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. Applicants 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 applicant or others. The position requires walking throughout the Medical Center and clinics, community agencies/court rooms, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. 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. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Review a sample Total Rewards package for a VA Social Worker: https://www.vacareers.va.gov/Home/PdfViewer?issuu=social_worker_-_total_reward_of_a_va_career_flyerhttps://www.vacareers.va.gov/Home/PdfViewer?issuu=total_reward_of_a_allied_health_professions_va_ca Duties include, but are not limited to: Works with complex Veteran cases that may have serious co-morbid medical problems, mental health problems and complex psychosocial issues including homelessness, substance use, financial barriers, and lack of social and family support. Primarily assigned to Inpatient Acute Medical/Surgical and ICU units, but may support other inpatient areas. Completes initial assessments with Veteran and/or other support system. Develops psychosocial/risk assessments. Identifies Veterans strengths, limitations, and internal/external supports and service needs in order to optimize the Veterans functional status. Responsible for developing psychosocial treatment plan and sets achievable goals with the Veteran/family. Subject matter expert on VA and community resources. Provides education related to these resources in addition to benefits and Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer Veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team members for identified health education needs. Collaborates with other service providers in assessing/reassessing Veterans needs. Serves as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and their social supports. Makes rapid assessments and develops crisis management plans for admission to Acute Medicine settings. Assesses high risk factors, acuity and the need for services. Completes the C-SSRS, Comprehensive Suicide Risk Assessment, Suicide Behavior Overdose Report and Suicide Prevention Safety Plan as per national and local policy. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday; Hours will vary Telework: As determined by management Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
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.