Social Worker Pact

We're Looking for a skilled Social Worker Pact in the Veterans Health Administration based in Prescott, Arizona. Read through the job description to see if it matches your current experience.

The Successful Applicant

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: Citizen of the United States. Education: Masters 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 masters degree in social work. Licensure: Full unrestricted license or certification by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level. 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 GS9 grade level. For the GS11 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. Preferred Experience: 1 year experience of Medical Social Work. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above candidates must meet the following grade requirements. GS09 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. Assignments: Individuals assigned as GS9 grade level social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification. Social workers at the GS9 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 7 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 Veterans 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. GS9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision. GS11 Experience/Education: Candidates must possess at least one year of postMSW experience equivalent to the GS9 grade level in the field of health care or other social workrelated settings or a Doctoral degree. Additionally candidates must demonstrate 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 socioeconomic 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. 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 Veterans 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 Veterans independence health and wellbeing. The social worker conducts timely assessment of atrisk Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs evaluate risk and initiate safety plan as appropriate. (Continuation of Qualification under Additional Information)

What’s on Offer

The role offers excellent opportunities for top performers to further develop their competencies as a social worker and improving the lives of people.