Social Worker Patient Aligned Care Team Pact

We're Looking for a skilled Social Worker Patient Aligned Care Team Pact in the Veterans Health Administration based in Washington, District of Columbia. Read through the job description to see if it matches your current experience.

The Successful Applicant

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Noncitizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education. Have a masters 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 masters 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. Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level. Exception at the GS9 level only this may be waived for people who are otherwise qualified pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent masters level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of postMSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California Washington and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years social workers must become licensed at the independent masters level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. Social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Grade Determinations: GS9 Social Worker: Experience Education and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. In addition to meeting basic requirements the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic cultural ethnic educational and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients staff and representatives of community agencies. 5. 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. Entry Level Assignments (GS9). 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 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. GS11 Social Worker: Experience and Licensure: Requires completion of a minimum of one year of postMSW experience equivalent to the GS9 grade level (conducting clinical assessments and providing psychosocial services: including individual family and group psychotherapy) in the field of health care or other social workrelated settings (VA or nonVA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. OR 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. In addition to meeting the GS11 requirements the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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. Full Performance Level Assignments (GS11). 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. Reference: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39. For more information on this qualification standard please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS9 to GS11. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor and are generally sedentary in nature but may require occasional travel. Physical activity involves sitting standing walking bending stooping climbing stairs and carrying light items such as papers books or other supplies. The incumbent uses a computer and standard office equipment to complete tasks. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with the Veteran/Patient population and their families/caregivers. A level of selfawareness is essential.

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.