The Social Worker is assigned primarily to the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System (NF/SGVHS) Inpatient Acute Psychiatry Unit with coverage responsibilities in the Emergency Department.
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. English Language Proficiency: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education: You must possess 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. Note: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in Social Work. Licensure: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. For assignments at the GS-9 level, VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-9 Social Worker Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-11 Social Worker 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. 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. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position: GS-9 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Ability to utilize counseling skills when working with Veterans and family members. 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 GS-11 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 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, educational, and other 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. 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 work requires extreme patience and controlling of emotions. Day-to-day work involves sitting, walking, standing, and carrying light objects. Work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes the social worker to communicable diseases common to the hospital setting. Able to meet the physical demands of the position, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. They must have good manual dexterity. Must be able to express or exchange ideas by means of spoken and written word. Must be able to view and read information on computer screens. The job entails walking, standing, bending, pushing, traveling among several different stories/floors, sitting, working on a computer, carrying objects.
Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Completing psychosocial/mental health assessments of Veterans in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members, caregivers, and significant others to identify needs and formulate a treatment plan to meet those needs, which includes discharge planning. Providing current and advanced techniques to the treatment of the Veteran population appropriate to level of licensure and under appropriate supervision, as applicable. Establishing plans, goals and evaluating outcomes of interventions for a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. Ensuring appropriate patient-centered discharge plans aimed to achieve maximum independence are prepared for Veterans. Assisting in the development of the treatment plan and developing achievable treatment goals with the Veteran and family members/caregiver and collaborating with all additional providers. The treatment plan will be documented in approved VA treatment planning software and in the electronic health record. Reviewing and coordinating all phases of the continuing care for Veterans served. Developing, updating and using current social worker resources within VA and community social service programs to ensure that the Veteran is receiving education, information and referrals to current and viable resources to best meet their needs and enhancing the content to the benefit of Veterans. Possessing knowledge of psychosocial and mental health evidence based treatment modalities and having the ability to implement evidence based treatment modalities in working with Veterans and families to effectively negotiate crisis situations, utilizing supportive, problem solving, and/or crisis intervention techniques. Providing education related to navigating the VA system, use of community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will/Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, and Life Sustaining Treatment Decisions through Goals of Care Conversations. Assessing, coordinating, and then facilitating the completion of appropriate paperwork for referrals to residential programs, VA/community nursing homes, community residential care facilities, assisted living facilities, medical foster homes, Veteran domiciliary, adult day health care, home based health care services and others. Providing individual and group treatment. Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4:00pm, Monday - Friday 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 available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement # Social Worker (Emergency Department/Inpatient Acute Psychiatry