[job_card.job_description]The Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) is a comprehensive team which delivers primary care to veteran patients in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and which has as its focus: prevention; health promotion, coordination and chronic disease management. The social worker functions as a PACT teamlette member with a panel of veterans to ensure that health care meets their needs, as defined by the veteran. 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. 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. Licensure: 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. English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. 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: Senior Social Worker, GS-12: Experience/Education: The candidate 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. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard, GS-0185, Veterans Health Administration, dated September 10, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is 12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. ["Please see below links for the rewards of being an employee of the Department of Veteran Affairs The social worker is assigned to Primary Care and covers Urgent Care and Specialty Clinics as well, where appropriate. Duties for the position may include but are not limited to: Offers consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment and care coordination of complex patients as incumbent is seen as an expert and leader among peers in the psychosocial care of medically complex patients. Establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with, and in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of, veterans and their families/significant others. Participates as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team through collaboration with veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed. Accepts referrals originating from any member of the interdisciplinary team, from Veterans and/or their families who call or walk-in for assistance, and from community professionals. Conducts thorough assessments to determine psychosocial problems that cause distress, often impacting the health condition and creating barriers to care needs of veterans and family members, the underlying causes of the presenting problem, the interpersonal and environmental factors impacting the problem, and its effect on the patient's ability and desire to comply with the treatment recommendations by the multidisciplinary team. Provides consultation and education to veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives. Provides wellness/prevention education and stress management, which includes expertise in Whole Health, facilitates patient/family support groups or clinical groups, independently or in conjunction with other clinical providers, and participates in shared medical appointments as appropriate. Provides advanced level case management interventions used in the treatment of veterans with members of the outpatient interdisciplinary team and is provided in order to coordinate a collaborative effort to meet the agreed upon goals for a veteran's treatment needs. Serves on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor or Chief of Primary Care. Represents the VA in the community by preparing presentations for community hospitals and community providers groups. Provides coverage for, and assistance to, the program supervisor when needed to support the GS-9/11 PACT social worker team, which can be achieved either remotely or in person. Other duties as assigned. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and may be posted up to September 30, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be March 7, 2024, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st and 15th of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. Work Schedule: Full Time; Monday - Friday; 8:00 - 4:30 ; Tour of duty subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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 $ 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: Authorized per Agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
