Senior Social Worker - Emergency Department

Summary

The ED Sr. Social Worker works independently using their educational training - clinical experience - VA policies - and Joint Commission standards to administer direct services to Veterans referred to or presenting for care in the Emergency Department. This professional is responsible for providing a variety of services for Veterans including psychosocial assessments - comprehensive suicide risk assessments - suicide safety planning - short-term - solution focused counseling.

Qualifications

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
• Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a Masters of 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
• Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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)
• Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards
• Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation
• All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification - may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level - or changed to lower grade within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation - who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation - the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation
• NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS-0185 social work series - they lose the grandfathering protection
• If they choose to return later to the GS-0185 series - they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker
• 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 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 causations 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 - Part II - Appendix G39The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking - sitting - talking - use of fingers - both hands required - Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4 - Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other - Hearing (aid permitted).

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The ED Senior Social Worker collaborates with interdisciplinary teams in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans and ensures equity of access - service - and benefits to this population
• The Social Worker collects - develops - and analyzes data using appropriate clinical indicators and monitoring activities to assure that the care provided is of the highest quality
• The Social Worker provides consultation and education to VA staff and community-based service providers including medical residents and Social Work students
• The Social Worker documents activities and interventions in Veteran's clinical record utilizing the electronic medical record and ensures appropriate hand off when transferring of Veteran care
• Duties of the position include - but are not limited to: Acts as the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources
• Collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs
• Responsible for educating the Veteran and/or caregiver of available services and assisting them in establishing appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference
• Serves as a liaison with community agencies - assist Veterans with referrals for services from community and government agencies
• Educates and encourage the Veteran/family to advocate on their own behalf - thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment
• Experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission to mental health inpatient programs
• Completes suicide risk screening and assessment
• Assessment of suicidality or homicidality - completion of a suicide safety plan - and/or initiation of legal hold paperwork needed for emergent psychiatric evaluation
• Utilize different software programs to complete assessments - including the electronic medical record - Mental Health Assistant
• Consultations regarding allegations of abuse and neglect and will follow the protocol of the VA Medical Center - including mandatory reporting to Adult and Child Protective Services
• Provides education related to VA and community resources - entitlements/benefits - Advance Directives/Living Will
• Enter Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record
• Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with employees - volunteers - consumers and stakeholders within the VA - and network with outside community agencies and Social Workers
• Collaborates in the performance improvement processes and comply with performance measures
• Participate in activities to obtain feedback from Veterans and work to enhance services - making necessary adjustments
• Work Schedule: Full-Time - (Will be discussed at time of interview)
• Compressed/Flexible: Authorized Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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: Nort Authroized Functional Statement #:0000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized