Social Worker (Float)

Summary

The Organizational Location of the Position is: in Social Work Service at Dallas VA Medical Center - Garland VA Medical Center - Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center in Bonham - the associated VA clinics and community-based outpatient clinics in Dallas - Decatur - Denton - Fort Worth - Granbury - Grand Prairie - Greenville - Plano - Sherman - and Tyler within the VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) - Dallas - TX.

Qualifications

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. Health Profession Trainees (HPT's) 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 and/or Experience Combination - 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
• License or Certification - You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• *Exception - 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
• Grandfather Provision
• A Social Worker employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (9/10/2019) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed - the following provisions apply: Employees 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 journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels
• 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 who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• Grade Determinations: Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid Texas and Federal Driver License to operate a government vehicle
• GS-09 Social Worker -Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: In addition to meeting the basic requirements - to qualify for the GS-09 - you must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans - their family members - caregivers - and survivors
• 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 GS-11 Licensure Requirement: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• Experience or Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements - to qualify for the GS-11 - you must possess 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
• Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Working under close supervision in program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience
• 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 patient/family member/caregiver advocate with community service providers/agencies
• assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members
• In collaboration with the patient - family - and interdisciplinary treatment teams - identifying strengths - weaknesses - coping skills and psychosocial acuity
• Maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with appropriate referrals
• -OR- 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 the experience above - you must demonstrate the following 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
• Preferred Experience: 2 years of experience providing case management services
• 2 years of experience conducting psychosocial assessments
• Experience coordinating community based services including information - education and referrals
• Experience working with an interdisciplinary team Qualifications continued in: Additional Information

Duties

• The incumbent must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of Veterans and their families/significant others
• Independently develop psychosocial treatment plans in coordination with interdisciplinary team members
• Social work responsibilities provide crisis management and develop psychosocial and clinical assessment of psychosocial problems that cause distress - often impacting the health condition and creating barriers to care
• These stressors can include adjustment to the current medical condition - untreated or under-treated mental health or substance abuse condition - economic instability - legal problems - and inadequate housing and transportation
• The incumbent must complete thorough assessments to determine the underlying causes of the presenting problem(s) - 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
• The incumbent is able to independently work with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric - medical and social problems utilizing therapy skills within the bounds of his /her privileges
• The Social Worker will help the patient and family to understand the contributing factors to the problem(s) - will discuss with them the pros and cons of possible short-term and long-term solutions - encouraging them to make positive and lasting changes to reduce stressors
• The Social Worker will coordinate with VA staff and community agencies to assist in problem solving as needed
• Case management with members of the interdisciplinary team is provided in order to coordinate a collaborative effort to meet the agreed upon goals for a Veteran's treatment needs and include liaison with community professionals regarding needed services for Veterans and/or their families
• Must be sensitive to the ethnic - cultural - and age diversity of the Veteran population and adjusts intervention and treatment plans/services as appropriate
• Participates in the assignment/referral of Veterans to treatment teams and programs
• Consults specialists in planning treatment for Veterans with co-morbidities
• The Social Worker provides coverage in all Social Work Service inpatient - outpatient and community program areas across VA North Texas Healthcare System as needed/assigned to cover excessive workload - vacancies - vacations - long term leave to meet the needs of the service
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid Texas and Federal Driver License to operate a government vehicle
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm 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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 55134-F - 55034-F VA Careers - Social Work: VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

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The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.

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