Social Worker (Pact Aligned Care Team)- Social Services

Summary

The Social Worker (PACT) is located with Social Services at the El Paso VA Health Care System. The incumbent will provide a variety of biopsychosocial assessments and case management services with individual Veterans and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric - medical and social problems.

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.

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: Must be proficient in written or spoken English
• 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 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
• Exception: VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified - pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations
• This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level
• For the GS-11 grade level and above - the candidate must be licensed or certified
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Please see the Additional Information Section of this announcement for details
• Grade Determinations: 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 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 Licensure Requirement: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• GS-11 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: Screening - assessments - treatment planning - goal setting and case management.
• Experience crisis intervention Resources and referrals Care coordination 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-09 to GS-11
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit
• Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary
• Some work may require movement between offices - hospitals - warehouses - and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work
• Work may also require walking/standing - in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site
• Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include but are not limited to: *The incumbent must use their skills in assessing and treating biopsychosocial problems of Veterans and their families/significant others
• Social Worker responsibilities include the management of crisis intervention - the assessment of biopsychosocial problems that cause distress - impacting health conditions and creating barriers to care *The incumbent must complete comprehensive assessments to determine the influence of social drivers of health on the presenting problem(s) *Evaluates 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
• *Coordinate with VA staff and community agencies to secure services and assist in problem-solving as needed
• Case management with members of the outpatient multidisciplinary team is provided to coordinate a collaborative effort - to meet the agreed upon goals - and include collaboration with community professionals regarding needed services for Veterans and/or their families
• *Assesses the Veterans biopsychosocial status as well as the state of the social system - arranges - coordinates - monitors - evaluates - and advocates for multiple services to meet the specific needs of the Veterans and their families
• *Collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs for non-institutional - institutional services/programs and entitlements *Responsible for developing and maintaining a current resource file of VA and community social service programs and will refer the Veteran to needed services
• *Coordinates community-based services - including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs - other government programs and community agency programs *Act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the veteran/family
• *Participates and assists in planning and executing outreach events for the purpose of providing education and expedited access to VA Care *Able to make rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans to maintain patient in the home - for admission to acute - short term and/or long-term placements *Responsible for the coordination of referrals for non-institutional services such as - but not limited to - Home Base Primary Care - home hospice - skilled - and non-skilled home care services - substance abuse - or behavioral health programs
• *Responsible for coordinating referrals of institutional placements in Medical Foster Homes - Assisted Living - Contract Nursing Home or non-contract community nursing home *Provide education related to VA and community resources - entitlements - Advance Directives/Living Will - and will refer Veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for the identified health education needs to include Complementary and Integrative Health Services *Provide Veterans and their caregivers with ongoing supportive counseling and education *Responsible for supporting the mission - policies - and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs - the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) - and the facility
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:45pm 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 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• 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: Yes - as determined by the agency policy
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized This is a Bargaining Unit position

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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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