Duties

Incumbent is a professional social worker whose duties and responsibilities relate to the case management of veterans who are identified as "high risk" for suicide or suicide behaviors. The incumbent must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of at-risk veterans as they transition from inpatient to outpatient care.

Duties include, but are not limited to the following tasks:

• • The incumbent will conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of veterans and family members.
  • The incumbent is an active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines.
  • The incumbent will participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate.
  • The incumbent will provide individual, family and group counseling as appropriate.
  • The incumbent will provide consultation/education to veterans and families on community resources, advance directives and VA benefits.
  • The incumbent will act as a consultant to other team/staff members.
  • The incumbent will provide consultation/education to medical residents on social work practice and VA policy and procedure.
  • The incumbent will act as liaison between VA and community resources, to include marketing and public relation duties as needed.
  • The incumbent will provide case management to veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care.
  • The incumbent will provide a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice which includes case work, individual, family and group counseling, discharge planning, case management and other services as appropriate.
  • The incumbent will address Advance Directives and Organ Donation in accordance with the standards of their work area.
  • The incumbent will provide wellness/prevention education and facilitate Patient/family support groups as appropriate.
  • The incumbent will as appropriate, supervise the practice of social work students, or a less experienced social worker.
  • The incumbent will coordinate treatment and communicate with the care lines to facilitate continuity of care for veterans.
  • The incumbent will participate in committee assignments, as deemed necessary by the service manager.
  • The incumbent will maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with Joint Commission, VA and medical center policy and procedures.
  • The incumbent will assist patients and their significant others with coping and dealing with the loss and grief experiences in disability, terminal illness, and death.
  • The incumbent will document social work interventions and activities in patient's clinical record utilizing CPRS and ensure appropriate hand off when transferring of patient care.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Telework: Ad Hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Title/Functional Statement #:Social Worker (Suicide Prevention Case Manager)/PD000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact cynthia.eckerd@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/14/2021.
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. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education. 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. To verify that a social work degree meets the accreditation standard for a master of social work, access the CSWE website at http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation/organizations.aspx. (Copy of transcript must be submitted).
• Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Social work Coordinators must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level (LCSW or equivalent). (Copy of licensure)
• PROOF OF LICENSURE AND COLLEGE TRANSCRIPT(S) MUST BE INCLUDED WITH YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE

Grade Determinations:

GS-9 Social Worker
Experience, Education and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. At the GS-9 level, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
(e) 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 Social Worker
Specialized Experience: 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.

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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
(b) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds.
(c) 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.
(d) 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.
(e) 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.

Licensure:
GS-9 - Must become licensed or certified at the independent level within three years of appointment.
GS-11 - Must have a license or certification in a state at the independent practice level.

References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 11.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily non-strenuous though a significant amount of walking is required for face to face contact with patients, family members and medical staff. Ability to lift 5-10 pounds, mostly documents and/or binders is required. The ability to sit for 1-2 hours and do substantial computer work.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .