Career Center

Summary

As a member of a multidisciplinary team - the Inpatient Medicine/Surgery Senior Social Worker will provide a wide range of health services to patients. Provides complex physical - mental health - and psychosocial issues on the inpatient medical/surgical wards and/or clinic area. Will demonstrate advanced practice skills and experience in specialized areas such as medicine and/or mental health - geriatrics - and rehabilitation care. Experience working in a hospital setting is preferred.

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:

• Citizenship: Citizen of the United States English Language Proficiency
• In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English
• Education: Must 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
• Note: 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: Candidates must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work 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
• Grade Determinations GS-12 Senior Social Worker: In addition to the basic requirements stated above - the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade
• The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade
• Experience: 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 and 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
• 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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Full Performance Level: The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12 Physical Requirements: Light lifting (under 15 pounds)
• light carrying (under 15 pounds)
• reaching above shoulder
• use of fingers
• both hands required
• walking
• standing
• hearing (aid permitted)
• Preferred Experience: Experience working in a hospital setting is highly preferred

Duties

• NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series
• For more information - refer to Required Documents below
• Duties include - but are not limited to: Assesses and treats the highly complex physical - mental illness and psychosocial issues of patients
• Possesses knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities - and treatment procedures - including acute - chronic and traumatic illnesses - and substance abuse disorders
• Identifies and screens patients for psychosocial needs - to include high risk screening
• Ability to independently implement treatment modalities - provide counseling or psychotherapy - .and conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments
• Possesses the knowledge of assessment - treatment - discharge - and aftercare planning
• Develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in specialty area - utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services
• Ability to design changes based on empirical findings
• Participates in planning - organizing - and coordinating social work services in the hospital - and preparing and implementing the referral selection process of veterans to VA programs
• Offers consultation to colleagues on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in specialty areas - rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills
• Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff in the special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications
• Work Schedule: Sunday - Thursday 7:00 a.m
• - 3:30 p.m
• Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required