The primary responsibilities of this position is to be an active participant in the Geriatrics Evaluation Clinic, as well as to provide expertise and service to other sections of GEC including but not limited to HBPC, Palliative Care and other services as they develop within GEC. At least two years should be in an area of specialized social work practice. The incumbent will serve a patient population with highly complex health and mental health problems. 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. 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 at a later date 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 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 The 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: Traveling throughout the medical center and the community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking, and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities it may be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where they conduct interviews with the Veterans, their families, their support systems, representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies. The incumbent must possess current driver's license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary. ["Work Schedule: Tour of duty to be established upon selection.\nTelework: Not available.\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required The primary responsibilities of this position is to be an active participant in the Geriatrics Evaluation Clinic, as well as to provide expertise and service to other sections of GEC including but not limited to HBPC, Palliative Care and other services as they develop within GEC. The incumbent functions as an independent social work provider. The incumbent is a highly visible member of the interdisciplinary staff. The incumbent will take a leadership role in the organizing, planning, and coordination of the GEC memory clinic, and possess or develop skills to be an expert in Dementia care for Geriatric related consults and services. The incumbent will possess or will develop advanced knowledge of, and mastery of theories and modalities used in the Geriatric population with complex physical or mental illness. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Interviews Veterans to establish facts about the Veteran's situation, presenting problems and the impact of such problems on the Veteran's functioning and health. Interprets and explains VA's treatment and benefit programs. Reviews all referral data from Social Workers, case managers, managed care staff and discharge planners to identify patients' needs. Makes a clinical assessment identifying the Veteran's needs and strengths. Uses advanced clinical training, insight, and experience to interpret data and to identify viable treatment options. Assesses high risk factors, acuity, and need for VHA services and community services. Take leadership role in organizing/planning the GEC Memory Clinic. Referrals to and coordination of care services based on needs assessment in memory care clinic. Co-chair for the Facility Dementia Steering Committee and participate on the Complex Discharge Task Force. Helping the Veteran cope with end-of-life or complex chronic illness diagnoses and the many emotions that arise. Receives and addresses consults requesting services from interdisciplinary team members. Independently answers all electronic consults receive in a time manner, typically within 24 business hours for inpatients and 48 business hours for outpatients. Facilitating family discussions regarding illness, healthcare, life changes, and having Goals of Care conversations. Supporting end-of-life planning/care preferences through assistance with Advanced Directives for Healthcare. Advocating for home health or hospice care when requested by the Veteran. Serve Veterans who may be experiencing severe crises, lack family or an adequate community support, frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychosocial support. Responsible for the clinical programming and prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. Provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development and continuing education programs for assigned staff. Performs work related to the review, monitoring, analysis, planning and assessment of various programs. Responsible for key project activities related to the planning, development, and implementation of the project component. Independently evaluates the Veteran's situation, including the Veteran's reaction and ability to deal with it, and arrives at a reasoned conclusion. Performs insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving illness involving psychiatric, medical conditions, dementia and other high-risk diagnoses. Makes independent professional decisions and recommendations for agency action. On an inpatient/outpatient basis, finds a suitable means of treatment to help Veterans and/or significant others copes with stressful situations. Assures the transfer of health care, both inpatient and outpatient to the appropriate VHA and community resources. Provides independent consultation and makes recommendations to interdisciplinary team on course of treatment. Functions as an ongoing case manager by performing duties to facilitate independent community living by coordinating mental health and community care, as appropriate. Works with students to develop training plans and goals. Regularly assesses student's progress toward training goals and student's overall performance. Conducts formal workshops and classes for staff. Conduct active outreach to Veterans involved with the medical center and local community. Must possess current driver's license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary. Other duties as assigned by management."]