Summary

The Social Worker (HOME BASED PRIMARY CARE) position provides direct services to adult and geriatric Veterans enrolled in the Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) within Victoria - TX program. This position is responsible for assessment - planning - and provision of case management services in the HBPC Program. Under supervision - the social worker coordinates a variety of activities including outreach - interdisciplinary activities - psychosocial assessments and treatment planning.

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
• 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
• 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
• *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
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Services
• 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)
• Grade Determinations for Social Worker: For GS-9: Experience - Education - and Licensure
• None beyond the basic requirements
• AND ALL KSAs
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs in your resume: (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
• For GS-11: Experience and Licensure or Education
• Experience and Licensure: 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 - (VA or non VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level
• 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
• AND ALL KSAs
• In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs in your resume: (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
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid Texas and Federal Driver License to operate a government vehicle
• Incumbents may be required to drive a government and/or personal vehicle during the course of their duties to provide service to veterans in the community
• HBPC requires regular travel to the community to visit with Veterans in their homes
• So they will constantly be out in the community at least 50% of the time
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• 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
• Physical Requirements: Physical requirements include the ability to walk - stand - and sit for extended periods of time - typically in an office setting
• Some light to moderate lifting is required - as well as the ability to reach overhead - use of a computer and telephone for extended periods
• Working closely with others - sometimes in close quarters - and demonstrating mental and emotional stability is required
• Must meet and maintain all physical and training requirements to be able to drive a government vehicle
• Distant vision 20/40 in one eye with or without correction
• Emotional and Mental Stability
• ability to distinguish red - green and amber
• whispered voice at five feet - or average hearing loss of not greater than 40 dbs
• at 500 - 1000 and 2 -000 Hz.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Screening/Assessment - will develop an assessment of the Veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team - the Veteran - and family members/significant others - whenever possible
• The goal of the assessment is to highlight the Veteran's strengths - limitations - and internal/external supports and service needs in order to optimize the Veteran's functional status and safely maintain the Veteran in his/her home
• The assessment will include a home visit
• The initial assessment and assessment updates will be completed as specified by the policy for the assigned work area
• Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - responsible for contributing to the development of the treatment plan - setting achievable treatment goals and implementing treatment modalities with the Veteran - family members/significant others and other clinical team members
• Referral to service providers - collaborates with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs for non-institutional - institutional services/programs and entitlements
• The Social Worker is responsible for educating the Veteran and families/significant others of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of his surrogate decision-maker
• Crisis Intervention - Under clinical supervision - the Social Worker may facilitate rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans
• The Social Worker has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis
• In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency - the Social Worker will follow the protocol of the HBPC Program and the South Texas Veterans Health Care System
• Coordination of non-institutional and institutional services - responsible for the coordination of the referrals of non-institutional services such as HBPC - ADHC/CADHC - home hospice and skilled and non-skilled homecare services in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team members
• Responsible for the coordination of the referrals of institutional placements in Adult Homes - Assisted Living Programs - CNH or VA Community Living Center
• This includes reviewing the progress notes from the other providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of each Veteran being referred for non-institutional and institutional alternatives
• Supportive counseling - provides the Veterans and their caregivers with ongoing supportive counseling
• The purpose of such counseling is to deal with the psychosocial impact of coping with chronic/disabling illness (es) - onset of a catastrophic illness and need for non-institutional or institutional services - as needed - during the course of the Veteran's enrollment in the HBPC Program
• Education/Health promotion and prevention - provides education related to VA and community resources - entitlements - Advance Directives/Living Will
• Administrative responsibilities - enters all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates
• Completes other duties as assigned - to include serving on committees - work groups - and task forces at the facility and VISN level or in the community Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30-4pm or 8 - 4:30pm
• Evening and weekend hours may be added as needed
• Must be flexible with scheduling and duty assignments
• 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: Ad-hoc and as determined by agency policy
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: : 55245-6F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized