Summary

The Inpatient Float Social Worker provides flexible coverage across acute inpatient medicine and psychiatric units - delivering essential psychosocial care to veterans.

Qualifications

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
• Loss of Licensure or Certification
• Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment
• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• 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)
• 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 - the candidate 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 include 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 are - 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/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is 12
• Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Duties

• VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties of this position are - but not limited to: Core responsibilities include comprehensive assessments - crisis intervention - and discharge planning to ensure safe - timely transitions
• This role requires expertise in coordinating post-acute placements - navigating insurance coverage - and assisting with Medicaid applications to address financial and eligibility barriers to placement
• Working closely with interdisciplinary teams - the social worker develops individualized care plans that integrate medical - psychiatric - and social needs
• On medical units - focus areas include chronic illness support - housing stability - and end-of-life planning
• In psychiatric settings - responsibilities include risk assessment - therapeutic engagement - and linkage to outpatient mental health and substance use services
• Strong knowledge of VA and community resources - insurance processes - and placement requirements is critical
• The float position demands adaptability - clinical judgment - and the ability to manage complex cases in a fast-paced environment
• Through advocacy and resource coordination - the Inpatient Float Social Worker plays a vital role in promoting veteran-centered care and successful transitions
• Active engagement in the treatment planning process alongside other disciplines is crucial - ensuring the patient and family's psychosocial needs are carefully considered
• Possesses a comprehensive understanding of diverse human backgrounds - adept counseling skills - and the ability to independently implement treatment plans
• Independently provide a wide array of counseling services - including individual and family counseling - helping patients and their families cope with the experiences of disability - terminal illness - and death
• Extend their support beyond direct counseling - offering consultation and education to veterans and families on community resources - advance directives - and VA benefits
• Liaison between the VA and community resources - shouldering additional responsibilities such as marketing and public relation duties when needed
• Maintains data and statistical reports to comply with JCAHO - VA - and Medical Center policies and procedures
• Meticulously documents social work interventions and activities in patient clinical records - ensuring a smooth hand-off when transferring patient care
• Exceptional interpersonal skills are vital for establishing and maintaining effective relationships with patients - families - and a spectrum of community agencies - communicating fluently in diverse cultural and professional settings
• An in-depth knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities - and treatment procedures is indispensable - encompassing acute - chronic - and traumatic conditions - as well as an understanding of common medications and their associated effects and side effects
• Continuous professional growth and self-evaluation are encouraged - and active participation in professional peer reviews and case conferences is expected
• May provide clinical supervision to social work students or social workers pursuing advance practice licensure - sharing their knowledge and expertise
• Provide leadership - direction - orientation - coaching - in-service training - staff development - and/or continuing education programs for assigned social work staff
• They serve on committees - work groups - and/or task forces at the facility - VISN and national level - or in the community as deemed appropriate by the Social Work Supervisor and/or Social Work Executive
• Work Schedule: Administrative Days - 8:00am-4:30pm 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 may be available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
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