Senior Social Worker

About the role

The Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center is seeking a Social Worker for the Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder Clinic. The incumbent is administratively responsible for the New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder program.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychosocial assessment and intervention for each inpatient admission
• Coordinate care for patients with multiple disabilities, health conditions, and clinical needs including extended hospitalizations, new SCI/D injuries, and acute illnesses
• Individual and family counseling for SCI/D Veterans who often have poly-traumatic injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder
• Conduct interdisciplinary team (IDT) meetings on a weekly basis, which consist of physicians, registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, recreational therapists, prosthetics, psychologists, respiratory therapists and pharmacists
• Coordinate complex discharge plans including multiple disciplines, community agencies, Spoke Sites, Support Programs, and caregivers for fragile and dependent patients with complex medical needs
• Initiate consults, placement or community agency applications, and secure specialized treatment facilities for often very complicated medical conditions (total care, vent/trach care, extended wound care, amputation, quadriplegia, paraplegia, urological care, bowel care, respiratory care, rehabilitation)
• Provide social work expertise with specialized programs such as, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, Bridge to Home, Bridge to Independence, and Sub-Acute Rehab

Requirements

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

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)

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work (MSW) from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• Licensure or certification 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)
• 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
• 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

Benefits

• 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: Not Available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Physical Requirements

Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items.

Additional Information

• 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
• Additional information: Receiving Service Credit for 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.