Senior Social Worker (CLC) - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive & EDRP Authorized

About the role

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Responsibilities

• Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - The Senior Social Worker is responsible for contributing to the development of the treatment plan and setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran and family members/caregiver. The psychosocial assessment and minimum data set (MDS) assessment will be completed as specified by the policy for the assigned work area. When a Veteran is admitted under hospice, the CLC Social Worker will ensure documentation of what the Veteran's/Family desires are for their funeral and burial arrangements. The incumbent will participate in weekly Interdisciplinary Treatment Team Meeting for treatment planning and provide updates related to psychosocial functioning and discharge.
• Referral to service providers - Throughout the course of treatment, the Senior Social Worker/ incumbent is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources. The Senior Social Worker will collaborate with other service providers in assessing the Veteran's needs and educate the Veteran and family members on the available services and assist them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of his surrogate decision-maker.
• Advocacy - The Senior Social Worker understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. When appropriate, the incumbent will educate and encourage the Veteran to advocate on his/her own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment.
• Crisis Intervention - The Senior Social Worker will perform risk assessments and develop crisis intervention planning as clinically indicated.

Requirements

The Senior Social Worker is a professional whose duties and responsibilities center on the care management of Veterans in the CLC. The incumbent must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of Veterans as they adjust to their stay at the CLC or transition to appropriate placement alternatives. Care management responsibilities include the management, coordination, and provision of social work and supportive services to Veterans and/or their families.

The Social Worker is a member of the referral screening team and participates in the evaluation and decision-making process of accepting and/or denying CLC referrals. A significant portion of admissions are from within the WTV AHCS; therefore, this role also serves as a liaison between the CLC and WTV AHCS regarding their referrals and screening process.

The CLC Social Worker will manage and coordinate both the CLC resident and family/caregiver councils.

Qualifications

• 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).
• 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.
• Experience and 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: Individuals assigned Senior Social Worker must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and 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:
• (a) 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.
• (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• (c) 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.
• (d) 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.
• (e) 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