Social Worker (Inpatient)

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.

Responsibilities

• Screening/Assessment - In conjunction with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Inpatient Medical Social Worker screens and assesses the Veteran's psychosocial needs and barriers in order to facilitate their discharge from the hospital.
  • Through collaborative relationships with the Veteran, their family/caregiver and other VA programs and VA staff, the Inpatient Medicine Social Worker coordinates the gathering of information vital to the process of setting appropriate discharge goals and discharge time frames.
• Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - From screening/assessment information, the Inpatient Medical Social Worker determines realistic discharge goals that consider such factors as a) the appropriate level of discharge care, b) the setting conducive to providing such care, c) the need for post-discharge interventions to enhance caregiver support to allow for the least restrictive level of care, d) transportation options/barriers and e) the steps to obtaining resources (VA or community) that make the transition from the inpatient setting successful.
• Advance Directive Screening and completion - The Inpatient Medical Social Worker will screen Veterans while in the acute care setting to identify need to provide education and offer assistance with completing an advance directive.
• Referral to service providers - To facilitate the continuity of a Veteran's recovery, the Inpatient Medical Social Worker will arrange referrals to needed VA and/or community resources (e.g. - home health care, assisted living facilities, extended care facilities/nursing homes, services available through area agencies on aging, community support groups, hospice care, community-based extended care).
• The Inpatient Medical Social Worker will collaborate with other service providers in re-assessing the Veteran's needs during the eligibility determination process, coordinating access to information needed for the referral.
• Resource Usage/Development - As a developing subject matter expert on the services and resources available to veterans through both VA and the community, the Inpatient Medical Social Worker will monitor patterns of resource availability, identifying unmet needs and the resultant impact on the Veteran's transition from the inpatient hospital setting.
• The Inpatient Medical Social Worker will communicate with appropriate stakeholders (e.g. - the Social Work Chief/Executive, the Social Work Professional Practice Council, other VA programs, community partners) to encourage the development of new and innovative resources to meet the ever-changing needs of those we serve.
• Advocacy - The Inpatient Medical Social Worker will advocate for the hospitalized Veteran to ensure that he or she has access to all needed care and resources within VA and in the community.
• By availing the Veteran of their choices in complex decisions and by guiding the Veteran through complicated enrollment procedures and bureaucratic processes, the Inpatient Medical Social Worker facilitates the best possible outcome for the Veteran.
• Crisis Intervention - The Inpatient Medical Social Worker will assess and intervene in any medical or psychiatric crises presented by the Veteran and participate in developing crisis management and safety plans to minimize the event of future crises.
• The Inpatient Medical Social Worker will work collaboratively with other disciplines on complex cases (i.e. - the Psychiatry Consultation Team).

Requirements

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

Skills

Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills

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

Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals, which requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem-solving, or crisis intervention techniques

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies

Fundamental 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)

Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services

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

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

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

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

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package including:

• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting)
• 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: NO
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Promotion potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met

Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level

Pay

Competitive salary and regular salary increases

Schedule

Monday- Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm

Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized

Application Instructions

No application instructions provided