Senior Social Worker-Emergency Department

Department of Veterans Affairs•San Francisco, CA

46d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. The Senior Social Worker provides social work services to the Veteran population in the Emergency Department (ED). This position will focus on psychosocial issues as they pertain to Veterans dropping in to the ED with urgent psychosocial needs as well as Veterans admitted to the ED with dispo-limiting psychosocial needs. Continuity of care is an essential role to ensure patient safety, completion of assessment and referrals, firm hand-offs to PACT or inpatient providers and community resources will be an essential role in this position. Services are timely, comprehensive, and effectively coordinated with services provided by other health professionals. The incumbent works as a part of multi-disciplinary team. Services consist of high-quality psychosocial assessment and intervention; assessment of coping in the community, including assessment of suspected abuse and issues related to capacity; interventions such as counseling to patients and families addressing psychosocial stressors, mental health, addiction, illness, declining functional status, and loss, crisis intervention, advance directive education and completion when appropriate; coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers/agencies; short-term focused case management; consultation to interdisciplinary terms on the psychosocial aspects of individualized patient-care plans; discharge planning to ensure safe, efficient discharges to the appropriate level of care. This position will also assist with drop-in to the emergency department and provide cross-coverage for PACT teams as needed.

Responsibilities

Provide social work services to the Veteran population in the Emergency Department (ED).
Focus on psychosocial issues as they pertain to Veterans dropping in to the ED with urgent psychosocial needs as well as Veterans admitted to the ED with dispo-limiting psychosocial needs.
Ensure patient safety, completion of assessment and referrals, firm hand-offs to PACT or inpatient providers and community resources.
Provide high-quality psychosocial assessment and intervention.
Assess coping in the community, including assessment of suspected abuse and issues related to capacity.
Provide counseling to patients and families addressing psychosocial stressors, mental health, addiction, illness, declining functional status, and loss.
Provide crisis intervention.
Provide advance directive education and completion when appropriate.
Coordinate linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers/agencies.
Provide short-term focused case management.
Provide consultation to interdisciplinary terms on the psychosocial aspects of individualized patient-care plans.
Provide discharge planning to ensure safe, efficient discharges to the appropriate level of care.
Assist with drop-in to the emergency department and provide cross-coverage for PACT teams as needed.