Senior Social Worker (Hospice and Palliative Care)

Veterans Health Administration • Augusta, ME

14h • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker (Hospice and Palliative Care) works in the Geriatrics & Extended Care Service at the VA Maine Healthcare System in Augusta, Maine. This full-time position provides social work services to Veterans on the inpatient Hospice unit and to patients followed by the outpatient Palliative Care team. The role requires advanced practice clinical skills and judgment, specialized expertise in hospice and/or palliative care, and the ability to serve as a resource to clinical staff and provide education to Fellows and other trainees on psychosocial issues in palliative medicine and end-of-life care.

The social worker supports Veterans and families facing end-of-life or complex chronic illness through assessment, counseling, education, advocacy, care coordination, and discharge planning. The role includes facilitating communication among Veterans, families, and treatment teams; helping patients consider care options and preferences; coordinating referrals and community resources; and supporting hospice, home health, and bereavement services.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., for 40 hours per week. It is not a virtual position; ad-hoc telework is available. The work is primarily sedentary and takes place in offices and meeting rooms, but requires movement around the facility. The incumbent may encounter infected patients or contaminated materials, patients who may be combative due to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders, and emotionally demanding or stressful situations.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Master's degree in Social Work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; a doctoral degree cannot substitute for this master's degree.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• State licensure or certification at the advanced practice level, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, subject to the stated grandfathering provisions; must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• At least two years of experience after advanced practice clinical licensure, including at least one year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Specialized social work practice experience and advanced practice skills and judgment.
• Skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial or case management.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation into differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge of developing and implementing methods to measure social work practice effectiveness, use outcome evaluations to improve services, and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students and role-model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and may be subject to credentialing.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must complete the required background/security investigation and online onboarding process.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Must submit required application materials; a transcript is required when education is used to establish qualifications.

Nice To Haves

• Specialized social work experience in hospice and/or palliative care, including managing complex physical, emotional, and psychosocial needs of Veterans with advanced progressive or terminal illnesses.
• Competency in comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments, DSM-5 multiaxial diagnostic formulation, treatment planning, and ongoing case management for patients and families facing end-of-life issues.
• Experience collaborating with interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary teams, including physicians, APRNs, nurses, psychologists, chaplains, and community agencies, to coordinate care and support goals-of-care discussions and communication.
• Knowledge and application of community resources, VA benefits, Social Security, disability programs, and hospice-related services, including timely referrals, linkage, and advocacy for Veterans and caregivers.
• Experience counseling and supporting individuals, couples, and families regarding anticipatory grief, bereavement, coping, caregiver stress, and the emotional impact of chronic or terminal illness.
• Expertise in discharge planning and care coordination, including skilled nursing facilities, residential care programs, adult day health programs, and Non-VA hospice or home-based services.
• Experience providing education and training to clinical staff, Fellows, and trainees on psychosocial topics related to palliative medicine, end-of-life ethics, grief and loss, and community resource navigation.

Responsibilities

• Assess patients' understanding of their diagnoses and proposed treatments.
• Help Veterans cope with end-of-life or complex chronic illness diagnoses and related emotions.
• Provide education and instruction on self-relaxation and other coping strategies.
• Assess treatment options in light of work, family, and other obligations.
• Collaborate with other agencies when a Veteran's care involves multiple entities.
• Educate patients about VA, Social Security, and disability benefits.
• Refer and connect Veterans to community agencies offering specialized benefits.
• Counsel individuals, couples, and families and refer them to specialized mental health providers as appropriate.
• Connect patients and families with appropriate support groups and educational programs.
• Facilitate communication between the treatment team, Veteran, and family, including advocacy.
• Facilitate family discussions about illness, healthcare, and life changes.
• Support end-of-life planning and care preferences, including assistance with advance directives and discussions of patient values and preferences concerning life-sustaining treatments.
• Plan discharges and inpatient or outpatient placements in residential care facilities, subacute skilled nursing facilities, and adult day healthcare programs.
• Address the effects of end-of-life and chronic illness on intimacy, body image, and living with uncertainty about life expectancy.
• Refer and coordinate hospice care services, including coordination with Non-VA Care Coordination.
• Advocate for home health or hospice care when requested by the Veteran.
• Coordinate bereavement support services with VA Maine chaplain services and/or community hospice agencies.
• Provide specialized consultation and serve as a resource to clinical colleagues; educate and train Fellows and other trainees.
• Use outcome evaluations to assess and improve social work services and contribute to system changes, policies, procedures, or practice guidelines.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) student loan reimbursement, subject to eligibility and approval, with awards up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or VA special needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, comprising 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Potential child care subsidy after 60 days for eligible full-time employees and families meeting income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting.
• Federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior