Senior Social Worker-Weekends-EDRP Approved

Veterans Health Administration • Dallas, TX

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker provides weekend social work coverage for inpatient units, intensive care units, the Emergency Department, and outpatient services. The role supports discharge planning coordinated by assigned daily social workers and initiates planning for newly admitted Veterans by assessing anticipated discharge needs, documenting findings, and communicating them to the assigned social worker.

The position provides psychosocial assessments, admission and pre-discharge planning, brief solution-focused therapy for individuals and families in crisis, education and referrals for resources and benefits, suicide risk screening and assessment, clinical reminders, and post-intervention follow-up. The social worker evaluates Veterans’ and families’ circumstances, determines eligibility and needs, develops diagnoses and care plans, coordinates and monitors services, and documents treatment in the patient record. The role also includes counseling, case management, crisis intervention, and coordination with interdisciplinary health care professionals and community resources.

The incumbent works with Veterans and families to set achievable psychosocial treatment goals, adjusts interventions as needs change, and provides education and support related to acute and chronic illness, combat stress, traumatic brain injury, community adjustment, addictions, and other health and mental health concerns. The position is a high-risk role involving recurring face-to-face contact with high-risk individuals and frequently changing priorities. Work is primarily sedentary, with some movement between work areas and occasional walking, standing, and carrying light items.

The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program eligibility and approval. The work schedule is either Thursday through Sunday or Saturday through Tuesday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Telework and virtual work are not available.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Social Work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); a doctoral degree cannot substitute for the master’s degree.
• State license or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s degree level; the GS-12 grade determination requires advanced-practice-level licensure or certification, subject to the stated grandfathering provisions.
• At least two years of experience after advanced-practice clinical licensure, including one year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, in a specialized area of social work practice.
• Demonstrated skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, 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 effectiveness of social work practice and services and using outcome evaluations to improve treatment and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students and to model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, or practice guidelines related to the service delivery area.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• U.S. citizenship, except where appointment of non-citizens is permitted under VA policy.
• Pass a pre-employment physical examination and background/security investigation; complete required onboarding and provide acceptable identification.
• Meet the seasonal influenza vaccination requirement for Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, during which continued employment is evaluated.
• Submit a transcript when relying on education to meet qualification requirements; foreign education requires the specified equivalency documentation.

Nice To Haves

• Case management and discharge planning experience.
• Experience conducting psychosocial assessments.
• Experience working with an interdisciplinary team.
• Experience making referrals to community resources such as nursing facilities, group homes, assisted living, substance abuse treatment, and hospice services.
• Experience providing crisis intervention, goal-directed supportive counseling, and grief or bereavement counseling.

Responsibilities

• Provide weekend coverage for inpatient units, intensive care units, the Emergency Department, and outpatient services.
• Continue discharge planning for Veterans whose discharge was coordinated by their assigned daily social worker.
• Contact newly admitted Veterans to assess and anticipate discharge needs, begin planning, document information, and communicate it to the assigned daily social worker.
• Provide psychosocial assessments, admission and pre-discharge planning, short-term solution-focused therapy, resource and benefits education and referrals, suicide risk screening and assessment, clinical reminders, and follow-up.
• Evaluate Veterans’ and family members’ or significant others’ situations and reach reasoned conclusions.
• Explain VA treatment and benefit programs.
• Conduct case finding and outreach to identify and screen patients for psychosocial needs.
• Develop psychosocial diagnoses and treatment plans, and provide counseling services.
• Determine eligibility for services, complete needs assessments, develop comprehensive care plans, identify resources and referrals, and coordinate and monitor services.
• Educate patients and families to help meet ongoing medical, emotional, and social needs.
• Coordinate care with physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, chaplains, pharmacists, other social workers, and other health care professionals.
• Complete suicide risk screens and assessments and other clinical reminders as appropriate; identify people at high risk who need acute mental health care or further evaluation.
• Complete and document C-SSRS and CSRE suicide risk screens and safety plans according to local policy, timelines, and guidelines.
• Assist Veterans coping with acute and chronic illness, combat stress, traumatic brain injury residuals, community adjustment, addictions, and other health and mental health concerns.
• Review subjective and objective data, conduct clinical assessments, and identify patient needs and strengths.
• Identify high-risk patients and provide crisis intervention.
• Coordinate with interdisciplinary team members and Veterans and families to set achievable psychosocial treatment goals; participate on interdisciplinary teams and recommend treatment courses.
• Document social work plans in patient records and adjust treatment plans and interventions based on changing needs and responses.
• Improve practice and patient outcomes by changing methods and interventions as appropriate.
• Provide individual and group counseling, short-term solution-focused psychotherapy, and family services within licensure and scope of practice.
• Provide psychoeducation and psychosocial interventions, including emotional support for Veterans and caregivers, referrals for financial and other VA and community resources, and timely involvement of palliative and hospice care when appropriate.
• Provide case management requiring communication, organization, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
• Use counseling approaches such as conflict resolution, anger management, and healthy coping skills.
• Ensure services comply with relevant regulations, policies, and procedures, and monitor medical center performance related to the population served.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with an award amount of up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval before appointment.

What This Job Offers

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