Social Worker

Veterans Health Administration • Martinsburg, WV

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Social Worker provides comprehensive psychosocial assessment, triage and case management services to Veterans referred to Specialty Care through Care in the Community. The incumbent will coordinate needed services for discharge planning; assessing Veteran & caregiver needs via telephone assessments. The Social Worker will also provide clinical assessment, act as a liaison, insuring Care in the Community Veterans are able to connect with required services through the local VAMC if desired.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents ).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• Have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited.
• A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for a master's degree in social work.
• Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of Social Work.
• 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.
• Current state requirements may be found by going to SW Licensure by State Exception.
• VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level.
• For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified.
• At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.
• GS-9 Experience includes: Working under close supervision in program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience.
• Identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect or exploitation; providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning; providing social work case management; acting as an advocate with community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver; assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members identifying strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and psychosocial acuity, in collaboration with the patient, family, and interdisciplinary treatment teams; maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals.
• In addition to meeting the basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting.
• 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 workers graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.
• Incumbents are assigned to all program areas, including, but not limited to, inpatient and outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics.
• Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area.
• Duties include but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; and acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver.
• Incumbent independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity.
• In collaboration with the Veteran, family/caregiver, and interdisciplinary treatment team, the social worker facilitates the delivery of health care services.
• The social worker identifies family/caregiver stressors, conducts an assessment, and provides specific interventions.

Nice To Haves

• Prefer 2 years of experience in Geriatrics; primary focus on geriatric clinical case management; this is not a therapy or primary mental health position.
• we are looking for a licensed independent practitioner (social worker).

Responsibilities

• Have a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and caregivers assigned to specialty care through Care in the Community.
• Independently work with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems.
• Independently complete thorough initial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families.
• Participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team by collaborating with treatment team members in the mental health clinic, primary care clinic, and inpatient units when Veterans are readmitted to the medical center for stabilization of psychiatric or medical conditions, or have been discharged to the community from an inpatient unit.
• Possess a working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology.
• Facilitate discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as community vendors, community specialty clinics, community hospitals and interdisciplinary treatment team members.
• Serve as a liaison between Veterans, their families, sponsors and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough follow through of required services.
• Possess knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families.
• Provide consultation and education to Veterans, their families and contracted vendors regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives. This includes knowledge of the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community programs.
• Provide consultation to other treatment team and staff members as well as sponsors/vendors regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veteran's health care planning, compliance with treatment, discharge planning, and ongoing adjustment following Community Care specialty clinic treatment.
• Responsible for supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facility.
• Participate in a rotation of on-call Social Workers, including modification of tour of duty, to accommodate patient care needs on weekends, if needed.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skill in the use of software applications for drafting documents and data management as well as other computer systems in use by the VHA.
• Maintain a level of productivity and quality consistent with the complexity of the assignment and consistent with Social Work standards, Joint Commission standards, and facility standards.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 .
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

What This Job Offers

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