Social Worker - Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT)

Veterans Health Administration • Lenexa, KS

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Social Worker joins the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), a comprehensive team that delivers longitudinal primary care to Veteran patients, with a focus on prevention, health promotion, coordination, and chronic disease management. The role includes assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and/or intimate partner violence.

The Social Worker assesses psychosocial problems that cause distress, affect health conditions, or create barriers to care. They conduct thorough assessments to identify underlying causes, interpersonal and environmental factors, and impacts on patients’ ability and willingness to follow multidisciplinary treatment recommendations. The Social Worker helps patients and families understand contributing factors and consider short- and long-term solutions to reduce stressors and support lasting change.

The position facilitates timely community placements in collaboration with Veterans, families, and interdisciplinary treatment team members. It also provides Veterans and families with consultation and education about community resources, VA benefits, specialty programs, and Advance Directives. The position is not virtual, and telework is not available. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The vacancy may be filled at GS-09 through GS-11; GS-11 is the full performance level.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• 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 this master’s degree requirement.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s degree level, or eligibility under the stated grandfathering provision for qualifying current VHA employees.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Ability to work with Veterans and families from diverse backgrounds using counseling skills.
• Ability to assess psychosocial functioning and needs and formulate and implement treatment plans.
• Ability to implement treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups, including supportive, problem-solving, or crisis-intervention techniques.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and community agency representatives.
• Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including illnesses and injuries, medications and effects or side effects, and medical terminology.
• For GS-11, at least one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to GS-09 in health care or another social-work-related setting, plus independent-practice state licensure or certification; alternatively, a doctoral degree in social work may substitute for the experience requirement.
• For GS-11, knowledge of community resources and ability to make appropriate referrals and coordinate services.
• For GS-11, skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions with people from diverse backgrounds.
• For GS-11, knowledge and experience using medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures to formulate treatment plans.
• For GS-11, skill in independently implementing treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups experiencing psychiatric, medical, and social problems.
• For GS-11, ability to consult with new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about patients’ psychosocial needs and the effects of psychosocial problems on health care and treatment compliance.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation or examination and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must undergo a background/security investigation and complete required onboarding and application documentation.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.

Nice To Haves

• VA medical social work case management experience.

Responsibilities

• Assess and document identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and/or intimate partner violence.
• Assess psychosocial problems that cause distress, affect health conditions, or create barriers to care.
• Conduct thorough assessments of underlying causes, interpersonal and environmental factors, and effects on patients’ ability and willingness to comply with multidisciplinary treatment recommendations.
• Help patients and families understand contributing factors and discuss the pros and cons of short- and long-term solutions to reduce stressors and support lasting change.
• Facilitate timely community placements in collaboration with Veterans, families, and interdisciplinary treatment team members.
• Provide consultation and education to Veterans and families about community resources, VA benefits, specialty programs, and Advance Directives.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on higher or unique qualifications or VA special needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, consisting of 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 a child’s birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify after 60 days for a childcare subsidy of up to 25% of eligible costs, subject to income, child eligibility, and a monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and 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: Entry Level