Social Worker - Women's Health Clinic

Veterans Health Administration • Little Rock, AR

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is in Social Work and Care Transition Service at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System and is assigned to the Women's Health Clinic. The social worker provides clinical and care-transition services to Veterans, families, and caregivers dealing with complex medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, financial, and psychosocial needs. The role includes assessment, treatment planning, counseling, crisis intervention, referrals, and coordination with Veterans and interdisciplinary care teams.

The position also includes non-clinical service responsibilities such as participating in committees and performance-improvement activities, keeping supervisors informed about problems and proposed solutions, maintaining professional growth and licensure, and supporting the orientation and mentoring of new social workers and social work students. The full performance level is GS-11, with selection possible at GS-09 through GS-11. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., subject to facility needs. Work is performed in an office/clinic setting and may involve handling multiple tasks in stressful situations.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• 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 the master's degree.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master's level, subject to the stated GS-9 exception and timelines.
• For GS-11: at least one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to GS-9 in health care or another social-work-related setting, and independent-practice-level state licensure or certification. A doctoral degree in social work may substitute for the required year of professional clinical social work experience.
• For GS-9: demonstrate a Veteran-centered approach; ability to assess psychosocial functioning and needs and formulate and implement treatment plans; ability to use treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups; ability to establish working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and community agencies; and fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, treatment procedures, medications, and medical terminology.
• For GS-11: knowledge of community resources and referral coordination; ability to independently conduct psychosocial assessments and interventions with people from varied backgrounds; knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, treatment procedures, medications, and medical terminology for treatment planning; ability to independently implement treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups; and ability to consult with new social workers, graduate students, and staff about psychosocial needs and their effects on health care and treatment compliance.
• Meet pre-employment screening and onboarding requirements, including background/security investigation and physical evaluation; comply with the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Complete all application requirements described in the announcement's Required Documents section.

Nice To Haves

• LCSW licensure.
• At least two years of medical social work experience.
• At least two years of mental health experience.
• Prior experience working with an interdisciplinary team.
• Prior experience working with female Veterans and population-specific needs.
• Prior experience conducting comprehensive suicide risk evaluations or other crisis intervention, including safety planning.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Word and Excel.

Responsibilities

• Provide case and care management to Veterans and families throughout the continuum of care.
• Conduct brief or comprehensive psychosocial assessments of Veterans and their support systems and use findings to guide action plans and resource use.
• Identify high-risk needs and prioritize case and care management services.
• Conduct suicide risk screenings and comprehensive suicide risk assessments; develop safety plans and integrate safety goals into individualized treatment plans.
• Collaborate with Patient Aligned Care Team members, interdisciplinary treatment teams, Veterans, and support systems to develop and implement patient-centered treatment goals and interventions.
• Educate Veterans and support systems about advance directives and assist with completing forms.
• Assist the interdisciplinary team in identifying appropriate decision makers when a Veteran cannot make their own decisions, including next of kin, health care power of attorney, or legal guardian.
• Facilitate advance care planning group visits with Veterans and support systems as appropriate.
• Coordinate timely VA and community placements and referrals with Veterans, support systems, and treatment team members.
• Provide supportive counseling regarding the psychosocial effects of chronic or disabling illness, catastrophic illness, and dying.
• Provide crisis intervention through rapid assessment and development of crisis-management plans.
• Educate and advise Veterans and support systems about community resources, VA benefits, specialty programs, and advance directives.
• Consult with treatment team and staff about Veterans' psychosocial needs and the effects of psychosocial problems on health care planning and treatment compliance.
• Participate in facility committees, work groups, and task forces as appropriate.
• Inform the supervisor about problems and recommended solutions within the social worker's area of responsibility.
• Maintain professional growth through continuing education and compliance with licensure requirements.
• Assist with orientation and mentoring of newly hired social workers and serve as a field instructor for social work students.
• Participate in performance-improvement processes and comply with applicable performance measures.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 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.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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