Social Worker

Veterans Health Administration • Harrisonburg, VA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Social Worker in this position provides direct services to adult and geriatric veterans enrolled in the Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) Program with high quality case management, clinical treatment, advocacy, and coordination of care with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies as needed by the client. This position is based out of Harrisonburg, VA and will report to the Harrisonburg, VA Community Based Primary Care Clinic.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• 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 forms of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• 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.
• 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.
• Must serve a 1 or 2-year trial period.
• 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 the 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.
• Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• 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.
• 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 work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.

Nice To Haves

• 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.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Develops an assessment of the veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team, the veteran, and family members/significant others, whenever possible.
• Responsible for contributing to the development of the treatment plan and setting achievable treatment goals with the veteran, family members/significant others and other HBPC clinical staff.
• Acts as a subject matter expert on VA and/or other community resources.
• Collaborates with other service providers in reassessing the veteran's needs for non-institutional, institutional services/programs and entitlements.
• Responsible for using the current Social Work resource file of VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of the veteran.
• Acts as an advocate for the veteran and educates and encourages the veteran to advocate on his/her behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment.
• Makes rapid assessments and develops crisis management plans.
• Provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, advance directives/living wills and will refer veterans and families/significant others to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Authorized: This position is eligible for EDRP, a student loan payment reimbursement program.
• Federal employees receive a comprehensive benefits package.
• Access to a range of benefits designed to make a federal career rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position held and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

What This Job Offers

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