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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Social Worker (Care Coordination and Integrated Case Management) Near Wilmington, DE

Qualifications:

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education: 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.
• Licensure: 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 http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker, GS-12

Experience/Education: The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty.

Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area.

Preferred Experience: State issued driver license; do not include a copy of your driver license with your application.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005, PART II, APPENDIX G39The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Moderate, the work may be performed 50% or more of the time in the community. Physical activity involves driving, getting in and out of vehicles, sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping, climbing stairs (generally no more than 3 floors), and carrying light items such as papers, books or other supplies. Due to the community based nature of the work and the unpredictable population, staff must be CPR/BLS and PMDB certified. The incumbent uses a computer and standard office equipment to complete tasks. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with the patient population and their families. A level of self-awareness is essential.

Work Environment: Part of the work is performed in an office environment, as well as clinic and inpatient areas. This environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, libraries, residences, or commercial vehicles, e.g., use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals. The work area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. In addition, patient contact will be made. Appropriate principles of infection control will need to be applied to the work.

Responsibilities:

FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES

Administrative responsibility for the clinical programming and daily operations of the Wilmington VA Healthcare System (WVAHCS) CC & ICM Practice.

Development and implementation of policies and procedures specific to WVAHCS and ensures compliance with local facility, VISN, the Associate Director of Patient Care Services (ADPCS), Social Work Service (SWS), VA Central Office (VACO) directives and handbooks, as well as Joint Commission, and other accrediting bodies and regulatory standards as needed.

Ensure full collaboration with nursing counterpart, for all planning, development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the CC & ICM operations.

Management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting on all CC & ICM related data to fully capture the day-to-day functioning and practice impacts on the facility and Veteran care.

Plans, organized and directs CC & ICM operations, in conjunction with the CC & ICM nursing counterpart(s), the Supervisory designed, the Assistant Chief of SWS and the Chief of SWS.

Identification of Veterans cohorts across WVAHCS with the highest opportunity and highest need.

Including development and implementation of a monitoring process for ongoing screening and identified cohort(s).Identification and tracking of potential areas where care coordination is taking place to include but not limited to primary care, surgical care, mental health, community care, specialty clinics, geriatrics, and homeless programs.

Ensure integration with the facility level care coordination and case management teams to include but not limited to Nurse and Social Work navigators, care coordinators, care managers, and case managers of, both inpatient and outpatient for seamless continuity of care.

Development, implementation and tracking of a facility wide CC & ICM education plan to key stakeholders to include Service Chiefs, supervisors/managers, frontline staff, and Veterans with plan for ongoing sustainment.

Serve as co-coordinator to the WVAHCS Care Coordination Review Team (CCRT). Providing ongoing oversight, direction and education. Ensuring full participation by setting expectations, clear roles, and responsibilities when assigning a Lead Coordinator to Veterans identified as needing moderate or complex care coordination services.

Ensure that CC & ICM is in compliance with policies and standard operating procedures for evaluating and mitigating suicide risk to include: Completion of the Columbia Suicide Severity Risk Scare (C-SSRS),Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluation, Safety Plan, and Overdose Report as clinically indicated.

Conducting psychosocial assessments to determine needs of Veterans and family members.

Active participation in the treatment planning process with other disciplines, including involvement in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that are timely and appropriate.

Provide case management to Veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care.

Provide a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice which includes case work, individual, family and group counseling, discharge planning, case management and other services as appropriate.

Possess a full knowledge of resources, both within the VA and the community, to meet the identified needs of the Veteran and their families. Develops, maintains effectiveworking relationships with key medical center staff and community agencies to enhance the scope and functioning of Veterans assigned. Ability to develop needed community support and/or resources to ensure the program goals are achieved.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Physical demands of the work are generally minor and are generally sedentary in nature but may require occasional travel. Physical activity involves sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping, climbing stairs, and carrying light items such as papers, books or other supplies. The incumbent uses a computer and standard office equipment to complete tasks. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with the Veteran/Patient population and their families/caregivers. A level of self-awareness is essential.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: May be available
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Job Summary