Social Worker

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 68,000 - 98,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave

Telework: Ad-hoc

Retirement benefits

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' South Texas Veterans Health Care System is seeking a Palliative Care Social Worker assigned to the Social Work Service to support Palliative Care Clinics and Oncology/Hematology teams.

You will be an active member of the Geriatrics & Extended Care Interdisciplinary Team, providing consultation, case management, and evidence-based psychosocial therapy to address Veterans' needs.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Licensure or certification by a state to independently practice social work at the master's level.
• English language proficiency: spoken and written.
• U.S. Citizenship requirement for employment.
• Doctoral degree in Social Work cannot substitute for MSW.
• GS-11 requires licensure and one year post-MSW experience.

Responsibilities

• Assist Veterans in navigating care and coordinating follow-up.
• Coordinate care within Palliative Care, Oncology, and Hematology services.
• Provide social work services in Palliative, Oncology, and Hematology clinics.
• Facilitate Bereavement psychotherapy groups and address consults.
• Educate Veterans and caregivers about resources, including hospice options.
• Precept for Palliative Care Fellowship or graduate social work students.

Skills

Veteran-centric care

Psychosocial assessment

Treatment planning

Crisis intervention

Interagency coordination

Staff communication

Education

Master's in Social Work (CSWE)

Job description

Summary

The Palliative Care Social Worker - assigned to the Social Work Service at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) - serves in support of the facility's Palliative Care Clinics - as well as the Hematology and Oncology clinics. As an active member of the Geriatrics & Extended Care (GEC) Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Team - Cancer Committee and Oncology/Hematology teams - the incumbent provides consultation - case management - and evidence-based therapy to address psychosocial needs.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements

• U.S Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Language Proficiency: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) Education and/or Experience Combination: You must possess 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
• Note: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in Social Work
• License or Certification* - You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• *Exception - For assignments at the GS-9 level - VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified - pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations
• VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent - master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker
• Grandfather Provision: A Social Worker employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (9/10/2019) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed - the following provisions apply: Employees may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• Grade Determinations: GS-09: Experience - Education - and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements
• Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans - their family members - caregivers - and survivors
• Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members - and to formulate and implement a treatment plan - identifying the Veterans problems - strengths - weaknesses - coping skills - and assistance needed
• Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals - families - and groups to achieve treatment goals
• This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive - problem solving - or crisis intervention techniques
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients - staff - and representatives of community agencies
• Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities - and treatment procedures
• This includes acute - chronic - and traumatic illnesses/injuries
• common medications and their effects/side effects
• and medical terminology
• GS-11: Experience and Licensure: 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
• Licensure Requirement: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• GS-11 Experience or Education: In addition to meeting the basic requirements - to qualify for the GS-11 - you must possess 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
• Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: 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 patient/family member/caregiver advocate with community service providers/agencies
• assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members
• In collaboration with the patient - family - and interdisciplinary treatment teams - identifying strengths - weaknesses - coping skills and psychosocial acuity
• Maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with appropriate referrals
• -OR In addition to meeting 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 - Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - you must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: 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 - educational - and other 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
• Preferred Experience: GS-09: Fully licensed at a Master's level Former VA Trainee Prior experience in similar role or with population served GS-11: EBP Certification Prior experience in similar role or with population served Clinical supervision certification Quality or utilization management experience Former VA Trainee Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is 11
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 9 to 11.

Duties

• Duties may include but are not limited to: The incumbent assists Veterans served in the Palliative - Oncology and Hematology clinics to navigate care - facilitate access and follow-up
• Additionally - the incumbent provides coordination of care within the Palliative Care system as well as PACT - inpatient medicine and other services within the health care system
• The incumbent provides clinical social work services to Oncology and Hematology but will also be responsible for Palliative outpatient clinics as determined by patient care needs
• The incumbent facilitates Bereavement psychotherapy groups and addresses consults as needed
• The incumbent provides education about resources to Veterans and Caregivers receiving services in the Palliative Care clinics - including specific resources for the diagnosis of Cancer
• Resources may include options for hospice or placement
• The incumbent utilizes case management and care coordination to assist assigned Veterans
• The incumbent understands the role of each health and allied health care team members as well as understands the role of the social worker in the clinics served and STVHCS
• The incumbent provides consultation to other treatment teams and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veteran's health care planning and compliance with treatment
• The incumbent also serves as a preceptor for either the Palliative Care Fellowship or a graduate level social work student
• The incumbent uses knowledge of benefits and services - community resources - and processes for making appropriate referrals to community and other governmental programs or agencies to educate Veterans
• May serve on committees - workgroups - and task forces at the facility - VISN - or community as requested by supervisor
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 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)
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• Parental Leave: 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
• Child Care Subsidy: 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
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-hoc only - as determined by the agency policy
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 55998-F/55997-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized