Social Worker - Patient Aligned Care Team

Veterans Health Administration; Michigan; On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Health Administration seeks a Social Worker to support the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) in delivering longitudinal primary care to Veterans. The role emphasizes prevention, health promotion, coordination, and chronic disease management, with responsibilities as a care coordinator for a Veteran panel.

The position requires an MSW from an accredited program, state licensure at the master’s level, and English proficiency.

Qualifications

• Basic requirements include United States citizenship and proficiency in English.
• Master's degree in social work from CSWE-accredited program; doctoral degree may not substitute for MSW.
• Licensed or certified to independently practice social work at the master’s level in the state; licensure may be waived for GS-9 cases per VA policy, but required for GS-11 and above.
• Ability to utilize a veteran-centric approach when providing interventions and counseling to Veterans and families.
• Proven ability to assess psychosocial functioning, formulate and implement treatment plans, and coordinate services.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychosocial assessments and develop treatment plans for Veterans and family members.
• Coordinate services and referrals to community and government agencies.
• Deliver interventions for individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with clients, staff, and community partners.
• Apply knowledge of medical and mental health terminology to inform care planning.

Skills

Veteran-centric approach

Psychosocial assessment

Treatment planning

Crisis intervention

Communication with clients & staff

Education

MSW (Master's in Social Work) required

CSWE-accredited program

Job description

The Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) is a comprehensive team which delivers primary care to Veteran patients in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and which has its focus: prevention; health promotion, coordination and chronic disease management. The Social Worker in this Veteran centric approach often functions as a care coordinator with a panel of Veterans to ensure that health care meets the needs, as defined by the Veteran.

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.

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.

• Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified.

Grandfathering Provision

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

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

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Social Worker, GS-9

Experience, Education, and Licensure

None beyond the basic requirements.

Demonstrated 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.

Social Worker, 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.

OR

Education

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.

Demonstrated 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

Reference

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements

The position is primarily active, with some bending, walking and stooping required. The position requires the employee to work primarily in the Aleda E. Lutz main hospital with occasional participation in community events and activities. The position requires the ability to read printed material and distinguish colors, such as reading computer screens, the ability to accurately perceive depth so as to move around workspace safely and to appropriately make contact with patients and staff. Considerable standing and walking are required. The work may also require assisting physically disabled Veterans.