Social Worker

Quick Facts

• Role: Social Worker (GS-11 full performance)

• Focus: Behavioral health and psychosocial services for Veterans and families

Description

Conduct mental health evaluations and psychosocial assessments to determine the needs of Veterans and family members, including serving as the Emergency Department (ED) behavioral health provider. Provide crisis intervention, provisional diagnosis, treatment and disposition recommendations, and collaborate with other disciplines on treatment and discharge planning. Deliver individual, family, and group counseling, coordinate referrals and aftercare, and provide ongoing case management with timely, accurate documentation.

Responsibilities

• Perform psychosocial assessments and mental health evaluations

• Provide ED-based behavioral health crisis intervention and disposition recommendations (including consultation with on-call psychiatry as needed)

• Participate in interdisciplinary treatment planning

• Support timely, appropriate discharge planning and residential placement referrals

• Provide individual, family, and group counseling as appropriate

• Make referrals to appropriate programs and facilitate consults/appointments for aftercare

• Consult and educate Veterans and families on community resources and VA benefits

• Provide case management throughout the continuum of care

• Address advance directives and organ donation per workplace standards

• Supervise social work interns or less experienced social workers as appropriate

• Maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with Joint Commission, VA, and medical center policies

• Assist patients and significant others with coping and grief related to disability, terminal illness, and death

• Participate in an on-call rotation, including weekend coverage as needed

• Ensure timely and accurate documentation using approved facility templates

• Perform other assigned duties

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship

• Selective Service registration (for eligible males)

• Proficiency in written and spoken English

• Pass background/security investigation

• MSW degree from a CSWE-accredited school of social work (doctoral degree cannot substitute for the MSW)

• State licensure/certification for independent practice at the master’s level; maintain unrestricted status

• GS-11 qualifications: at least 1 year post-MSW experience in health care or related settings equivalent to GS-9 plus independent practice licensure or doctoral degree substitution for the required clinical experience

• Pass pre-employment physical examination

• Complete required online onboarding and pre-employment documentation

• Comply with the seasonal influenza vaccination program

• Complete the required 2-year trial period after acceptance

Benefits

• Comprehensive federal benefits package (eligibility depends on position details)

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP): may be available if you meet VHA policy eligibility requirements and submit the EDRP application within the required timeframe; award amount and eligibility period are determined after EDRP application review