Incumbent is a PACT Senior Social Worker assigned to the VA Community Clinics and VA Contract Clinics in rural and highly rural areas throughout the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. They work in a remote setting without access to Social Work Supervision on site and are accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part). 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. GS-12, Senior Social Worker 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: 1 year post-LCSW experience in a medical social work setting. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the social worker or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position will require considerable travel into the community to meet with community agencies and partners who assist and support to the Home& Community Based Services programs (including CNH and SVH) and its Veterans. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. ["Screening/Assessment - The PACT Senior Social Worker will conduct psychosocial assessments in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team. The goal of the assessment is to highlight the Veteran's strengths, limitations, and internal/external supports and service needs to optimize the Veteran's functional status. Incumbent demonstrates an understanding of the range of treatment and possesses skills needed for all adult patients including geriatric patients and can address issues related to their physical limitations, psychological needs and age-associated illnesses and conditions. Participation in the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) - The PACT is a comprehensive, integrated team that delivers primary care to Veteran patients in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and focuses on prevention, health promotion, coordination, and chronic disease management. The PACT Senior Social Worker is a professional social worker who uses a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial concerns of Veterans and their families/significant others. Incumbent responsibilities include the completing a psychosocial assessment to identify potential barriers to care, assisting with referrals from any member of the interdisciplinary team, Veterans and/or their families, and triaging calls or Veterans who walk-ins for same-day services. Incumbent will coordinate with other VA staff and community agencies to assist in care coordination as needed. Case management with members of the outpatient interdisciplinary team is provided in a collaborative effort to meet the treatment goals of each Veteran. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - Incumbent is responsible for developing the psychosocial treatment plan and setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran/family, independently establishing the plan, and following up as needed. The plan will be updated annually or more frequently if there is a change in the patient's condition or needs. Referral to Service Providers - Throughout the course of treatment, Incumbent acts as the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources. The Social Worker will collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs. Community Liaison and Resource Usage - They are responsible for using the current Social Work resource file of VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of Veterans. They will serve as a liaison with community agencies, assist Veterans with referrals for services from community and government agencies, and help coordinate these services. Advocacy - Incumbent will act as an advocate within the VA system when it serves the best interest of the Veteran/family. When appropriate and feasible, they will educate and encourage the Veteran/family to advocate on their own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence, empowerment, and autonomy, as supported by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. Crisis Intervention - Incumbent is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission to mental health inpatient programs. They have access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis. Education/Health Promotion and Prevention - Incumbent provides education related to VA services and community resources, entitlements/benefits, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer Veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs. Coordination of Non-Institutional and Institutional Services - Incumbent will review progress notes from other providers to accurately determine and assess the strengths and limitations of each Veteran being referred for mental health services. The incumbent will manage, coordinate, and authorize/renew community medical needs through contracted Home Health Referrals and contracted Community Nursing Homes. Supportive Counseling - Incumbent will provide Veterans and their caregivers with brief supportive counseling. The purpose of such counseling is to deal with the psychosocial impact of coping with new diagnoses, chronic/disabling illness, onset of a catastrophic illness, bereavement/loss. Administrative Responsibilities - PACT Senior Social Worker will enter all Veteran/ family contacts in the electronic medical record using appropriate formats and templates. This information will be entered in accordance with station policies and bylaws, in a timely manner. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Compressed/Flexible: Yes Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55545O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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