Summary The Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Network is recruiting for two (2) Inpatient Medicine/Surgery Social Workers. As a member of a multidisciplinary team, the goal is to provide a wide range of services to patients from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diverse backgrounds. The Social Worker will perform case finding functions, identify and screen patients for psychosocial needs including high risk screening. Responsibilities The Social Worker is a member of a specialized team whose goal is to improve the quality of life for Veterans' through the provision of evidenced-based treatments for physical and mental health issues. The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Provides direct psychosocial services in the form of crisis intervention, individual counseling, and psychotherapy. Completes assessments for evaluation and for ongoing therapeutic services. Assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members. Formulates and implements treatment plans, identifies the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed to achieve treatment goals. Recognizes psychological issues, cultural norms, and boundaries. Knowledgeable of developmental tasks with the ability to make appropriate intervention referrals to a multidisciplinary team. Ability to work with patients and families who are experiencing basic emotional, medical, and social problems. Provides individual and group counseling and determines the appropriate psychosocial approaches and techniques to use based on the assessment. Organizes discharge planning to appropriate setting or residential facility. Coordinates community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA, government, and community agency programs. Provides education and assists patients with Advance Directives Provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of Veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care. Serves on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility as deemed appropriate. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Virtual: This is not a virtual position Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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. English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English. Education: Must have a master's degree in Social Work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). 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. 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). Licensure Exceptions: 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 appointments at the GS-9 grade level, 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. Grade Determinations: GS-9 : In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. Social Worker, GS-09 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Experience, Education and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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: This is the full performance level. Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. 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. OR 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. Additionally, candidates must hold a licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level and demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities(KSAs): GS-11 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): 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, 8 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Preferred Experience: Experience working i a hospital setting is preferred. Physical Requirements: The position requires performance of work which involves light lifting (under 15 pounds); light carrying (under 15 pounds); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking; standing; hearing (aid permitted). Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
