Summary The Supervisory Social Worker is assigned to Home-Based Primary Care Department (HBPC) in the Rehabilitation & Long-Term Care Division (RLTC). The Supervisory Social Worker is responsible for the direction and coordination of administrative, as well as clinical, activities of an HBPC interdisciplinary team in one of the VAPORHCS HBPC locations. Team composition and sizes vary dependent upon geographic location, service area, as well as local Veteran population and demand. Responsibilities VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz\ua\UU Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties Staff Supervision - The social worker will provide direct supervision to employees assigned to the HBPC Team which may include dietitians, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists physicians, psychologists, and social workers. Program Coordination - The social worker will, in collaboration with the HBPC Program Director and HBPC Medical Director, participate in the development, evaluation, and communication of standards, policies, and procedures for the HBPC program. The social worker will educate medical center colleagues and/or students regarding the HBPC program and assist with dissemination of appropriate information to community agencies and other VA sites as needed. The social worker will evaluate HBPC Team practices using relevant statutes and regulations and take action to improve identified deficiencies. Oversight - The social worker will ensure HBPC Team staff adhere to all local and national mandates, directives, and regulatory guidelines related to the provision of HBPC services in the home. The social worker will participate in Joint Commission accreditation efforts in their role as HBPC Team Manager. The social worker will participate in the peer review process, analyze feedback, and act upon provided. Data Management - The social worker will make use of available data sets to increase performance of individual HBPC team staff member, the HBPC team, and the HBPC program. The social worker will utilize reports to determine demand and staffing needs, distribution, and balance of workload among employees, required resources for completion of clinical workload, distribution of resources to optimize patient care and ensure efficiency, and project future needs. Case Management - The social worker will develop an assessment of the Veteran in collaboration with the other members of the HBPC team, the Veteran, family members, and significant others, whenever possible. The social worker is responsible for developing a psychosocial treatment plan and setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran and/or family. The social worker establishes a continuing relationship with the Veteran, as well as involved family members, evaluating progress towards goals and adjusting the treatment plan as appropriate. The social worker monitors progress, maintains comprehensive documentation, ensures expert diagnosis and treatment of clinical disorders, and shows competent discretion in decision to adjust treatment. Supportive Counseling - The social worker will provide Veterans and their caregivers ongoing supportive counseling. The purpose of such counseling is to deal with the psychosocial impact of coping with chronic and/or disabling illness(es), onset of catastrophic illness and/or dying, and need for non-institutional or institutional services as needed during the Veteran's enrollment in the HBPC program. Referral to Service Providers - The social worker will collaborate with other team members and service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs for non-institutional and institutional services and programs, and entitlements. The social worker is responsible for educating the Veteran and/or caregiver of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of the surrogate decision-maker. Advocacy - The social worker understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and/or family. When appropriate and feasible, social worker will educate and encourage the Veteran and/or family to advocate on their own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. Crisis Intervention - The social worker is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans to maintain the patient in the home, for admission to acute, short-term and/or long-term placements. Social worker has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis. Education/Health Promotion and Prevention - The social worker provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will, and will refer Veterans/families to the appropriate HBPC or VA resource for identified health education needs. Documentation - The social worker will enter all Veteran and/or family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats. Work Schedule: 0700-1600 PST Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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. 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. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. 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). Grade Determinations: .Supervisory Social Worker, GS-12 Education and Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. Preferred Experience: Valid Driver's license, proof of insurance, able and willing to drive; BLS certified, intensive interdisciplinary experience; managerial or supervisory experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination. Exceptions: A pre-placement examination is required for any occupation or assignment that requires the operation of a government-owned or -leased motor vehicle in order to properly carry out assigned duties. Examinations may also be required for any occupation or assignment that requires a pre-placement examination by virtue of another policy, regulation, or statute 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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.
