Social Worker (Hospice/Bereavement)
This position service as the direct care social worker for the inpatient hospice unit, so assists with admissions, care, assessments, MDS, end of life planning and funeral arrangement planning, The Hospice/Bereavement Social Worker has case management for community hospice Veterans, which includes management of needs and services. This position is the point of contact for community partners and may visit those care locations. This position is responsible for leave and back up coverage for CLC; Palliative Care; and other areas within SWS. The Hospice/Bereavement Social Worker manages the daily operations, develops policies and procedures for program and prepares all reports/statistics for service line, facility, VISN, and national use. This position is responsible to provide bereavement therapy following the national program guidelines. Responsible to provide direct clinical services, and resolve problems that arise regarding patient care issues Duties may include, but are not limited to:
Develops and coordinates the WPB VAMC Bereavement Support program; responsible for all bereavement and community care follow-up Develops policy and procedures to ensure compliance with JCAHO and CARF, and other accrediting bodies and regulatory standards as needed Researches community resources (local, state, and national) that are available to provide continuity of care and to enhance the quality of life of the veteran Works with Decedent Affairs Officers to identify and provide support and bereavement services to families of deceased Veterans Develops a data driven continuous quality improvement program with established goals and outcomes to evaluate and document the program's effectiveness Establishes collaborative relationships with physicians, nurses, and other disciplines to foster their involvement in the care of veterans with palliative care, hospice needs and their families throughout and at the end of life Identifies gaps in services and develops a plan, in consultation with stakeholders that will make available the best possible resources in meeting program needs Provide direct clinical services and resolve problems that arise regarding patient care including various end of life diagnoses, impacts and treatment and the effect of death and anticipatory grief on the family Provides individual, group, and family psychotherapy and has knowledge of current bereavement services Develops and implements realistic and achievable social work treatment plans, as part of the interdisciplinary treatment plan Provides individual, family, and group counseling aimed at helping the veteran and his family find practical solutions to complex problem Advocates on behalf of the veteran Provides bereavement care to the veteran's family and organizes a bereavement program for the medical center Responsible for the daily operations and management of the Bereavement Program Manages all program data collection and reporting, including reports for facility, VISN, and national use Responsible for the development of program policies and procedures, and participating in facility, VISN, and national development of bereavement services Provides advance directive (Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care) information and education to the veteran and family, assisting the veteran in preparing such documents, as requested Performs other related duties as assigned Work Schedule:
Monday - Friday, 8:
00am to 4:
30pm, subject to agency needs Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements and submit all required documentation by the closing date of this announcement, 11/04/2020. BASIC REQUIREMENTS. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000. To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must meet the following:
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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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/. 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 also be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-12 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:
(a) 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. (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to:
Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation. Preferred
Experience:
Not having preferred experience will not disqualify anyone. However this will be screened through resume review and those with preferred experience will be considered first. Be sure any relevant experience is listed clearly on your resume as we will not make assumptions. The Preferred experience for this position is:
Experience with MDS, end of life care, providing bereavement therapy, strong medical social work background. References:
VA Handbook 5005/23 Part II, Appendix G-39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements:
See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
Develops and coordinates the WPB VAMC Bereavement Support program; responsible for all bereavement and community care follow-up Develops policy and procedures to ensure compliance with JCAHO and CARF, and other accrediting bodies and regulatory standards as needed Researches community resources (local, state, and national) that are available to provide continuity of care and to enhance the quality of life of the veteran Works with Decedent Affairs Officers to identify and provide support and bereavement services to families of deceased Veterans Develops a data driven continuous quality improvement program with established goals and outcomes to evaluate and document the program's effectiveness Establishes collaborative relationships with physicians, nurses, and other disciplines to foster their involvement in the care of veterans with palliative care, hospice needs and their families throughout and at the end of life Identifies gaps in services and develops a plan, in consultation with stakeholders that will make available the best possible resources in meeting program needs Provide direct clinical services and resolve problems that arise regarding patient care including various end of life diagnoses, impacts and treatment and the effect of death and anticipatory grief on the family Provides individual, group, and family psychotherapy and has knowledge of current bereavement services Develops and implements realistic and achievable social work treatment plans, as part of the interdisciplinary treatment plan Provides individual, family, and group counseling aimed at helping the veteran and his family find practical solutions to complex problem Advocates on behalf of the veteran Provides bereavement care to the veteran's family and organizes a bereavement program for the medical center Responsible for the daily operations and management of the Bereavement Program Manages all program data collection and reporting, including reports for facility, VISN, and national use Responsible for the development of program policies and procedures, and participating in facility, VISN, and national development of bereavement services Provides advance directive (Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care) information and education to the veteran and family, assisting the veteran in preparing such documents, as requested Performs other related duties as assigned Work Schedule:
Monday - Friday, 8:
00am to 4:
30pm, subject to agency needs Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements and submit all required documentation by the closing date of this announcement, 11/04/2020. BASIC REQUIREMENTS. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000. To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must meet the following:
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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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/. 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 also be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-12 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:
(a) 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. (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to:
Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation. Preferred
Experience:
Not having preferred experience will not disqualify anyone. However this will be screened through resume review and those with preferred experience will be considered first. Be sure any relevant experience is listed clearly on your resume as we will not make assumptions. The Preferred experience for this position is:
Experience with MDS, end of life care, providing bereavement therapy, strong medical social work background. References:
VA Handbook 5005/23 Part II, Appendix G-39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements:
See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
- Department:
0185 Social Work - Salary Range:
$81,723 to $106,245 per year
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
|
|
 | |
