Social Worker - Acute Recovery Center

Summary

This position is located at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, FL. JAHVAH is a Level I tertiary medical center with general medicine, surgical, psychiatric, rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, nursing home care beds and one of four Polytrauma treatment facilities in the VA. The Acute Recovery Center (ARC) Social Work Team provide social work support to multidisciplinary inpatient psychiatric teams at JAHVAH in Tampa, Florida.

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Duties

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The selected Social Worker will deliver a comprehensive range of social work services, including detailed assessments, discharge planning, supportive counseling, care coordination, and other relevant services for Veterans and their families, all while adhering to accepted standards of practice.

Additional duties include, but are not limited to;

• Identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect or exploitation.
• Providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning.
• Providing social work case management.
• Acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver.
• Assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and psychosocial acuity, in collaboration with the Veteran, family, and interdisciplinary treatment teams
• Maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the Veteran and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals.
• Incumbents are assigned to all program areas, including, but not limited to the following: inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, specialty medicine, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics.
• Use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives
• The incumbent provides case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services, incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• The social worker links the Veteran with services, resources, and opportunities, in order to maximize the Veteran's independence, health, and well-being.
• The social worker conducts timely assessment of at-risk Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs, evaluate risk, and initiate safety plan as appropriate.
• Completes psychosocial evaluations, mental status examinations, and functional ability assessments of newly admitted patients to determine clinical needs and social determinants of health that influences care access and quality of life.
• Patient education on internal and community resources, Goals of Care conversations, advance directives, VA benefits that influence healthcare options, and social determinants of health status.
• Treatment planning with multidisciplinary team members for disposition and discharge planning, care coordination, and other services as appropriate. The Social Worker provides discharge options based on available resources and each Veteran's benefits.
• Patient education on internal and community resources, Goals of Care conversations, advance directives, VA benefits that influence healthcare options, and social determinants of health status.
• Provides treatment planning with multidisciplinary team members for disposition and discharge planning, care coordination, and other services as appropriate.
• Provides discharge options based on available resources and each Veterans benefits.
• Educates and consults multidisciplinary team members and medical resident on social work practice standards and VA policy and procedures.
• Engages in commonly accepted standards of social work practice of individual, family and group counseling, and other services as appropriate to help Veterans and families cope with grief and loss, terminal illness, and death.
• Documents social work interventions in Veterans' medical record according to hospital policies and regulatory guidelines.
• Adhere to ARC documentation policies and mandates for suicide safety planning, court proceedings, and consult management.
• Participates in committee assignments, discipline specific meetings and initiatives as deemed necessary for professional growth and development in alignment with scope of assigned duties.
• Contributes to social work service on-call rotation, including modification of tour of duty to accommodate patient care needs on holidays, evenings, and weekends.

Work Schedule: The primary tour of duty will be M-F 7:30am to 4:00pm. However, the selectee may also be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis, based on the needs of the service and patient care.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #:72121F; 72123F Social Worker Acute Care GS 9/11

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• 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 identification 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).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational, or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• 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/.
  
  
  • Exception: 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 the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.]
  • 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. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure.

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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

GS-09 Social Workercandidates must have the following:

• Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-11 Social Workercandidates must have the following:

• Experience and Licensure: Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one (1) year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.

OR

• Education: In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one (1) year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting

While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position.

• Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim.

These are the KSA's for this subject position:

GS-09

1. Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
5. 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.

GS-11

1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
2. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds.
3. 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.
4. Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
5. 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.

References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard.

Preferred Experience: Mental health and Hospital social work experience.

Physical Requirements: Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position.The physical demands of this position include walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a desk working on a computer, engaging 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 patients, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the Social Worker or others.

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.

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-qualification….

Additional information

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.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.