Social Worker - Caregiver Support Program

Social Worker Position

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties of the position include but not limited to:

The Social Worker will be responsible for consult completion, case management, and wellness visits. Wellness visits include home visits, within specified timeframes and guidelines. Advises and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams throughout the medical center on caregiver issues. Creates educational tools, develops programs, and implements training focused on specific caregiver needs/issues. Provides education and in-service training to VAMC employees, Veterans, families, and caregivers. Provides ongoing consultation and support to colleagues regarding caregiver support. Develops and facilitates caregiver support groups and educational programs (face-to-face or via telehealth). Distributes educational materials provided by VA, local, state, and national caregiver organizations. The Social Worker provides specialized case management to promote the health and wellbeing of Caregivers and Veterans by providing and coordinating high quality services to Veterans with chronic health/mental health concerns that significantly impact their quality of life and the caregivers who are caring for them. The Social Worker conducts caregiver and family clinical interventions to facilitate the Identification of caregiver stress, psychiatric illness, emotional distress, and social needs as treatment issues. Professional judgment, including the knowledge of normal and abnormal behavior, is an inherent competency applied in daily interactions. Incumbent is involved in responding to calls from the National Caregiver Support Hotline, responding to other phone calls and general inquiries regarding the Caregiver program. All patient care duties will be documented within the electronic medical record and in compliance with local and national documentation standards. Duties of this role will be met via virtual modalities or phone in addition to possible home visits for caregivers enrolled in the Caregiver Support Program.

The Social Worker provides referrals to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits, community-based social services, and other non-VA entitlement programs. The Social Worker will collaborate with the VA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), mental health, and geriatric primary care clinicians to provide Veteran and staff education on caregiver issues. Promotes the VA Caregiver Support Program in coordination with the Caregiver Support Program Coordinator and the local VA Public Affairs Officer. Maintains basic knowledge of local VA medical center programs, community services and VA Central Office caregiver support initiatives. The Social Worker will utilize and assist in maintaining a data monitoring system to measure the efficacy of the program. The incumbent provides age-specific care, appropriate to the cognitive, emotional, cultural, and chronological maturation needs of the veteran. The incumbent protects printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, Federal regulations, VA statutes and policy, and VHA policy. The incumbent meets the needs of all customers while supporting the VA mission. Consistently communicates and treats customers (Veterans, family members, caregivers, their representatives, visitors, stakeholders, community providers, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, professional, and respectful manner.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm, Tour of duty subject to change at the discretion of Supervisor.

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases

EDRP: EDRP is Authorized for this position

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

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

Requirements: Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. 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. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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.

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).

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 1 or 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.

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 Determination GS-11 Experience and Licensure. 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 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 year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a)Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.

(b)Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other backgrounds.

(c)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.

(d)Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with