Social Worker

Major Duties of the Acute Care Social Worker Include:

Patient Care

• Independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifies the Veterans strengths weaknesses coping skills and psychosocial acuity.
• Collaborates with the Veteran family/caregiver and interdisciplinary treatment team with the social worker facilitating the delivery of healthcare services with the ability to identify family/caregiver stressors and refers them to community or VA referral resources.
• Formulates and implements a care plan including measurable achievable goals identifying the Veterans needs strengths weaknesses coping skills and psychosocial acuity.
• Provides psychosocial interventions with Veterans and their families/caregivers who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical behavioral health financial legal and psychosocial problems.
• Collaborates with the Community Care team and Facilitates Community Care referrals based upon Veteran needs and eligibility
• Provides case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of healthcare services incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved scope of practice. The social worker links the Veteran with services resources and opportunities in order to maximize the Veterans 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. As a mandatory reporter assesses and documents identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse neglect exploitation and/or intimate partner violence. Reports assessed abuse neglect and exploitation to appropriate authorities in accordance with established policy.
• Maintains complete accurate timely and confidential medical record documentation.
• Acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver.

• The social worker establishes and maintains ongoing education for and outreach to Veterans community agencies students and staff to facilitate understanding of social work interventions specific to the Veteran/military population.
• Meets the needs of customers while supporting VA missions.
• Consistently communicates and treats customers (Veterans their representatives visitors and all VA staff) in a courteous tactful and respectful manner.
• Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures.
• Manages disagreements conflicts and problems with internal and external consumer constructively and appropriately.

• Tracks and analyzes data to evaluate and enhance the quality of services provided.
• Uses sound judgment in the interpretation of trends and patterns application of guidelines and recommendations to the management team.
• Participates on medical center VISN and/or national councils committees and workgroups as assigned.
• Consults with and guides colleagues models effective social work practice skills teaches or provides orientation to less experienced social workers develops innovations in practice interventions and provides clinical supervision for social work licensure or certification.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

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. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

• 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.

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: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 Part II chapter 3 section A paragraph 3j.
• Education: Must have a masters 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.

• Licensure: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level.

1. Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans their family members caregivers and survivors.
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.

• Working under close supervision in program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience.
• 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 community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver;
• assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members identifying strengths weaknesses coping skills and psychosocial acuity in collaboration with the patient family and interdisciplinary treatment teams;
• maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals.

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 educational and other 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.