Social Worker

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Inpatient Medicine/Surgical Social Worker has primary responsibility to provide direct clinical care including care coordination and discharge planning for Veterans admitted to the Cheyenne VA Medical Center. Duties and Responsibilities of the position include:

• Screening/Assessment - In conjunction with the interdisciplinary treatment team the Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker screens and assesses the veterans psychosocial needs and barriers in order to facilitate his or her discharge from the hospital Through collaborative relationships with the veteran his or her family/caregiver and other VA programs and VA staff The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker coordinates the gathering of information vital to the process of setting appropriate discharge goals and discharge time frames.
• Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - From screening/assessment information The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker determines realistic discharge goals that consider such factors as a) the appropriate level of discharge care b) the setting conducive to providing such care c) the need for post-discharge interventions to enhance caregiver support to allow for the least restrictive level of care d) transportation options/barriers and e) the steps to obtaining resources (VA or community) that make the transition from the inpatient setting successful
• Advance Directive Screening and completion - The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will screen Veterans while in the acute care setting to identify need to provide education and offer assistance with completing an advance directive.
• Referral to service providers - To facilitate the continuity of a veterans recovery the Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social will arrange referrals to needed VA and/or community resources (e.g. home health care assisted living facilities extended care facilities/nursing homes services available through area agencies on aging community support groups hospice care community-based extended care).
• Resource Usage/Development - As a developing subject matter expert on the services and resources available to veterans through both VA and the community The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will monitor patterns of resource availability identifying unmet needs and the resultant impact on the veterans transition from the inpatient hospital setting.
• Advocacy - The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will advocate for the hospitalized veteran to ensure that he or she has access to all needed care and resources within VA and in the community.
• Crisis Intervention - The Medical Social Worker will assess and intervene in any medical or psychiatric crises presented by the veteran and participate in developing crisis management and safety plans to minimize the event of future crises.
• Education/Health promotion and prevention - The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will provide education about VA and community resources entitlement programs VA benefits and Advance Directives/Living completing the advanced directive or living will as requested.
• Non-patient care responsibilities - The Inpatient Medical / Surgical Social Worker will enter all veteran/family contacts in the electronic medical record using appropriate formats and templates. This information will be entered in a complete confidential timely and professional manner to promote relevant and effective communication with other VA employees about the veterans care.

• 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.
• 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.

• 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.

Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

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.

• Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)
• Education: You must possess 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. NOTE: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the masters degree in Social Work.
• License: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level.
  • Exception: For assignments at the GS-9 level VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent masters level within three years of their appointment as a social worker.
• Grandfathering Provision: 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).

• Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans their family members caregivers and survivors.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients staff and representatives of community agencies.
• 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.

• Licensure: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level.
• Experience or Education: In addition to meeting the basic requirements to qualify for the GS-11 you must possess 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. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: 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 patient/family member/caregiver advocate with community service providers/agencies; assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family collaboration with the patient family and interdisciplinary treatment teams identifying strengths weaknesses coping skills and psychosocial acuity. Maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with appropriate referrals. -OR- 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.

• Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services.
• Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic educational and other backgrounds.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.