Social Worker

Inpatient Medicine/Surgical Social Worker

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 veteran's 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 veteran's 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 veteran's 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 veteran's care.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm or 8:00am - 4:30pm

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

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)

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 442-56557-0; 442-56556-0

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized