Social Worker (PACT)

Summary

The Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) Social Worker provides clinical services in the Primary Care Clinic at the VA Medical Center and Community Based Outpatient Clinics

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Duties

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VA Careers - Social Work :

The Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) delivers primary care to Veterans in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and which focuses on prevention, health promotion, coordination, and chronic disease management. The PACT Social Worker in this Veteran-centric approach primarily functions as a direct-care provider for all psychosocial and behavioral health issues with assigned panels of Veterans. The PACT Social Worker also functions as a care coordinator to ensure that access to and services provided for healthcare meets the needs of the Veteran, as defined by the Veteran/Caregiver. The PACT Social Worker is uniquely prepared for the role by virtue of education, training, and experience which prepares the incumbent to understand the person-in-situation and the influences that family and community have in impacting the healthcare needs of Veterans.

Major duties include but not limited to:

• Identify problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and needed assistance.
• Provide psychosocial support to Veterans with highly complex health and/or mental health problems and the provision of short-term, solution focused counseling with Veterans and/or their families.
• Make rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for Veterans in crisis. In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, the PACT Social Worker will follow the protocol of the VA Medical Center or corresponding Community Clinic.
• Maintain access to approved resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis.
• Work in conjunction with the PCMHI staff or other Mental Health staff to ensure a warm handoff where appropriate in the event of a requested admission to mental health inpatient programs.
• Complete appropriate clinical reminders and screening tools for assessing suicide risk. As appropriate, will complete Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluations (CSRE) and Safety Plans.
• Function as a vital member of the interdisciplinary follow-up team for any Veterans flagged as high risk for suicide and work closely with the PCMHI staff or other Mental Health staff at their clinic for appropriate warm handoffs when needed.
• Represent the VA with professionalism and respect to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Acts as a subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources.
• Collaborate with other service providers in assessing the Veteran's needs as appropriate.
• Educate Veterans and/or caregiver of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of their authorized surrogate decision-maker.
• Utilize current VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of Veterans.
• Serve as a liaison with community agencies, assist Veterans (or caregivers) with referrals for services from community and government agencies, and help coordinate these services, when appropriate.
• Coordinate with other VA staff and community agencies to assist in problem solving as needed.
• Run psychotherapeutic and psychoeducational groups for Veterans, caregivers and/or family members
• Function as an independent provider within the PACT.
• Act as a care coordinator and case manager for psychosocial concerns related to psychosocial determinants of health for Veterans assigned to their panel.
• Work in conjunction with the Senior PACT Social Workers and the Primary Care Social Work Supervisor to ensure that psychosocial, mental health and social work services are provided appropriately to all patients throughout the healthcare system.
• Conduct psychosocial assessments in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran patient, family members and significant others; interviewing Veterans and family members/significant others and writing the psychosocial assessment.
• Ensure biopsychosocial assessments highlight Veterans' strengths, limitations, and internal/external supports and service needs to optimize their functional status.
• Assess and treat the complicated psychosocial and behavioral health problems of Veterans, caregivers and their families/significant others.
• Assess, treat, and appropriately refer for the psychosocial problems that cause distress, which often impact the health condition and create barriers to care. These stressors can include adjustment to the current medical condition, untreated or under-treated mental health or substance abuse condition, economic instability, legal problems, and inadequate housing and transportation.
• Accept referrals from any member of the interdisciplinary team, Veterans, caregivers and/or family members who call or walk-in for assistance, and from community professionals.

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

Telework : This position is eligible for telework on an Ad- Hoc Basis per agency policy

Functional Statement # : GS 9: 08133F/ GS 11: 654 - 09406-F

Requirements

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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, 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.
• 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 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
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

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). Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation.

• All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
• Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
• If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS-0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker.

Grade Requirements. This section is only to outline the grade determinations used for initial grade placement upon selection and will not be used for minimum qualifications. These grade determinations can be reviewed in VA Handbook 5005, Chapter II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standards.

Social Worker, GS-9

(1) Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.

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

(a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.

(b) 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.

(c) 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.

(d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.

(e) 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.

Social Worker, GS-11

(1) 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.

NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c.

OR

(2) 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.

(3) 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, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified 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 individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals.

(e) 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 Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard, GS-0185, Veterans Health Administration, dated September 10, 2019.

Driver's License: Candidate must have a current state issued driver's license.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-09 or 11.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Employee Occupational Health Service

Education

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: 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:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. 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.

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.

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