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Summary The PACT Senior Social Worker-Rural CBOCS works independently using their educational training, clinical experience, VA policies, and Joint Commission standards in administering direct services as a clinical member of the Veteran's PACT team. The Social Worker participates in the Primary Care Clinic (PCC) through the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). Responsibilities The PACT Senior Social Worker independently provides clinical psychosocial treatment and case management services at an advanced-practice level to eligible Veterans and their family members to address social determinants of health. Veterans treated come from a wide geographic area. Their health care and psychosocial problems and needs are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight and creative problem solving. Major duties include, but not limited to: Screening/Assessment - The PCC PACT Social Worker will 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. Participation in the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) - The Social Worker participates as a medical social worker with the PCC PACT. The social worker in this Veteran-centric approach often functions as a care coordinator with a panel of veterans to ensure that health care provided meets the patient's needs, as defined by the Veteran. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - The Social Worker is responsible for developing the psychosocial treatment plan and setting achievable treatment goals with the veteran/family, independently establishing this plan, and following up as needed. Referral to Service Providers - Throughout the course of treatment, the Social Worker acts as the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources. Community Liaison and Resource Usage - The Social Worker is responsible for using the current social work resource file of VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of veterans. Advocacy - The PACT Social Worker understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate within the VA system when it serves the best interest of the veteran/family. Crisis Intervention - The PACT Social worker is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission to mental health inpatient programs. Education/Health Promotion and Prevention - The PACT Social Worker provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements/benefits, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs. Coordination of Non-Institutional and Institutional Services - The PACT Social Worker will review progress notes from the other providers to accurately determine and assess the strengths and limitations of each veteran being referred for mental health services. Social Worker works independently to educate the veteran, their families, and the team of all options available to them and will collaborate with the veteran and family on the preferred option. Supportive Counseling - The PACT Social Worker will provide veterans and their caregivers with ongoing supportive counseling. Administrative Responsibilities - The PACT Social Worker will enter all veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates, being able to enter consults and make assessments because of their independent level of licensure. The Social Worker will establish and maintain positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers and stakeholders within the VA, and network with outside community agencies and social workers. The PACT Social Worker will attend all appropriate PCC staff meetings (interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, Social Work staff meetings, other committees, or workgroups as appropriate, etc.) and perform other duties as required. The PACT Social Worker will collaborate in the performance improvement processes and comply with performance measures as required by the VA for their specific population and/or program. The PACT Social Worker will participate in activities to obtain feedback from clients and work to enhance services, making necessary adjustments when needed. The PACT Social Worker willingly accepts additional duties and special assignments that are necessary to meet program goals or customer needs. Also varies other duties and functions assigned. Must maintain a full and unrestricted driver license and be able to operate a Government Owned Vehicle. This requires travel between CBOCS located in Pahrump, NV and Laughlin, NV. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm May vary depending on deployment and/or assigned facility needs Travel: Up to 50% may be required. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's 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 and maintain CDT physical readiness. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. 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. Note: 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. NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED Licensed or certified Senior Social Worker must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. NOTE: A COPY OF YOUR LICENSE/CERTIFICATION IS REQUIRED Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker, GS-12In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. Experience: At least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment and are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation. References: VA Handbook 5005/Part II/Appendix G39The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the Social Worker or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position may require regular travel into the community to meet with community agencies and partners who aid and support to the HUD-VASH Program and its Veterans. Must be able to lift 10 to 15 pounds, drive a GSA Vehicle, climb stairs, and regularly be out in the community in the local weather. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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.