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Summary The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for an Senior Social Worker. The Senior Social Worker will function in the Emergency Department and the Patient Transfer Center in Social Work Service. Responsibilities This position is located primarily in the WP Emergency Department (ED) and the Patient Transfer Center (PTC) located in the Patient Business Office. The Senior Social Work incumbent is responsible for providing direction and assistance with care coordination for veterans who are being referred from community health care organizations for VA services / programs, direct social work services to veterans being seen for treatment in the ED and for consultation on the possible diversion of veterans being managed by the PTC and to begin discharge planning from the ED as a bridge to inpatient care. She / He will also screen, as part of the GERI-VET program, patients 75 years of age or older to assist in care coordination and work to reduce admissions for non-acute medical, social concerns. All veterans referred from the ED staff presenting with psychosocial issues that may inhibit medical care follow through, independent care / social functioning or the need for possible social admission will receive a thorough psychosocial assessment of the presenting problem(s). The social worker will seek to identify additional psychosocial issues (e.g. psychiatric, substance abuse, economic, housing, legal, interpersonal) that may also require treatment or referral. The primary goal is to assess the patient's current level of social functioning, to assist them in moving towards a higher level of functioning, stability, self-sufficiency, and prevent unneeded social admissions by providing them and their caregivers with needed services and referrals to VA and community programs. The social worker will also work with the discharge planning staff at outside area hospitals who have referred hospitalized veterans to the PTC for assistance with discharge planning, by providing the same level of services and referrals to help facilitate their discharge planning process and prevent unnecessary delays or readmissions. Duties of the Senior Social Worker include, but are not limited to: Develops treatment plans in collaboration with the veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team. Coordinates community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs and community agency programs. Provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint, coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members. Provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment plan. Geri-VET initiative: Screen Veterans age 65 or older to identify those who may be at risk of hospitalization (or re-hospitalization) due to functional/cognitive decline, lack of support or other psychosocial issues. Provides ED staff with Geriatric specific education quarterly, which supports the Cleveland VA's compliance with GEM accreditation. Is the SW subject matter expert and is a required participant in GEM accreditation / re-accreditation. Participates in the ED Geri-Vet program at a national level, which includes monthly meetings with the National Geriatric ED Council and education sessions with other ED Social Workers at VA sites across the nation that are working towards their accreditation. Participates in the National Elder Abuse Tiger Team that is developing facility level training on abuse and neglect to be distributed nationally. This training is being written for all staff to understand the definition, identification and reporting of elder abuse/neglect. Participates in the Elder Mistreatment Screening and Response Tool (EM-SART) workgroup with the goal of identifying screening adaptations and a searchable title, so this tool can be available in any clinical setting nationally. Work Schedule:(4) 10 hour shifts, may include some weekends. Telework: Not available Functional Statement #: 922980 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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. 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Must be able to meet physical demands which include strenuous physical activity to include carrying persons and equipment, walking long distances over difficult terrain, running, climbing, working long hours in primitive or arduous conditions, long periods of standing, and bending and stooping. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. 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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. Licensure/Certification. 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 http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determination: Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Experience/Education. The candidate must have 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. Senior social workers 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. Licensure/Certification. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state 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. 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. Assignments. 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 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 Physical Requirements: Lifting and carrying light objects under 15 pounds, using two hands, walking for up to two hours. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination, correctable vision, hearing with or without aid, depth perception and ability to distinguish basic colors and emotional and mental stability. Education Additional Information 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. VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. 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.