Job Description

Job Title

Social Worker

Duties

The Social Worker provides clinical psychosocial and Evidence Based Therapies to eligible Veterans and their family members to meet biological, psychological, social, and environmental needs. Veterans treated in Social and Behavioral Health come primarily from the Anchorage catchment area. Their health care and psychosocial problems and needs are complex and require clinical oversight and creative problem solving.

Interviews Clients and Conducts Psychosocial Assessments

• Interviews veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the veteran's situation, presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the veteran's functioning and health as part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment.

Makes Psychosocial Diagnoses

• Evaluates the client's situation, including the veteran's reaction and ability to cope with his/her life stressors and arrives at a reasoned conclusion.
• Based on the psychosocial assessment, uses professional judgment and advanced practice skills to make a psychosocial diagnosis.
• Performs assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness involving psychiatric, catastrophic medical conditions, dementia and other high-risk diagnoses.

Plans Effective Treatment

• Develops psychosocial treatment plans in coordination with interdisciplinary team members, including goals for psychosocial clinical treatment.
• Using known available resources and the initial assessment of the veteran's likelihood to accept differing types of assistance, make initial and continuing decisions regarding use of VA and non-VA services and referrals.
• Makes adjustments to the psychosocial treatment plan and interventions based on changing needs and response to interventions

Implements Treatment

• Provides clinical services to veterans and family members/significant others in support of the veteran's treatment.
• Provides individual and group therapy to patients and their families, on a regularly scheduled basis to engage in activities and/or discussion designed to improve patients' cognitive, social, emotional, vocational and/or behavioral functioning.
• Gives advice, guidance, emotional support, and other assistance.
• Receives and completes requests for services (consults) from interdisciplinary team members and from other Social Workers on complex, difficult cases, using advanced practice skills and expertise.

Evaluation, Education, Supervision, Coaching, and Mentoring

• Establishes a continuing relationship with the veteran, evaluating progress towards goals and adjusting the treatment plan as appropriate.
• Monitors veteran's progress, maintains comprehensive documentation, ensures expert diagnosis and treatment of clinical disorders, and shows competent discretion in decision to adjust treatment.
• Serves as a mentor to other Social Workers, particularly those at the entry level.
• Provides clinical supervision for unlicensed Social Workers and for Social Work associates.
• As a field instructor or preceptor, supervises Social Work graduate students and provides a training experience for them in Social Work.

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

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHAEDRPProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

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.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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