VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU
The VHA is a mission driven, federally funded organization that emphasizes putting the patient first. The mission is to "Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being." VA New England is leading the VHA's Primary Care initiative in the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model embedded in an innovative, Whole Health oriented Primary Care Delivery System. This system leverages best health care practices built on standardized work processes that optimize the unique contributions of each discipline. We cultivate a highly dynamic, integrative, and collaborative team environment. VHA is on a journey towards becoming a High Reliability Organization. The PACT model serves a complex panel of Veteran patients. Our Whole Health system empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and includes complimentary and integrative health approaches that enhance self-empowerment, self-healing, and self-care. Our patients develop longitudinal relationships with the entire team comprised of clinical pharmacy practitioners, dieticians, social workers and behavioral health providers. This team collaborates to address patient needs, mitigate social determinants of health and proactively manage the health of our population. Our typically smaller panel sizes, wide array of support services and virtual care options (from video visits to mobile apps and patient generated data) provide more flexibility for how Veterans engage in their own health care and with their team. The social worker in this veteran-centric approach often functions as a care coordinator and case manager for primary care veterans in all settings to ensure that health care meets the needs, as defined by the veteran. The primary care social worker is responsible to answer social work and advance directive consults, to triage and refer veteran needs to other social work practice areas as appropriate, and to utilize population health management to provide proactive outreach in order to improve quality of care. The primary care Social Worker will also work with veterans utilizing specialty care such as, but not limited to, urgent care, neurology and pain clinics as these veterans and families can often benefit from social work support in addressing social determinants of health. The role of a social worker case manager in the PACT is to assess and treat psychosocial and environmental factors that impact the patient's ability to achieve maximum health and wellness. Social work case managers assess the patient's psychological and emotional adjustment to illness within the context of medical diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options.
The duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Maintain effective therapeutic relationships with veterans in the primary care clinic and/or their families.
- Complete thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the psychosocial functions and needs of veterans and/or their families.
- Actively participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team.
- Facilitate action for community placements through collaboration with veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate community placements are completed in a timely manner.
- Serves as a liaison between veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of services.
- Provides consultation and education to veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs and advance directives.
- Provides consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of veterans and/or families and the impact the issues may have on the veterans health care planning and compliance with treatment.
- Make referrals to community and other governmental programs and agencies.
- Provide case management services to the veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm.
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Telework: Telework may be authorized Ad Hoc as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Relocation Incentives: Not Authorized
Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Promotion Protentional: The Selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required.
Starting at $67,713 Per Year (GS 9-11)