Summary The Cardiology Hub and Spoke Network Social Worker diligently attempts to meet the needs of all customers and stakeholders (Veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA employees) while supporting VA missions. They consistently communicate with courtesy, tact and respect, according the same to all customers and stakeholders. Responsibilities Major Duties: The combined role of the Cardiology Hub and Spoke Network (H&SN) Social Worker and Primary Care Social Worker involves providing comprehensive social work services to Veterans requiring care in both cardiovascular and primary care settings. This position entails delivering advanced practice clinical psychosocial and case management services to Veterans facing cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter, aortic stenosis, and congestive heart failure. Additionally, this role includes offering skilled psychosocial support and case management within the primary care framework. In this capacity, the social worker independently delivers high-quality case management and clinical treatment across various contexts, including inpatient, outpatient, and community settings, addressing the holistic needs of the Veterans. The social worker provides short-term, solution-focused counseling and crisis intervention to Veterans and their families or caregivers, helping to address both presenting problems and underlying issues. The social worker operates collaboratively with an interdisciplinary medical team, evaluating psychosocial problems and facilitating access to necessary resources to minimize stressors for the Veterans. This role involves optimizing social support to promote maximum recovery and functioning, with a focus on educating and involving families and caregivers in the care process. The social worker acts as a liaison with community professionals and internal disciplines to coordinate optimal care and services for the Veterans. Thorough psychosocial assessments are conducted to determine presenting problems, assess in-home factors impacting these issues, and identify obstacles to treatment. The social worker utilizes the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) template assessments to synthesize information, guiding case management and determining appropriate levels of care. They differentiate between episodic, supportive, progressive, and intensive case management. The social worker provides comprehensive bio-psychosocial interventions throughout the course of the Veteran's illness, particularly in the context of cardiovascular care, which may include multiple imaging studies, procedures, surgeries, and ongoing medical management. Independently identifying high-risk patients, the social worker offers proactive case management services for chronic disease management and works to remove barriers to healthcare interventions. Coordination of community-based services is a key aspect of the role, including making referrals to other VA or community service providers/agencies to address the varied needs of Veterans. The social worker educates Veterans, families, caregivers, and community care partners about VA benefits, services, community resources, entitlements, and the completion of Advanced Directives and Living Wills. This role requires extensive knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, treatment procedures, medical terminology, and common medications, along with their effects and side effects. The social worker implements treatment modalities such as motivational interviewing (MI), providing supportive counseling and health coaching to Veterans and their families. The position serves Veterans across various locations, including the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center (JJP VAMC) and its Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in Farmington, Sikeston, and West Plains, Missouri, as well as Pocahontas and Paragould, Arkansas, and the Health Care Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Note: This Position is open until filled, once filled the announcement will be closed. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Ad-Hoc only Virtual: This is NOT a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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). 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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation 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. Exception: VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. (a) For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. (b) A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. 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). 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). All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard (September 10, 2019) 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. Grade Determinations: 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. 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. Preferred Experience: At least one year experience in Specialty Care and Primary Care Social Work and Case Management preferred. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. VA Handbook 5005/120, PART II, APPENDIX G39, SOCIAL WORKER QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-0185 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: This position work is divided between office and clinical settings, is primarily sedentary. May require prolonged standing, moderate walking, and manual dexterity. Requires carrying light items, such as books, files, or laptop computer. 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.