Description

Psychiatric Social Worker 3

Are you ready to really make a difference in the lives of heroes who gave so much for us? Then this position as a Psychiatric Social Worker 3, Full-Time, Permanent is just for you! This wonderful opportunity is located at the beautiful Walla Walla Veterans home in Walla Walla, Washington, with expected work hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

Here at the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA), we are passionate about our mission of “Serving Those Who Served.” As a national leader in our advocacy for more than 500,000 veterans and their family members, we strive to connect them to earned benefits as well as innovative programs focused on their overall health and wellness. In addition, we provide critical community services through a variety of programs, and at our four State Veterans Homes located in Orting, Port Orchard, Spokane, and Walla Walla. These locations provide Medicare and Medicaid nursing home care to honorably discharged veterans, including, in some instances, their spouses, widows, or Gold Star Families.

As the Psychiatric Social Worker 3 for our Walla Walla Veterans Home, you will serve as the designated psychiatric social worker member of an inter or multi-disciplinary treatment team to ensure compliance with State and Federal regulations governing nursing facilities.
Responsibilities include assessing, evaluating, care planning, & providing psychosocial clinical support for vulnerable adult veterans or spouses, and their families who require nursing facility level of care and intervention for medical, behavioral, and psychiatric problems.

If you want to make a difference in healing the seen and unseen wounds of veterans and provide them with quality care, then we encourage you to join our team by applying now!

Duties

Some of what you'll enjoy doing includes:

• Provide direct clinical psychiatric social work services to residents and families.
• Meeting & Greeting residents upon admission.
• Assisting residents with their disability, loss and adjustment to the facility while maintaining their ego strengths.
• Developing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship with residents/families to identify psychiatric problems and appropriate treatments.
• Develop behavioral management plans: include therapy, coordinating counseling for resident and family, crisis interventions, facilitating consults with outside providers, via referrals to appropriate federal, state, veteran and community resources available.
• Providing brief, solution-focused counseling as needed or referral when appropriate.
  Facilitating/co-facilitating support/psychoeducational groups as time permits.
• Making appropriate referrals to community, state, and federal agencies.
• Initiating Guardianship petitions or Powers of Attorney for residents who are unable to manage their own Health Care or financial decisions; Act as a liaison between residents, DPOA/POA, legal representatives, family members and facility staff.
• Assist residents’ legal representatives and family members in maintain Trust fund and account balances at levels per DSHS guidelines.
• Communicate and assist the Business Office per agency policies regarding Trust Fund Accounts and authorized Spend Downs as necessary.
• Monitor track and report on resident and family complaints and grievances.
• Assist the investigation Nurse when necessary during investigations.
• Participation in Psychotropic Medication Reviews: Attend Behavior Team meetings; maintaining and contributing knowledge of current status of assigned resident’s mood, behaviors, non-pharmacological interventions, and other recommendations which impact use or non-use of psychotropic medications.
• Conduct assessments on all residents per current federal and state regulations, to include social, economic, cultural, physical, spiritual and environmental factors that affect the health and well-being of the resident.
• Enter the information into the EHR system, print and file in the resident’s charts.
• Develop individual Care plans through clinical assessments document the plan in the HER system.
• And Much More!

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from an accredited Social Work Education program.

AND

• Two years of experience in counseling mentally or emotionally disturbed individuals OR in a long-term care or medical social work setting.

Desired:

• Master’s degree in Social Work from an accredited Social Work Education program.
• Two (2) years’ experience working with chronically mentally ill and Veterans with PTSD, or Traumatic Brain Injury.
• Minimum requirement of WA State Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) (Credential Type: Social Worker Independent Clinical License).

Supplemental Information

Check out this awesome video here to see what it is like to work for the WDVA!

Application Process:

The top candidates will be contacted directly to interview for this position. Because the selection will be based on information provided by you, it is in your best interest to identify the knowledge, skills and abilities that address the mandatory and desirable qualifications described below.

Please include the following documents with your application:
1. A letter of interest describing specific qualifications.
2. A current resume detailing applicable experience and education.

Finalists will be asked to provide a list of at least three professional references with current telephone numbers.

Other Information:

• State employees must be fully vaccinated. Your vaccine status will be verified at New Employee Orientation.

• Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.
• Must comply with health screening requirements by undergoing a tuberculosis skin test.
• Positions requiring travel must have a valid unrestricted driver's license and must be insured if driving a privately owned vehicle on state business.

Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference should attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. Please blackout any personally identifiable data such as social security numbers. For further information please contact us at: recruiters@dva.wa.gov.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

Here at YOUR Washington Department of Veterans Affairs our employees come from all walks of life. We strive to hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

We believe in the importance of recognizing the value each of us contribute to the success of the mission of the agency. Having a diverse workforce is this agency’s greatest resource of strength and knowledge. It is through the combination of talents and abilities that we can pursue finding effective measures on how we can provide the best customer service. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone.

The State of Washington is an equal opportunity employer. Persons with a disability who need assistance in the application process or testing process, or those needing this announcement in an alternative format, may call (360) 725-2183. TTY users should first call 711 to access the Washington Relay Service.

You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our award-winning diverse and inclusive organization.

If you have any questions regarding this announcement, program, or the agency please contact us at recruiters@dva.wa.gov.