Senior Social Worker (Hospice and Palliative Care)

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

The Senior Social Worker (Hospice and Palliative Care) position is in the Geriatrics & Extended Care Service at the VA Maine Healthcare System located at the Augusta, ME location. This position is full time at 40 hours per week. Provides Social Work services to the Veteran population on the inpatient Hospice unit, and to patients being followed on an outpatient basis by the Palliative Care team. Must have at least two years of experience post obtaining advanced practice clinical licensure and should have specialized experience of social work practice within a hospice and/or palliative care clinical setting. Have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, is able to be a resource to clinical staff throughout the organization, and is able to provide training and education to Fellows and other trainees on variety of topics related to psychosocial issues in palliative medicine and end of life care. Duties include, but are not limited to: Assessing the patient's understanding of his/her diagnosis and proposed treatments. Helping the Veteran cope with end-of-life or complex chronic illness diagnoses and the many emotions that arise. Education/instruction regarding self-relaxation and other coping strategies. Assessing treatment options when considering work, family and the Veteran's other obligations. Interagency collaboration when the Veteran's care involves multiple entities. Providing education related to the patient's VA, Social Security and disability benefits. Providing referrals and linkage to community agencies with specialized benefits. Counseling individuals, couples and families regarding referrals to specialized mental health providers. Linkage to appropriate support groups and educational programs. Facilitating communication between the treatment team, Veteran and family, including advocacy. Facilitating family discussions regarding illness, healthcare and life changes. Supporting end-of-life planning/care preferences through assistance with Advanced Directives for Healthcare as well as discussions about patient values and preferences related to Life Sustaining Treatments. Discharge planning; inpatient and outpatient placements into residential care facilities, subacute skilled nursing facilities and adult day healthcare programs. Addressing the impact of end-of-life and/or chronic illness on life issues (intimacy, body image, living with chronic illness with the uncertainty of life expectancy, etc.). Referral to and coordination of hospice care services including facilitation with Non-VA Care Coordination. Advocating for home health or hospice care when requested by the Veteran. Coordinating bereavement support services with VA Maine chaplain services and/or community hospice agencies. Work Schedule: Full-Time Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Functional Statement #: F02738 Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service. This position is not in a Bargaining Unit. This position is covered by a special salary rate. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. No award SF50's will be accepted. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. May be subject to satisfactory completion of our credentialing process. 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.