Social Worker

Summary

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 4 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.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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
• 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work
• 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).Grade Determinations:GS-9 Experience - Education - and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic - cultural - ethnic - educational - and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills
• Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members - and to formulate and implement a treatment plan - identifying the Veterans problems - strengths - weaknesses - coping skills - and assistance needed
• Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals - families - and groups to achieve treatment goals
• This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive - problem solving - or crisis intervention techniques
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients - staff - and representatives of community agencies
• Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities - and treatment procedures
• This includes acute - chronic - and traumatic illnesses/injuries
• common medications and their effects/side effects
• and medical terminology
• [Entry Level] Assignment: Individuals assigned as GS-9 grade level social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised - as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification
• Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience
• Duties may include but are not limited to: identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect or exploitation
• providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning
• providing social work case management
• acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver
• assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifying the Veteran's strengths - weaknesses - coping skills and psychosocial acuity - in collaboration with the Veteran - family - and interdisciplinary treatment teams
• maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the Veteran and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals
• Since social workers at this level are not practicing at an independent level - they should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required - such as in a CBOC - unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice
• GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision
• GS-11 [Full Performance Level] 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
• 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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of community resources - how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services - and ability to coordinate services
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• References: VA Handbook 5005/120The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11
• Physical Requirements: Traveling throughout the medical center and the community may be required - as is performing activities involving sitting - walking - and standing - carrying such item as books - papers - and files
• In carrying out responsibilities it may be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the Veterans - their families - representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies
• The employee must possess a current driver's license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: The incumbent is responsible for completing the following duties and/or responsibilities: Serves as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources to ensure thorough delivery of services
• Implements psychotherapeutic treatment modalities - provide educational classes - and/or treatment and supportive groups for Veterans and families
• Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources - VA benefits and specialty programs - and advance directives
• This includes the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services - information and referral for additional services from other VA programs - other government programs - and community programs
• Independently completes thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the mental health diagnosis - psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families
• Independently conducts psychosocial assessments of high-risk patients to identify suicidality through use of the Suicide Risk Assessment (SRA) and other appropriate tools
• Actively participates as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team through collaboration with Veterans and family - in the development and implementation of treatment goals and interventions
• Coordinates care - including serving as an advocate on behalf of veterans to ensure comprehensive service delivery and linking and referring veterans to the VA Medical Center - VA Regional Offices and/or community agencies
• Complies with criminal conflict of interest laws and Executive Branch Standards of conduct to avoid conflicts of interest while conducting regular duties
• Implements psychotherapeutic treatment modalities - provide educational classes - and/or treatment and supportive groups for Veterans and families
• Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources - VA benefits and specialty programs - and advance directives
• This includes the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services - information and referral for additional services from other VA programs - other government programs - and community programs
• Performs accountability functions to document all contacts with patients/facilities in the electronic medical record and the completes any required/requested reports as needed per VAMC and respective professional service policies
• Provides consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veteran's health care planning and compliance with treatment
• Maintains knowledge of Veteran's benefits and services - community resources - and process for making appropriate referrals to community and other governmental programs or agencies
• Provides individual - family and group counseling as needed
• Provides consultation/education to veterans and their families on community resources - advance directives - and VA benefits
• - Acting as a liaison between the VA and community agencies - to include marketing and public relations duties as needed
• Possesses skills and knowledge to provide case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care
• Provides Psychosocial Assessment & Support to the Mobile Medical Unit to include driving
• Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday - 07:30am to 4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Available on an Ad-Hoc basis
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact [email protected] for questions or assistance
• Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.

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