Summary

Social Worker assigned to areas: inpatient or outpatient medicine - surgery - mental health - neurology - rehabilitation medicine - and geriatrics. Duties include assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect - exploitation - and intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality and acts as an advocate with appropriate service providers.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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
• Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/
• 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
• At the time of appointment - the supervisor - chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification - including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline
• Failure to Obtain License or Certification: In all cases - social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment
• Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• Loss of Licensure or Certification: Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment
• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• Grade Determinations: Social Worker GS-9: Experience - Education - and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements
• 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
• Social Worker GS-11: 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 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
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate 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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11
• Physical Requirements: This job requires moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 ponds) - pushing - operation of a motor vehicle - ability to distinguish basic colors - hearing (aid may be permitted)
• Environmental Factors include outside and inside - working closely with others and working alone.

Duties

• Duties will vary by grade - but at the GS-11 Performs case finding functions and outreach - assessments - referrals and case management services to homeless Veterans identified in the community to include homeless Veterans receiving treatment in contracted residential treatment and supportive housing programs
• Conducts assessments - referrals and provides short term case management services to homeless Veterans presenting to the Community Resource and Referral - to other medical center-based walk-in clinics and/or community-based outreach clinics operated by VA CHOS staff
• May be assigned to staff the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans hotline - providing crisis intervention - and referrals and linkages to community and VA basic needs resources
• Independently identifies high-risk Veterans and provides short-term case management services
• Provides crisis intervention services - seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint - coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members
• Has working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities and treatment procedures
• This includes acute - chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries - common medications and their side effects
• Conducts routine suicide risk screens - comprehensive assessments and collaborative safety plans
• Conducts psychosocial assessments
• Develops treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team - including referrals to appropriate housing intervention programs within and outside of the VA - as well as other medical and/or mental health programs
• Coordinates care with long-term case managers and housing service providers
• Possesses the skills to offer psychosocial interventions and measures outcomes to interventions
• Is able to work with Veterans and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric - medical and social problems utilizing individual - group and family counseling and therapy skills
• Efforts are directed toward using a therapeutic relationship to assist the individual/significant other gain more control over their lives and resolve issues which have led to homelessness
• Must possess the KSAs to independently implement treatment modalities - provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals - families and groups
• Provides ongoing therapeutic intervention with the Veteran and significant other to assist them in dealing and coping with the psychosocial issues of mental health - aging - illness and disability - loss and grief - and terminal illness and dying
• Will address Advance Directives in accordance with the standards of their work area
• Has general knowledge of Veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs - service connected compensation - non-service connected pension
• Is able to communicate effectively - both orally and in writing
• Collaborates in identifying and addressing ethical issues
• Provides considerate care - respecting Veteran/family and staff personal values and belief systems
• Provides consultation and supervision to social work trainees and unlicensed staff as indicated
• May participate in a rotation of on-call social workers - including modification of tour of duty to accommodate patient care needs on weekends
• Will be expected to perform a large part of their work in community settings
• Must have an unrestricted State Driver's License and be cleared to drive a government vehicle for transporting Veterans
• Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
• Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior work experience or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care
• Telework: Not Available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.