Career Center

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Learn more 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. (NOTE: This applies to the past, current, and upcoming VA Health Professional Trainees (HPT) only. HPT is an individual appointed to temporary positions in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experiences to satisfy program or degree requirements or receiving VA Health Professional Scholarship Program. HPTs can be either VA-paid or Without Compensation (WOC).) 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. 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. 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). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker, 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: (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. (b) 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. (c) 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. (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. (e) 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. 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. 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. 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: Working with combat veterans in providing family counseling services. Working with veterans who were sexually traumatized/harassed while in the military. Conducting psycho-social assessments and the provision of processing psychotherapy for trauma related conditions. Implement treatment plans for combat Veterans/and their families. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 part II Appendix G39 dated September 10, 2019. 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: Primarily sedentary position, but will require lift lifting, sitting, and walking. Environmental factors: outside and inside, electrical energy, working closely with others, protracted or irregular hours of work, and repetitive computer use. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The incumbent provides readjustment counseling to combat veterans and family members of the Vietnam era, World War II, Korea, Lebanon, Panama, Grenada, Persian Gulf, Global War on Terrorism. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to the following: Screening/Assessment - complete an assessment and military history. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - responsible for developing a unique treatment plan that reflects a course of therapeutic intervention that will address the needs identified in the assessment. Referral to service providers - maintains and exercises an effective resource data base that is used to address the needs of a veteran client better served by programs external to the Vet Center. Resource Usage/Development - responsible for using the current social work resource file of the Vet Center and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of veterans. Advocacy - exercise advocacy with the goal of enabling and educating the veteran client to effectively advocate for him/herself. Education/Health promotion - provides education or facilitates education to elements external to the Vet Center and to veteran and family members on a variety of health topics. Coordination of non-institutional and institutional services - The social worker will ensure good communication and sound clinical treatment of veteran clients and family members that are shared with other health care providers and community based agencies. Counseling - The social worker exercises a variety of individual, group, and family counseling techniques that are evidence based in the treatment of readjustment counseling problems and demonstrate good clinical practice. Outreach - performs outreach to veterans/family members for the purpose of educating them about readjustment issues and assistance that is available. Administrative responsibilities - conduct clinical documentation in compliance with all regulations of the Veterans Health Administration. Community/Media Activities - The social worker will engage in presenting educational programs about veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Readjustment Counseling Service. Work Schedule: Non-traditional work schedule, which will combine day shifts with two mandatory evening shifts. The evening shifts will be either 11 am - 8:30 pm or 12 noon to 8:30 pm. Work schedule is subject to change due to the needs of the service.\nCompressed/Flexible: Available\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 00000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nEDRP Authorized: Contact Annalyn Mears at Annalyn.mears@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]