Summary

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. Program 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.

Qualifications

***This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until February 12th, 2025. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 26th, 2024, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until position is filled.*** 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
• English Language Proficiency
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. §
• 7403(f)
• Driver License: Driver License is Required
• 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
• For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker
• Grandfathering Provision
• All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date (9/10/2019) of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• Grade Determinations: Social Worker, GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure
• None beyond the basic requirements
• AND 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
• 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
• NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c
• OR 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
• AND 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
• Preferred Experience: 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-09 to GS-11
• Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary
• Some work may require movement between offices, hospital, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work
• Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site
• Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

Duties

• Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf The RRTP Social Worker serves as a member of the multidisciplinary treatment team
• In addition, the clinician will provide direct care, assessment, and treatment where indicated & as such functions as a treatment team member
• Diagnoses mental disorders, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities & provide adjunctive interventions for maintenance of medical disorders
• Among the modalities provided are individual, family, and group psychotherapies
• May be involved limitedly in program evaluation and/or research functions
• Has a generic understanding of social dynamics & use a wide range of treatment modalities, including crisis intervention, individual case work, group work, patient education, confrontation, supportive therapy, family therapy, discharge planning, and knowledge of aftercare treatment resources
• Obtains a thorough working knowledge of aftercare rehabilitation community treatment resources and makes appropriate referrals
• The incumbent makes every effort to link patients to the appropriate resource and to implement the aftercare plan
• Serves as a liaison between the residential setting and other VA and community resources
• Accountable for timely documentation, proper clinical file recording, case work services rendered, exploration surveys with beneficiaries and the provision of service summaries
• Conducts biopsychosocial intake assessments to determine needs of Veterans& family members
• Is an active participant in the treatment planning process with other RRTP disciplines & will develop individual treatment plans with the resident
• Participates in discharge planning with other disciplines & will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely & appropriate
• Provides individual, family, and group counseling as appropriate
• Provides consultation/education to Veterans & families on community resources and VA benefits
• Acts as a consultant to other team/staff members
• Acts as liaison between VA and community resources, to include marketing & public relation duties as needed
• Provides case management to Veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care
• Provides measurement-based assessment & care using VA accepted procedures & instruments
• Provides a full range of therapy services within commonly accepted standards of clinical practice which includes case work, individual, family & group counseling, discharge planning, case management & other services as appropriate
• Provides wellness/prevention education and facilitate patient/family support groups as appropriate
• Coordinates treatment and communicate with the care lines to facilitate continuity of care for Veterans
• Participates in committee assignments, as deemed necessary by the service manager
• Maintains data, documentation, & statistical compilations to comply with National Directive, TJC, CARF, VA, & medical center policy and procedures
• Assists patients & their significant others with coping and dealing with the loss & grief experiences in disability, terminal illness, & death
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for a highly qualified applicant
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact michael.warner3@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more 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 (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 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 (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 53329-A & 53330-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized