Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open to employees of the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Healthcare System and all employees of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

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Statement of Major Duties and KSAs for the GS 11 level

• Provides direct case management services for Veterans enrolled in services
• Establishes a continuing relationship with the client; evaluating progress towards goals, performing follow-up after referral or if the client misses an appointment
• Provides all necessary assessment functions, e.g. interviewing, psychosocial histories to aid in the development of treatment plans, and documents in the medical record accordingly
• Works with the Veteran to realize the Veteran's treatment goals, and reassesses and revises goals as indicated by the Veteran's engagement in treatment
• Organizes and conducts individual and group case management, to include early interventions and supportive follow-up to ensure stability through home visits and facility-based contacts
• Provides recovery-oriented treatment with the goal of establishing the Veteran independently in the community at the Veteran's highest level of functioning and quality of life

Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program (HCHV)Tallahassee Outpatient Clinic -Travel Required

• Serves as a member of a multidisciplinary homeless program treatment team
• Independently conducts intake and needs assessment of homeless Veterans and their significant others
• Develops comprehensive treatment plans with the Veteran that address the factors that contributed to homelessness, including co-occurring factors within a recovery model framework
• Develops partnerships with community agencies, especially those serving homeless Veterans, with regular contact and communication
• Provides liaison services with other programs referring homeless Veterans to HUD-VASH to ensure continuity of care and promote successful transition of Veterans from one program to another
• Responsible for the collection of statistical data and for reviewing the data to improve performance and delivery of services to homeless Veterans

Homeless Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program (DCHV) This program is located at the HONOR Center, Gainesville, FL - Travel Required

• Provides high intensity clinical and case management services to ensure a smooth reintegration into independent community based living.The individual works closely with other members of the treatment team and with other DCHV staff to insure the highest quality of care for Veterans living in the Domiciliary
• Works closely with the VA medical center's other homeless programs, residential and community care programs, and inpatient providers to ensure that coordination between these entities is facilitated and that Veteran's direct care, referral, and follow up is contiguous and based on a continuum of services

HCHV Substance Abuse CounselorThis program is offered at our two HONOR Centers located in Gainesville and Jacksonville, FL- Travel Required

• Organizes and conducts individual and group substance abuse treatment, to include early interventions and supportive follow-up to ensure stability through home visits and facility-based contacts

Community Resource and Referral Center This program is offered at our CRRC located in Jacksonville, FL -Travel Required

• Responsible for the collection of statistical data and for reviewing the data to improve performance and delivery of services to homeless Veterans
• Provides recovery-oriented treatment with the goal of establishing the Veteran independently in the community at the Veteran's highest level of functioning and quality of life

Mental Health Clinic

• Conducts psychosocial/mental health assessments to identify needs and formulate a patient centered treatment plan with the Veteran to meet needs and goals.
• Responsible for the development of patient centered treatment plans and developing achievable treatment goals with the Veteran and other significant others.
• Provides individual and group psychotherapy using evidence based modalities
• Responsible for planning and organizing work, coordinating with clinical interdisciplinary team members, other professional and clinical staff, and management personnel.

HUD VASH Social Worker

• The HUD VASH SW works closely with the NF/SG VAHS homeless programs, residential and community care programs and domiciliary programs to ensure that coordination between these entities is facilitated and Veterans direct care, referral and followup is contiguous and based on a continuum of services.

Work Schedule: Primarily Monday-Friday day shift, 8:00 a.m- 4:30 p.m., some programs include Saturdays.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP): Authorized This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan reimbursement program. To participate in the program, you must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy 1021 and submit your application. See Additional Information section for more detail regarding EDRP.

Conditions of employment

• 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
• Operating a Government Vehicle for travel may be required for certain positions included in this announcement
• Current, valid Driver's License may be required to operate a government vehicle for certain positions included in this announcement
• Pre-Placement Physical Exam may be required
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

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:

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA guidelines).
• 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.
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date 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. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

1. Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
3. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
4. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

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/Education: 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the education, experience and license requirements above, you must be able to demonstrate all of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) for appointment at this grade level and assignment

• (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

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39

Physical Requirements: The work requires extreme patience and controlling of emotions. The work may requires using appropriate techniques to physically restrain patients who present a danger to self or others. The work may also require assisting physically disabled Veterans. Day-to-day work involves sitting, walking, standing and carrying light objects. Work is typically performed in a clinical setting; much of the work is performed in a setting away from the office. The incumbent must be able to safely operate a government owned vehicle to be utilized in community based work and the transportation of patients.

Pre-Placement Examination Requirement: All motor vehicle operators and incidental drivers shall undergo a standard pre-placement examination and periodic medical evaluation at least once every 4 years to ensure that employees who operate government owned or leased vehicles are medically able to do so without undue risk to themselves or others. For more information see VA Handbook 5019, Appendix A.

Note: To qualify as an incidental operator, an employee must possess a valid State license, have a safe driving record, pass a road test, and demonstrate that he or she is medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.