Clarification from the agency

Open to U.S. Citizens that owe an allegiance to the United States of America. This is an open continuous announcement that will be used for filling GS-0185 Social Worker positions for the Dayton VA Medical Center until March 14, 2024. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Screening of potential Veterans who have been referred to the program and collaborate with providers to determine suitability for program.
• Complete a comprehensive psychosocial assessment on the Veteran, taking into account the presenting problems, historical information, medical and psychiatric issues, legal implications, the present environment, significant others and the current support systems.
• Collaborate with various agencies and providers working with the Veteran to gather collateral information and for continuity of care.
• Review all data and make a clinical assessment, identifying needs and strengths.
• Provide explanation of the different levels of care available and why one level may benefit the Veteran more than another.
• Utilize advanced clinical judgment to determine the appropriate level of care and to assess the effectiveness of treatment.
• Provide orientation and overall program information to the Veterans and others involved in their care.
• Utilize advanced clinical skills to work with Veterans who are considered a high-risk population and who have high recidivism rates.
• Independently initiate and provide creative solutions to reoccurring problems, such as a loss of resources.
• Make clinical diagnoses based on the psychosocial assessment, utilizing professional judgment and advance practice skills.
• Perform insightful assessment of complicated cases involving mental illness, legal consequences, transmittable and terminal medical conditions, addictions and other high-risk factors.
• Utilize advanced clinical training to assess the Veteran's current situation and its far-reaching implications.
• Evaluate the motivation for treatment and determine the willingness or ability to comply with the treatment recommendations.
• Assist Veteran with discharge planning and appropriate referrals for community re-entry to include assisting Veterans with finding housing and providing transportation into the community to address housing needs.
• Utilize advanced clinical skills to incorporate the Veteran, past experience, current problems, significant others, community agencies and the interdisciplinary team into the treatment planning process.
• Consult with other specialists in planning treatment for Veterans with co-morbidities.
• Utilize the psychosocial assessment to suggest plans for the course of treatment.
• Provide consultations and recommendations in the development of interdisciplinary treatment plan.
• Plan treatment interventions utilizing evidence-based practices.
• Involve the Veteran in the stages of treatment planning, listening to the stated goals and conveying confidence in the Veteran's ability to achieve.
• Effectively work with Veterans and significant others from different social, cultural, and ethnic groups.
• Utilize advanced clinical training while questioning/discussing sensitive and person subject matter.
• Provide explanations and guidance in working with Veterans to help them explore their problems and options.
• Utilize professional judgment taking into account various disabling issues (medical, psychiatric, legal, substance abuse, etc.) that the Veteran is currently trying to overcome.
• Engage and establish a therapeutic alliance using advanced practice skills with the Veteran who may have a history of non-compliance and exhibits a lack of motivation for change.
• Maintain therapeutic relationship with the Veteran, allowing for open communication concerning the effectiveness of treatment and changing goals.
• Independently provide individual and group counseling and psycho-education.
• Consistently offer referrals to VA and non-VA agencies, as needed, and maintain a current and productive network of referral resources.
• Effectively communicate treatment plans and expectations to other individuals and agencies involved in the treatment of the Veteran for continuity of care, while adhering to HIPP A requirements and maintaining social work professional standards of practice.
• Receive and complete consults requesting services on complex cases using advanced practice skills and expertise.
• Offers consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of Veterans.
• Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and social work students assigned to the MHRRTP.
• Utilize outcome evaluations to further treatment and designs systems changes based on empirical findings.
• Participate in the writing of procedures and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the Veterans served in the MH RRTP.

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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.
• 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.]
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, you must meet the following grade requirements.

GS-9 Social Worker:

Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). 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.

GS-11 Social Worker:

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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). 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.

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).

References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard 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-09 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive 5019.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.