Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. The first area of consideration will be given to current permanent employees of the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center. The second area of consideration will be given to current permanent VA employees. All other applicants will be considered thereafter.

Videos

- Provides rapid triage, problem-focused assessments, and time-limited interventions including but not limited to psychoeducation as well as brief individual and group psychotherapy.
- Provides scheduled and impromptu consultative services and psychoeducation regarding a wide range of mental health and behavioral medicine concerns to patients and non-mental health staff regarding patients.
- Performs routine brief assessments, including but not limited to the PHQ-9, PCL, AUDITC, GAD-7, etc.
- Provides brief mental health and behavioral interventions that are evidence based, including but not limited to behavioral medicine interventions for tobacco cessation, weight management, coping with chronic illness, sleep hygiene, etc.
- Performs routine and in-depth mental health evaluations, including intake assessments.
- Provides evidence-based psychotherapy and other therapeutic interventions utilizing VA based guidance and guidelines.
- Provides a wide range of therapeutic interventions for patients, including individual, couples, and group psychotherapy.
- Provides brief interventions in the area of substance use disorders.
- Liaisons/advocates on behalf of PCMHI and/or Veteran/caregiver between settings of care, both internal and external to the VA.
- 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, as needed- Independently identifies high-risk patients and connects with needed resources and services, as needed.
- Consults, collaborates, and coordinates with other staff who provide care to Veteran, routinely consulting with Primary Care Providers and other PACT members about plan of care for patients- Reviews relevant data, assesses the data, develops, and implement ideas for improvement.
- Serves as social work champion for treatment planning, discharge planning, and psychosocial and psychotherapeutic needs.
- Provides clinical supervision to social work trainees.
- Serves as a consultant to one or more Vet Center(s), including but not limited to the Vet Centers located in Detroit, Pontiac, Dearborn, and Macomb
- Communicates with National, VISN, Facility-level leadership, and other stakeholders. Communicates regularly with the VISN-level PCMHI POCs and other PCMHI Coordinators in the VISN, as well as local mental health and national PCMHI leadership to remain knowledgeable about policies and trends related to PCMHI.
- Responds to requests for information about local PCMHI programming from VA's Central Office's Office of Mental Health Services and from VISN- Serves on Medical Center/Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces, as assigned by the Supervisor or the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health.
- Represents social work on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System, as assigned by the Supervisor or the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health.
- Represents the Medical Center or Healthcare System at professional/program community group/events and committees.
- Involvement in training program didactics for trainees of various disciplines and levels, as assigned.
- Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): 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 (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 #: 93051/93052
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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.
• Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.

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 up to the full performance level.

• English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Regulations.

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:
Social Worker, GS-9Experience, Education, and Licensure - None beyond the basic requirements.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate, in their resume, all of the following KSAs:

1. Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
5. 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-11Experience 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 (graduate/developmental) 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
Additional 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, the candidate must demonstrate, in their resume, all of the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
2. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other backgrounds.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 GS11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS9 to GS11.

Physical Requirements: Ability to physically access various treatment settings within the facility. Ability to use computers frequently/continuously throughout the day for data input and communication. Ability to use phone. Position is primarily sedentary, and incumbent must be able to sit for prolonged periods of time. May require light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds) and climbing stairs as needed. Ability to walk up and down steps. Ability to navigate unfamiliar surroundings. Valid driver's license is a requirement as incumbent is required to provide consultation services to one of the Vet Centers located in Detroit, Dearborn, Pontiac, or Macomb County and outreach is a required part of this position. (We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package.)

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, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Creditable Experience. The candidate must have knowledge of current professional social work practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional social work practice. The experience or education must be post-Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree. Experience and education satisfying this requirement must be active professional practice, which is paid/non-paid employment as a professional social worker, as defined by the appropriate state licensing board.

Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a master's degree in social work and if it includes work as a professional social worker directly related to the position to be filled. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to social work experience at the next lower level.

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.

Applicants will be considered based on the following areas of consideration:

• First Area of Consideration (Facility Employees) - Current, permanent John D. Dingell Medical Center employees (this includes Outpatient Clinics, permanent employees of the Veteran Canteen Service assigned to this facility, Office of Information & Technology employees assigned to this facility, CPAC bargaining unit employees located at the Detroit VAMC, and Virtual bargaining unit employees assigned to the facility.
• Second Area of Consideration (Other VA Employees) - Current, permanent Department of Veterans Affairs Employees (VA employees who are located at other VA medical centers).
• Third Area of Consideration - US Citizens.