Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Social Workers provide Social Work services to the Veteran population enrolled at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Services include the provision of high-quality case management, clinical treatment, advocacy, and coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers and/or agencies as needed by the client. This is accomplished in collaboration with other members of the interdisciplinary treatment team.

Reports programmatically to the Supervisory Social Worker, Domiciliary RRTP, and is clinically and administratively responsible to the Domiciliary RRTP Program Coordinator.

• GS-09: Work is reviewed through regularly scheduled meetings with the supervisor, through monitoring of progress notes and other accountability practices as required by the state's licensing agency, and from reports from the program areas to which the incumbent is assigned. All social work duties must be under the close supervision of a social work supervisor or licensed social worker of a higher grade.
• GS-11: The incumbent practices independently, using professional judgment and expertise to make decisions about services and treatment provided for Veterans and their significant others/family members. The incumbent is given authority to make their work assignments within the program area to which assigned. They consult with the supervisor as needed and with colleagues to develop knowledge and to apply agency policies and practices to new matters. The work is reviewed for technical adequacy and conformance with procedures and practices applicable to the subject.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNED INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO:

• Patient Care: The incumbent must possess the knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals, families, and groups.
• Screening/Assessment: The incumbent will develop an assessment of the Veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members, and significant others.
• Discharge Planning/Treatment Planning/Goal Setting: This position has a strong discharge planning emphasis, focusing on both the development of needed permanent housing resources for Veterans transitioning back into the community and coordinating/executing the individual discharge plans for Veterans leaving the program with an emphasis on permanent housing.
• Referral to service providers: Throughout the course of treatment, the incumbent is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources.
• Resource Usage/Development: The incumbent is responsible for using the current social work resource file of VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of Veterans.
• Advocacy: The incumbent understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran/family.
• Crisis Intervention: Incumbent is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission to mental health inpatient programs.
• Education/Health promotion and prevention: Incumbent provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will, and will refer Veterans to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs.
• Coordination of non-institutional and institutional services: The incumbent will review the progress notes from the other providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of each Veteran being referred for mental health services.
• Administrative responsibilities: The incumbent will enter Veteran contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates.
• Other duties as assigned

Work Schedule: M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm or as determined by the supervisor.
Compressed/Flexible: This may be authorized at the supervisor's discretion.
Telework: This may be authorized at the supervisor's discretion.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: GS-09 02467-F, GS-11 02468-F

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.
• 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 identification 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 the 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

Applicants pending the completion of education or licensure requirements may be referred, tentatively selected, but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: The requirements for VHA social workers are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(9), amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, November 1, 2000. To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must meet the following:

• 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). A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for a 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 master's of Social Work.
• Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social work positions in VHA must be licensed 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: 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 will provide the unlicensed social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline.
GS-9 grade level: VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment. A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. Information can be found at https://www.aswb.org/.

• Failure to Obtain License or Certification: Failure to become licensed within the prescribed time will result in removal from the Social Worker series and may result in termination of employment.
• Loss of Licensure or Certification: Once licensed, social workers must maintain a full, valid, unrestricted independent license to remain qualified for employment.

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 above for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
GS-9:

• Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • Work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
  • Assess the psychosocial functioning needs of Veterans and their family members to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed.
  • 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.
  • 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.
• Entry Level Assignments: Individuals assigned as GS-9 grade level social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised, as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure. Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience.
• Duties may include, but are not limited to: Identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, providing education, social work case management, acting as an advocate of the Veteran and family members/caregiver; identifying the strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, psychosocial acuity, and assisting with the appropriate referrals. GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision.

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 in a state at the independent practice level.
• 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:
  • Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to the community and other governmental agencies for services, and the ability to coordinate services.
  • Independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds.
  • Medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, 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.
  • Independently implementing different treatment modalities, working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
  • Provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.
• Full Performance Level Assignments: This is the full performance level. Social workers at this level are licensed to independently practice social work.
• Incumbents are assigned to all program areas, including but not limited to mental health, rehabilitation, and geriatrics. Provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area.
• Duties include but are not limited to: assessing and documenting symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or intimate partner violence; maintaining Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policy; acting as an advocate with VA and community service providers when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. Independently formulate and implement a treatment plan, including achievable goals, identifying the needs, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. Providing subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the treatment of Veterans, offering professional opinions based on experience, expertise, and role modeling effective social work practice skills.

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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.

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.

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.