Clarification from the agency

This job announcement number is open to the Public - U.S. Citizens. | ALL Current and Permanent EMPLOYEES of VA and other Federal Agencies, APPLY TO THE INTERNAL job announcement no. CBSU-12995125-26-LS (link/click in box below). | Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. | NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The primary responsibilities are to provide clinical evidence-based services and interventions; program development; Caregiver, Veteran and staff education on Caregiver issues; community outreach; resource development; continuous quality improvement activities; and evaluation/consultation.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Develops and implements the Caregiver Support Program specific to his/her area of assignment and ensures compliance and collaboration with local facility and the VA Central Office Caregiver Support Program initiatives.
• Responsible to complete the initial, interim, and annual in-home visits for patients enrolled in the Caregiver Support Program who reside in VA ECHCS' catchment area and includes rural areas locations, travel is necessary for half of the tour.
• Administers information and analytical systems to evaluate and enhance the quality of service provided to Caregivers, families, and Veterans. Develops and implements information systems to track service activities including visits, referrals, Caregiver demographics, equipment utilization, and Caregiver and Veteran satisfaction.
• Develops implements and evaluates clinical guidelines and protocols to establish appropriate utilization of services.
• Participates in direct Caregiver and Veteran contacts to identify and assess Caregiver stress/burden and the development and application of directed clinical treatment interventions.
• Advises and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams throughout the medical center on Caregiver issues.
• Creates educational tools, develops programs, and implements training focused on specific Caregiver needs/issues.
• Provides education and in -service training to VAMC employees, Veterans, families, and Caregivers.
• Provides ongoing consultation and support to colleagues regarding Caregiver support.
• Develops and facilitates Caregiver support groups (face-to-face or VANTS telephone line) and educational programs.
• Distributes educational materials provided by VA, local, state, and national Caregiver organizations.
• Conducts Caregiver and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of Caregiver stress, psychiatric illness, emotional distress, and social needs as treatment issues.
• Professional judgment, including the knowledge of normal and abnormal behavior, is an inherent competency applied in daily interactions with Caregivers and the Veterans they care for.
• Serves as the major consultant for information on negotiating the complex processes Caregivers, Veterans, and families encounter when interacting with government and community agencies.
• Stays abreast of current federal and state legislation directed at assisting Caregivers to continue to provide caregiving in an environment that is safe for both themselves and the Veteran.
• The incumbent will maintain a knowledge base of current theory and treatment modalities by reading professional journals, attending conferences, clinic seminars and teleconferences, and materials distributed through VA and private sector sources.
• The incumbent will collaborate with the patient aligned care team, mental health clinicians, and specialty care providers to provide Veteran and staff education on Caregiver issues. Coordination will include hands-on support group work involvement and training of patient aligned care team clinical social work staff in the development and facilitation of such group.
• Performs a wide range of services and provides information to state, local, and private agencies.
• Uses sound judgment in the interpretation of trends and patterns, the application guidelines, and program enhancements.
• Performs program analysis, development, review, research, design, and contact work as possible with various agencies (public, DOD, state, etc.).

Work Schedule: Full-time | Monday to Friday
Compressed/Flexible Schedule/Hours:Available
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
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).
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: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 554-52547A
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 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 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.

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. Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.

Drivers License.Must posses and maintain a current and valid state drivers license.

GRADE DETERMINATION | GS-12.

Experience and Education. One (1) year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Examples of specialized experience at the GS-11 include, but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills; maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; acting as an advocate with appropriate community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver; independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, identifying the patient's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity.

In addition the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

1. Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
2. Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program.
3. Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
4. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
5. Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.

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).

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. The Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the social worker or others.

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.