Clarification from the agency

Open to Current, Permanent VA employees of VISN 2, legacy VISNs 6, 7, and 8. Applicant must live within a 50-mile radius of legacy VISNs 6, 7, or 8 and within 75-mile radius of a major VA Medical Center. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

Videos

This announcement is open to current, permanent VA employees of VISN 2, legacy VISNs 6, 7 and 8. Applicant must live within a 50-mile radius of legacy VISNs 6, 7, or 8 and within 75-mile radius of a major VA Medical Center.

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU

The Social Worker assigned to support CRH within the TMH Hub is licensed at the independent practice level. The social worker is assigned to work with highly complex mental health problems requiring expert level psychosocial interventions in a Veteran population, including expertise in evidenced-based treatments (EBTs) for varying mental health diagnosis. These Veterans often demonstrate complex medical and mental health diagnoses (for example MDD, PTSD, SUD, TBI, and/or comorbid disorders) that require expert diagnostic skills, judgment, and treatment. The Social Worker can independently work with veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems.

The social worker has practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Services include individual therapy, psychoeducation, crisis intervention, advocacy, high quality case management services, outreach activities, and coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers / agencies as needed by the client via telehealth.

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Conducts a full bio-psychosocial assessment of the Veteran with specific examination of current coping skills, emotion regulation, and support networks in place. Prior participation in telehealth treatment is also considered, in addition to the assessment of complexity of treatment(number of traumas, degree of childhood traumas, current life stressors, severity of mental health symptoms). Previous and current substance abuse is evaluated in addition to past and current suicidal ideation.
• Provides Evidence-Based Treatments (EBT) for varying mental health diagnosis. Possesses the knowledge of advanced interventions, as well as the ability to initiate treatment modalities in accordance with unique patient needs/treatment objectives.
• Routinely and frequently uses specialized outcome measures, such as the PTSD Checklist(PCL) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), to measure the effectiveness of treatment and treatment outcomes.
• Utilizes outcome evaluations to further treatment and designs system changes based on empirical findings and in consultation with other specialty team members.
• Provides consultation to students and colleagues regarding training opportunities and procedures, acts as approved national training consultants, and arranges trainings as appropriate.
• Will act as a consultant in areas of social work, mental health treatment, the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program, VHA policies and procedures to other TMH team members, staff and clinicians within the VISN, or nationally.
• Is an active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines, including utilization of templates, the electronic medical record, and other required software as needed.
• Responsible for supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facilities within VISN 6.
• Serves on committees and work groups, as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, and attends all required meetings.
• Is mindful of keeping their supervisor apprised of problems and recommended solutions to problems encountered in their areas of responsibility.
• Is responsible for furthering one's own professional growth through continuing education andfor ensuring continuing education appropriate to the area of assignment.
• Is able to provide assistance with the orientation and learning of less experienced social workers and to serve as a preceptor for social work students.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Remote: This position is currently operating under an extension to the return-to-office requirement. That extension can be withdrawn at any time, at which point the employee would be required to return to the office.Applicant must live within a 50-mile radius of legacy VISNs 6, 7, or 8 and within 75-mile radius of a major VA Medical Center.
Functional Statement #: 00000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• 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:

• 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/.
• 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.
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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: Senior Social Worker, 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 or certification 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:(a)
  • Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
  • Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other backgrounds.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Assignments. This is the full performance level. Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. Incumbents are assigned to all program areas, including but not limited to: inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area. Duties 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 and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; and acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver.

Preferred Experience: A minimum of two years of experience working within a Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP). Demonstrated proficiency in the implementation of at least two evidence-based psychotherapies into current clinical practice. Experience providing virtual Telemental health.

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 the GS-11.

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. Psychologist 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 psychologist or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

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.