Summary

The incumbent is responsible for the management - coordination and provision of social work services to veterans and their families in the Substance Abuse Treatment Program Residence of the VAMC. The incumbent is responsible for completing psychosocial history and assessments - intakes - advance directives - treatment planning - case management - individual - couples and group counseling and coordination of discharge plans for veterans admitted to Substance Abuse Residential Program.

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
• a) For appointments at the GS-9 grade level - VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent - master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker
• Failure to Obtain License or Certification: In all cases - social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment
• Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Social Worker - GS-9: Experience - Education - and Licensure
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs
• Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic - cultural - ethnic - educational - and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills
• 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
• 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
• Ability to 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
• 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
• Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Working under close supervision in program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience
• Identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect or exploitation
• providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning
• providing social work case management
• acting as an patient/family member/caregiver advocate with community service providers/agencies
• assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members
• In collaboration with the patient - family - and interdisciplinary treatment teams - identifying strengths - weaknesses - coping skills and psychosocial acuity
• Maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with appropriate referrals
• 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
• AND Demonstrated KSAs: In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs
• 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 - cultural - ethnic - educational and other diversified 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
• and 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
• Preferred Experience: Addictive disorders 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-9 to GS-11
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Major Duties: The incumbent will conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of veterans and family members
• The incumbent is an active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines
• The incumbent will participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate
• The incumbent will provide individual - family and group counseling as appropriate
• The incumbent will provide consultation/education to veterans and families on community resources - advance directives and VA benefits
• The incumbent will act as a consultant to other team/staff members
• The incumbent will provide consultation/education to medical residents on social work practice and VA policy and procedure
• The incumbent will act as liaison between VA and community resources - to include marketing and public relation duties as needed
• The incumbent will assist patients and their significant others with coping and dealing with the loss and grief experiences in disability - terminal illness and death
• The incumbent will document social work interventions and activities in patient's clinical record utilizing CPRS and ensure appropriate hand off when transferring of patient care
• The incumbent will provide a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice which includes case work - individual - family and group counseling - discharge planning - case management and other services as appropriate
• The incumbent will address Advance Directives and Organ Donation in accordance with the standards of their work area
• The incumbent will provide wellness/prevention education and facilitate Patient/family support groups as appropriate
• The incumbent will coordinate treatment and communicate with the care lines to facilitate continuity of care for veterans
• Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: PD37143F and PD37143F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized