Career Center

Summary

The duties and responsibilities of this position are carried out throughout the Vet Center which is a community-based counseling center that provide eligible Veterans - active duty service members - and their families with direct readjustment counseling - community outreach - and referral and care coordination with VA and community resources. Veteran's Preference is waived for the GS-0185 Social Worker Series for fiscal year 2025.

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
• English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English
• You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English to perform the duties of this position
• Education: Must 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 https://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a Master of 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
• 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-09 Grade Determination Requirements: Experience and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above - the candidate 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 GS-11 Grade Determination Requirements: 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
• ~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 licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level
• ~AND~ Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (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
• 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: Working with combat veterans in providing family counseling services
• working with veterans who were sexually traumatized/harassed while in the military
• conducting psycho-social assessments and the provision of processing psychotherapy for trauma related conditions
• and implementing treatment plans for combat Veterans/and their families
• References: VA Handbook 5005/120 - Part II - Appendix G39 - dated September 10 - 2019
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11
• Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary
• It may require some lifting (10-20 lbs.) occasionally
• Reaching above shoulder
• Frequent keyboarding (4-7 hours per day)
• Sitting (4-7 hours per day)
• Walking up to 6 hours per day)
• Standing (up to 8 hours per day)
• Infrequent climbing/descending of stairs
• Some bending
• Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• NOTE: Readjustment Counselors are multi-disciplinary and can be filled by: Marriage and Family Therapist - Social Worker - Psychologist and Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor
• Each discipline is announced separately - and applicants must apply to the announcement for which they are qualified.

Duties

• As a Social Worker you will be responsible for providing services to eligible individuals who are experiencing a variety of military related psychological and psychosocial problems
• Incumbents must possess the knowledge and experience to independently implement psychotherapeutic modalities in working with individuals - families - and groups to enhance the readjustment of Veterans - active duty Service members - and their families
• Functions and responsibilities include - but are not limited to: Intake screening and assessment: Complete all readjustment counseling intake procedures - including an assessment of risk for self-harm - military history and military related psychosocial stressors - and assess family readjustment stressors and document identified behaviors or symptoms
• Readjustment counseling goal setting and service planning: Develop and periodically update an individualized readjustment counseling service plan that reflects a course of therapeutic and psychosocial interventions - including identification of achievable goals and measurable outcomes
• Direct readjustment counseling service provision: Incorporate complex multiple causation in differential psychosocial assessment and direct service delivery to eligible Veterans - including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnostic inferences within the clinical scope of practice
• Risk assessment and crisis intervention: Conduct timely assessment of Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs - evaluate risk - and initiate safety planning as appropriate
• Care coordination: Links the Veteran with other community services - resources - and opportunities to maximize the Veteran's independence - health - and well-being
• Coordinating readjustment counseling and outreach: Maintain active coordination with Vet Center outreach workers to ensure seamless referral to Vet Center services for those individuals engaged in the community at outreach events that may require follow-up readjustment counseling
• Team cohesion and coordination: Actively participate in staff meetings designed to promote team building and staff development
• Documentation/administrative responsibilities/consultation: Document all clinical interactions with eligible individuals and episodes of care coordination on their behalf as required by policy
• Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Typically Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
• some evenings and weekends may be required based on operational need of the facility
• Compressed/Flexible: May be Available depending on the need of the Veteran Center Telework: Telework is not available for this position
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Position Title/Functional Statement #:68128A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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) Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf