Career Center

Summary

The Senior Social Worker works as part of the VA medical center's Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program - and coordinates with VA residential community care programs - and domiciliary programs to ensure that coordination between these entities is facilitated and Veterans direct care - referral - and follow up is contiguous and based on a continuum of services.

Qualifications

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
• Loss of Licensure or Certification: Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment
• Loss of licensure or certification 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 for this position
• Senior Social Worker -GS-12 Experience/Education: The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which - one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level
• Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment
• Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice
• Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty
• Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination - unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California - which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations
• This includes individual - group - and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice
• Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area - utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area - as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession - and to write policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary - although some physical effort may be required - e.g. - walking - standing - climbing ladders - stooping - kneeling - and carrying light items such as manuals or briefcases - or driving or traveling by motor vehicle

Duties

• Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Major Duties: Interviews Veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the Veteran's situation - presenting problems and their causes
• Interprets and explains VA's treatment and benefit programs
• Reviews all data - subjective and objective - and makes a clinical assessment - identifying needs and strengths
• Effectively uses professional skill - objectivity - and insight
• Uses advanced clinical training - and experience to interpret data and to identify viable treatment options
• Assesses high risk factors - acuity - and the need for services
• Independently evaluates the client's situation and arrives at a reasoned conclusion
• Uses professional judgment and advanced practice skills to make a psychosocial diagnosis
• Assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary disposition plan
• Makes independent professional decisions and recommendations for agency action
• Develops psychosocial treatment plans in coordination with interdisciplinary team members
• Using known available resources and the initial assessment of the Veteran's likelihood to accept differing types of assistance
• Adjusts the psychosocial treatment plan and interventions based on changing needs and response to interventions
• Participates in the assignment of Veterans to treatment teams and programs
• Provides clinical services to Veterans and family members/significant others in support of the Veteran's treatment
• Maintains a current and productive network of referral resources
• Is responsible for development and maintenance of professional standards of practice and educating others about them
• Establishes a continuing relationship with the Veteran - evaluating progress towards goals and adjusting the treatment plan as appropriate
• The incumbent regularly conducts and participates in outreach activities
• Establishes procedures and coordinates the screening and admission process for the HUD/VASH program The incumbent assists Veterans in maintaining appointments at VA medical centers Provides direct mental health and substance abuse services for Veterans and family members or significant others in support of the Veteran's treatment
• Must be able to provide supervision for licensure to social worker trainees
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday through Friday: 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized
• 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) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Bargaining Unit: Yes