Social Worker

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; City of Albany (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Social Worker to provide mental health care within the Medical Center and community clinics. The role includes evaluating psychosocial needs, developing treatment plans, and coordinating care with veterans and their families.

Applicants must have a CSWE-accredited MSW, be licensed or certified to practice, and may be eligible for grandfathering. This position is GS-9/GS-11 with opportunities for professional growth within VA.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from CSWE-accredited program.
• Licensure or state certification to independently practice social work at the MSW level.
• Grandfathering provision may apply for current VA employees in this occupation.
• U.S. citizenship required or eligible to be appointed per VA policy.

Responsibilities

• Work with Veterans and family members from diverse backgrounds applying counseling skills.
• Assess psychosocial functioning and needs; formulate and implement a treatment plan.
• Implement treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups to meet goals.
• Establish and maintain relationships; communicate with clients, staff, and community agencies.
• Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses and treatment procedures.

Skills

Counseling skills

Psychosocial assessment

Treatment planning

Crisis intervention

Communication with clients/staff/agenc

GS-9/11 competencies

Education

Master's degree in Social Work (CSWE-accredited)

Doctoral degree substitution for MSW (in some cases)

Job description

The Social Worker functions as part of the staff in a Mental Health Program, providing mental health care within the Medical Center and/or Community Based Outpatients Clinics. The Social Worker applies strategies to a full range of patient problems and has knowledge of culturally sensitive psychological assessment techniques, including diagnosis, intervention and outreach that qualifies them to provide consultation to professionals representing a variety of disciplines. 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

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

GS-9

Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

• (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
• (b) 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.
• (c) 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.
• (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
• (e) 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

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.

NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c.

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.

• (a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
• (b) 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.
• (c) 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.
• (d) 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.
• (e) 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.

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-09 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.