Social Worker

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Lynchburg (VA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Social Worker will provide psychotherapy services at the Lynchburg Community Based Outpatient Clinic which is within the Salem VA Health Care System and assigned to the Social Work Service. The Social Worker must use a high level of independent skill in assessing, treating the complex mental health and psychosocial needs of Veterans referred for mental health services.

Completes thorough psychosocial assessments, diagnostic interviews and will provide individual and group psychotherapy.

Qualifications

• MSW from CSWE-accredited program required.
• Licensed or certified to independently practice social work.
• U.S. citizenship required.
• Grandfathering Provision may apply for current VA employees.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychotherapy services to Veterans.
• Complete thorough psychosocial assessments and diagnostic interviews.
• Deliver individual and group psychotherapy.
• Assess complex mental health and psychosocial needs of Veterans.

Skills

Veteran-focused counseling

Psychosocial assessment

Treatment planning

Crisis intervention

Interagency coordination

Education

MSW from CSWE-accredited program

Job description

The Social Worker will provide psychotherapy services at the Lynchburg Community Based Outpatient Clinic which is within the Salem VA Health Care System and assigned to the Social Work Service. The Social Worker must use a high level of independent skill in assessing, treating the complex mental health and psychosocial needs of Veterans referred for mental health services. Completes thorough psychosocial assessments, diagnostic interviews and will provide individual and group psychotherapy.

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/.
• 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).

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

GS9

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

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• (a) Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors.
• (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.

GS11

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. 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.
• (b) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other 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 GS11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS9 to GS11.

Physical Requirements: In accordance with VA Handbook 5019, Part II, Paragraph 3, II-1, 1(a), A pre-placement physical examination to determine the physical, cognitive and emotional fitness of candidates for appointment in VA is required, and shall be completed prior to appointment, for all full-time individuals appointed under 38 U.S.C., Chapter 73, for Title 38.