Social Worker-Community Living Center (CLC)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Lyons (NJ); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Lyons VA Medical Center in Lyons, NJ seeks a clinical social worker to provide specialized services to older adult Veterans with complex psychiatric, cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial needs.

This role requires an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program and a full, unrestricted license to practice social work. The position emphasizes psychosocial assessment, treatment planning, crisis intervention, and coordinating care with Veterans, families, and community resources.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program
• Full and unrestricted license to practice social work at the master's level
• Proficiency in spoken and written English

Responsibilities

• Provide specialized clinical social work services to older adult Veterans.
• Assess psychosocial functioning and formulate treatment plans.
• Coordinate referrals and services with Veterans, families, and community resources.
• Utilize counseling, crisis intervention, and group modalities as needed.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, staff, and community agencies.

Skills

Counseling with Veterans

Psychosocial assessment

Treatment planning

Crisis intervention

Communication with clients and staff

Education

MSW CSWE-accredited

State social work licensure

English proficiency

Job description

The incumbent provides specialized clinical social work services to older adult Veterans with complex psychiatric, cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial needs. This position is located at the Lyons, NJ VA Medical Center.

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: Possess 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. For grades below or at the full performance 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 3 years of their appointment as a social worker.
• Licensure: Possess a full and unrestricted license or certification by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English.

GS-9 Grade Determinations

Experience and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• (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 Grade Determinations

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

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, 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.

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).

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.

Preferred Experience

Geriatric and medical experience.

References

VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II, Appendix G39

Physical Requirements

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019