Social Worker (HUD VASH)

Veterans Health Administration; Ohio; On-site; USD 60,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Health Administration’s Athens VA Clinic in Georgia is seeking a Social Worker to provide inpatient and outpatient services within the Social Work Service Line. You will develop treatment plans, assess psychosocial needs, and coordinate care for Veterans and their families.

The GS-9/GS-11 level requires MSW from CSWE-accredited program and state licensure or certification; US citizenship is required. Prior VA experience is a plus. Applicants pending may be tentatively selected.

Qualifications

• Counseling skills to work with Veterans and families.
• Ability to assess psychosocial functioning and needs and to formulate treatment plans.
• Ability to implement treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, staff, and community agencies.
• Fundamental knowledge of medical/mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement treatment plans based on psychosocial assessments.
• Coordinate referrals to community resources and services.
• Provide counseling and support to Veterans and family members.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to meet patient goals.

Skills

Counseling skills

Psychosocial assessment

Treatment planning

Relationship building

Medical/mental health knowledge

Education

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

U.S. citizenship

Licensed or certified social worker (independent practice)

Job description

The Social Worker is located in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Southeast Network (VISN 7), VA Augusta Health Care System (VAAHCS), Athens VA Clinic, Athens, Georgia, in the Social Work Service Line. Incumbent may be assigned to a variety of clinical programs with a wide range of acute activities; providing inpatient and outpatient services and treatment plans for patients. 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

Be a citizen of the Unites States. 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. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.

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

Social Worker, GS-9 (Entry Level)

(1) Experience, Education, and Licensure.

None beyond the basic requirements.

(2) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

• (a) Ability to utilize counseling skills when working with Veterans and family members.
• (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.

Social Worker, GS-11 (Full Performance Level)

(1) 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

(2) 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.

(3) 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, 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

Former VA Handbook Reference: Part II Appendix G39 Effective Date 9/10/2019. 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.