Social Worker - PCMHI

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Terre Haute (IN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Social Worker at the GS-11 level to provide psychosocial assessments, treatment planning, and coordinated care in a community-based setting.

The role requires licensure to practice social work at the master's level (Indiana LCSW preferred) and a background in healthcare or related social work areas. Applicants must meet the basic requirements, including citizenship and English proficiency.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited school.
• Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the MSW level (Indiana requires LCSW).
• One year post-MSW experience in healthcare or related social work field, or doctoral substitution.
• Ability to coordinate services and refer to community and government resources.

Skills

Knowledge of community resources

Psychosocial assessments

Treatment interventions

Medical terminology

Consultation to staff

Education

Master's in Social Work (CSWE-accredited)

Job description

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English
• 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. Indiana requires Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

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-11 (Full Performance Level)

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

• Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services
• Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other backgrounds
• 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
• Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, 8 medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals
• 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

Preferred Experience

Health psychology/clinical experience related to PCMHI

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.

Physical Requirements

The work of the social worker is community based with moderate physical activity. The incumbent must be able to operate a government vehicle several hours each day, walk up to a mile at a time, climb 2 to 3 flights of stairs at a time, and lift small objects. The incumbent must be capable of using a computer given all clinical charting is electronic.