Social Worker

Summary The Patient Aligned Care Team is a comprehensive team which delivers primary care to Veteran patients in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and which has as its focus: prevention - health promotion and wellness - care coordination and chronic disease management. The Clinical Social Worker in this Veteran-centric approach often functions as a care coordinator with a panel of Veterans to ensure that health care meets the needs as defined by the Veteran. Summary The Patient Aligned Care Team is a comprehensive team which delivers primary care to Veteran patients in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and which has as its focus: prevention - health promotion and wellness - care coordination and chronic disease management. The Clinical Social Worker in this Veteran-centric approach often functions as a care coordinator with a panel of Veterans to ensure that health care meets the needs as defined by the Veteran. Summary The Patient Aligned Care Team is a comprehensive team which delivers primary care to Veteran patients in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and which has as its focus: prevention - health promotion and wellness - care coordination and chronic disease management. The Clinical Social Worker in this Veteran-centric approach often functions as a care coordinator with a panel of Veterans to ensure that health care meets the needs as defined by the Veteran. Qualifications 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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) 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 "" 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 "" [(1) 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-09 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.] (a) For appointments at the GS-09 grade 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 three years of their appointment as a social worker Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam - and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam In states such as California - Washington - and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years - social workers must become licensed at the independent - master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure (b) A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record (c) Different states have different levels of licensure or certification - making it difficult for VHA staff to determine the independent practice level Each state - Puerto Rico - and the District of Columbia completed surveys identifying the level of licensure or certification allowing independent practice Copies of the surveys are on file in the VHA Office #J-18808-Ljbffr