Social Worker - (Health Care for Homeless Veterans)

Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount up to $200 -000 & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount up to $200 -000 & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply Qualifications 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 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 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 Failure to Obtain License or Certification In all cases - social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment Loss of Licensure or Certification Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment 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: GS-9 (1) Experience - Education - and Licensure None beyond the basic requirements (2) 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 Grade Determinations: GS-11 Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations This includes individual - group - and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice (c) Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area - utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes (d) Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area - as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills (e) Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession - and to write policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit Physical Requirements: Physical qualifications require the ability to sit frequently and for long periods of time Must be able to spend long periods of time on a computer Must have good hearing and eyesight Must be clean and neat in appearance This position may require minimal travel to the medical center for events that cannot be accommodated virtually This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures - transcribing - viewing a computer terminal - extensive reading - and repetitive motions of the wrists - hands and/or fingers. Duties VA Careers - Social Work: The duties of the position may include but - are not limited to: The incumbent is responsible for identifying homeless Veterans at the medical center and/or community and ensuring that eligible Veterans are enrolled for VA Health Care services The incumbent will conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of Veterans and family members The incumbent is an active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines The incumbent will participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate The incumbent will provide individual - family and group counseling as appropriate The incumbent will provide consultation/education to Veterans and families on community resources - advance directives and VA benefits The incumbent will act as a consultant/liaison to other team/staff members including - but not limited to the residential and inpatient mental health programs - and/or the HUD-VASH program to ensure that homeless Veterans receive the appropriate level of care and homeless support services The incumbent will provide consultation/education to medical center staff on social work practice and VA policies and procedures The incumbent will functions as the liaison between VA and community resources which include marketing and public relation duties as needed The incumbent will provide case management to Veterans and families - as needed - throughout the continuum of care Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00AM to 4:30PM Telework: Adhoc only Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 91914A and 91913A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive Contact View email address on click.appcast.io - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized #J-18808-Ljbffr