Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

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 In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English 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 Note: 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 Master of Social Work Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Experience/Education The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty Licensure/Certification Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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 Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice 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 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 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 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) Preferred Experience: Experience working with clients with serious mental Illness & preferably also substance use disorders Experience with clients that have become suicidal Experience providing therapy and case management care/services Experience working with clients in non-traditional mental health settings such as community environments and home care Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12 The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS12 Physical Requirements: Able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies Applicants must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others Position requires movement throughout the clinic, the Medical Center, CBOCs and in community settings such as other facilities, residences and stores, etc., standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams The Social Worker will travel into the community to meet with clients in their home Position requires use of GSA issued government vehicle(s), which includes conducting and documenting regular equipment inspections. ]]]]>