Caseworker - Social Work

Be a citizen of the United States Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy English Language Proficiency: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.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 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.(a) For appointments at the GS-9 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 level within three years of their appointment as a social worker 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 Physical Requirements See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services Grandfathering Provision 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates Social Worker, GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure None beyond the basic requirements Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors 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 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 Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies 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 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 NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c.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, 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: Experience working with homeless individuals or Veterans experiencing homelessness Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit 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: The physical demands of the work requires use of fingers moderate walking and standing near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4 far vision correctable in on eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other hearing aid permitted clear speech emotional stability moderate duty Able to drive a government vehicle. ]]>