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. 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. Learn more 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. 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. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: 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 work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. 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. 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, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-39 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. Driver's License is Required Physical Requirements: The work requires sitting, bending, stooping and walking consistent with the delivery of services in the office, hospital and community. The position may entail lifting of no more than 25 pounds on an occasional basis. Whenever possible, carts and dollies will be utilized as an alternative to lifting. ["The incumbent completes thorough psychosocial assessments and includes pertinent information in all the required areas of functioning in order to determine appropriate diagnoses and other treatment-related conclusions. The incumbent provides a DSM diagnosis to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families. The incumbent serves as the subject matter expert on VA and community resources, collaborating with other services providers. The incumbent facilitates referrals based upon Veteran need and eligibility. The incumbent provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address causation as well as presenting complaints. The incumbent establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and their families. The incumbent provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives. This includes the his/her knowledge of the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community programs. This involves coordination of Veteran and family involvement in the development of a recovery-oriented treatment plan. The incumbent delivers service from a Veteran-centric perspective. When appropriate and feasible, the incumbent educates and encourages the Veteran/family to advocate on their own behalf in order to promote a sense of independence and empowerment. The incumbent provides psychotherapy as individual, group &/or family interventions when clinically indicated/appropriate and when of therapeutic benefit to the recipients. Treatment is arranged in appropriate intervals of time over an appropriate span of time. Assessments and interventions provided are reflected in the treatment plan and include Veteran and/or family involvement with goals, interventions and discharge plans that are realistic, achievable and understandable. The incumbent performs measurement-based care instrumentation and screenings regularly and routinely when it is clinically appropriate to a treatment question as part of an assessment. The incumbent establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families. Works independently with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems. The incumbent will facilitate discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate discharge plans are executed in a timely manner. The incumbent aspires to follow and promote the VA Core Values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence (I CARE). The incumbent independently organizes work, sets priorities, meets multiple deadlines and evaluates assigned program areas. The incumbent documents all intervention in the medical record according to medical center and VA Central Office standards. The incumbent establishes and maintain positive working relationships with VA employees, VA volunteers, Veterans, customers and stakeholders within the VA and in the community. The incumbent participates in the development and implementation of continuous performance improvement processes and complies with performance measures as required by the VA for their specific population and/or program. The incumbent may be responsible for a tour of duty that includes early morning, evenings and/or weekends and participation in the On-Call rotation schedule to accommodate Veteran care needs during weekends, holidays, evenings and nights. The social worker performs other related duties as assigned. Driver's License is Preferred. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Social Worker/PD000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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