The Phoenix VA Healthcare Network is recruiting for a Social Worker assigned to Housing and Urban Development - VA Supportive Housing (HUD - HASH) Team. The incumbent will assess and treat complicated psychosocial problems of Veterans and their families/significant others. 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: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part). 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 http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. 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 licensed or certified by the deadline. 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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. 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-09 Experience: None beyond the basic requirements listed above. Additionally, must demonstrate 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. GS-11 Experience/Education: (1) Appointment to the GS11 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 of other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. (2) Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree is 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. 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS9 to GS11. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. ["Duties include but not limited to: Working with Veteran's and their families experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, psychosocial problems. Completes thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the mental health diagnosis psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families. Conducts psychosocial assessments of high risk patients to identify suicidality through use of the Comprehensive Suicide Rick Evaluation (CSRE) and other appropriate tools. Actively participates as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team through collaboration with Veterans and family, in the development and implementation of treatment goals and interventions. Facilitate actions for community placements through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate community placements are completed in a time manner. Serves as a liaison between Veteran and/or their families and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of services. Provide consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives. Provides consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veteran and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veteran's health care planning and compliance with treatment. VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Compressed/Flexible: This is not eligible for a compress schedule. Telework: This position is eligible for Telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO):"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
