RECRUITMENT/RELOCATION INCENTIVE AUTHORIZED FOR HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES. Position at GS-11 level is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Position available to MSW trainees who are scheduled to graduate in April/May 2024 (must provide letter from School of Social Work with targeted graduation date). 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. *Position available to MSW trainees who are scheduled to graduate in April/May 2024 (must provide letter from School of Social Work with targeted graduation date). Basic Requirements: 1. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 2. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 3. Education: Candidates must 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 that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. 4. 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 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. 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: 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 5005/120, PART II, APPENDIX G39, Dated September 10, 2019 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-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, talking, driving, use of the telephone, etc. Strenuous physical activity is not required although the incumbent is expected to withstand pressure and stress as part of their daily activities. Light lifting and carrying - under 15 pounds. Hearing aid permitted as needed. ["This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until filled or September 30, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications is 15 days from announcement open date. Eligible applications received after that date will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The Med/Surg/PICU social worker provides clinical social work services to Veterans admitted to the inpatient medicine/surgery/PICU services and Veterans engaged with outpatient surgery specialty clinics at the San Francisco VA Health Care System. Services are timely, comprehensive, and effectively coordinated with services provided by other health professionals. The incumbent works as a part of a multi-disciplinary team. Major duties include but are not limited to the following: Screening/Assessment: Demonstrates the ability to independently conduct a psychosocial assessment with a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. Advance Directives: Provides education on advance directives and advanced care planning. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting: Formulate a treatment plan and implement the plan, identifying problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed. Referrals / Linkage Services: The incumbent, with the Veteran, family, and interdisciplinary treatment teams, maintains a current network of internal and external resources to educate the family and/or family members/caregivers and assist with appropriate referrals. Counseling / Therapeutic Interventions: Independently implement different treatment modalities when working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. Case Management / Care Coordination: Provides case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services, incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Consultation/Training: Provides 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. Med/Surg/PICU Responsibilities: The social worker will be able to highlight the veteran's strengths, limitations, internal/external supports, and service needs, in order to optimize the veteran's functional status, support patient coping in the community and identify the need for transition to higher or lower levels of care (including but not limited to skilled nursing facilities, RCFEs, home with appropriate supports in place, community substance use and psychiatric treatment programs, and emergency/transitional housing and shelter) when appropriate, taking into consideration utilizing the least restrictive level of care that is safe/appropriate. Administrative Responsibilities: Social workers serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility and VISN level or in the community. Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday to Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for highly qualified candidates. EDRP Authorized: Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more *This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) at the GS-11 level only - 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.* Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

Return to Search Results