Summary

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. Program 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.

Qualifications

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
• Verification of the degree can be made by going to the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work
• Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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 on the OHRM website
• 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
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j
• 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)
• If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS-0185 social work series - they lose the grandfathering protection
• If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series - they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker
• Grade Determinations:GS-9:Experience - Education - and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements
• AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1
• Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic - cultural - ethnic - educational - and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills
• 2
• 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
• 3
• 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
• 4
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients - staff - and representatives of community agencies
• 5
• 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 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
• 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
• AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1.Knowledge of community resources - how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services - and ability to coordinate services
• 2
• 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
• 3
• 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
• 4
• 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
• 5
• 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: Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• 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: Must be in overall good health - 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
• 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).

Duties

• This Social Work position is located at the VA Boston Healthcare System in the Social Work Service/Primary Care - located at the Brockton and West Roxbury - MA campus
• This position is a full time at 40 hours per week
• The Primary Care social worker works independently to provide a wide range of social services to patients and families who are coping with acute - intermediate or chronic phases of a variety of illnesses and/or with psychosocial problems
• The incumbent's role includes the provision of clinical casework - brief - solution focused counseling - case management - referrals to both VA and community resources - advocacy - crisis intervention and education
• The incumbent also acts as a consultant to physicians and other health care providers who seek bio-psychosocial information in order to properly address the concerns of their patients and families
• The Primary Care social worker develops treatment plans to deal with these complex issues
• The Primary Care social worker services populations of veterans from young adulthood to old age and is educated in responding to the sensitive needs of veterans from various demographics
• The incumbent's primary focus is to provide independent level social work services and interventions to eligible veterans with complex health and mental health problems
• Clinical social work and case management interventions are provided as a means of assisting veterans in order to meet their biological - psychological - social - and environmental needs
• This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) - and the differential influences of the environment - society - and culture
• The Primary Care Social Worker establishes and maintains effective working relationships with clients - staff - and representatives of community agencies and has an ability to communicate effectively - both orally and in writing - with people from varied backgrounds
• The veterans served reside primarily in BHS service area
• Services include educating veterans and their families regarding the resources available to them both in the VA and within their community
• The clinician provides clinical treatment - advocacy - and coordination to the appropriate referral sources - including the VA and community agencies
• Case management services are provided by this social worker to veterans with complex physical and mental health problems as needed to maximize outcomes of medical intervention by addressing psychosocial needs
• GS-9: Is the entry level grade for the GS-0185 Social Work series and is used for Social Workers with less than one year of post-MSW experience
• Individuals assigned at this level closely supervised and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure or certification
• GS-11: Individuals assigned as GS-11 social workers are considered to be at the full performance level and must have an independent licensure.(Note: For GS-11 - you must submit a copy of your independent license with the application.) VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Brochure: Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m
• - 4:30 p.m
• Telework: Not Authorized Compressed: Not Authorized Virtual/Remote Work: Not Authorized EDRP: Authorized - Contact Karen Chapman karen.chapman@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions or assistance on how to begin the application process
• Learn more
• Functional Statement #:PDF01070 and PDF03515 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory - qualification - and performance requirements are met
• Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level
• NOTIFICATIONS: This position is in the Excepted Service
• Veterans' preference does not apply for other current permanent Federal agency employees
• Current and former Federal employees may submit copies of their most recent SF-50 - (Notice of Personnel Action)
• The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted)
• In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held
• This position is a AFGE Bargaining Unit position
• This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay
• The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's
• Narrative responses to the knowledge - skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.