Summary

The Primary Purpose of the Position: The Incumbent provides case management - supportive services - and subsidized housing vouchers for eligible homeless Veterans. The Organizational Location of the Position: VA North Texas Health Care System - Mental Health Division - Fort Worth - Texas.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship
• 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
• 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 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 http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/
• English Language Proficiency
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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: (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic - cultural - ethnic - educational - and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills
• (b) 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
• (c) 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
• (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients - staff - and representatives of community agencies
• (e) 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
• Assignments
• Individuals assigned as GS-9 grade level social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised - as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification
• Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience
• Duties may include but are not limited to: identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect or exploitation
• providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning
• providing social work case management
• acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver
• assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifying the Veteran's strengths - weaknesses - coping skills and psychosocial acuity - in collaboration with the Veteran - family - and interdisciplinary treatment teams
• maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the Veteran and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals
• Since social workers at this level are not practicing at an independent level - they should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required - such as in a CBOC - unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice
• GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision
• 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: (a) Knowledge of community resources - how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services - and ability to coordinate services
• (b) 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
• (c) 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
• (d) 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
• (e) 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
• Assignments
• This is the full performance level
• Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work
• Incumbents are assigned to all program areas - including but not limited to: inpatient or outpatient medicine - surgery - mental health - neurology - rehabilitation medicine - and geriatrics
• Employees provide professional - independent social work services in the assigned area
• Duties include but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect - exploitation and/or intimate partner violence
• use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies - handbooks or directives
• and acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver
• Incumbent independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members - identifying the Veteran's strengths - weaknesses - coping skills - and psychosocial acuity
• In collaboration with the Veteran - family/caregiver - and interdisciplinary treatment team - the social worker facilitates the delivery of health care services
• The social worker identifies family/caregiver stressors - conducts assessment and provides specific interventions
• The incumbent 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
• Continued in Additional Information
• .

Duties

• Duties include but are not limited to: Screening/Assessment The Social Worker completes psychosocial assessments of the Veteran and when possible - obtains input from the interdisciplinary team - the Veteran and as available the Veteran's family - caregiver and/or significant other for collaboration of a service plan
• The incumbent completes the intake/brief psychosocial assessments to assess the needs of the Veteran - the willingness of the Veteran to participate in various services - and options for care coordination
• Treatment/Care Planning The incumbent develops individualized service plans and sets achievable treatment/care goals with the Veteran
• The incumbent includes psychosocial problems in the service plans
• The incumbent provides ongoing assessments and updating the Veteran's individualized service plan
• Referral to Service Providers The Social Worker uses VA and community-based resources to provide for the Veteran's needs
• The incumbent collaborates with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's need for institutional and community-based benefits - services - and programs
• The incumbent educates the Veteran - and as appropriate the Veteran's family - caregiver and/or significant other about available services
• Resource Development The incumbent updates and maintains a resource file of VA and community-based social service programs
• The incumbent provides the Veteran general information about VA entitlements - benefits - and services - especially those relating to special programs - service connected compensation - and non-service-connected pension
• The incumbent facilitates referrals based upon the Veterans needs and eligibility
• Advocacy The incumbent advocates for the Veteran and as appropriate the Veteran's family - caregiver - and/or significant other
• The incumbent educates the Veteran - the Veteran's family - caregiver and/or significant other about methods of self-advocacy and encourage the Veteran - the Veteran's family - caregiver and/or significant other to advocate on their own behalf to foster a sense of independence and empowerment
• Crisis Intervention The incumbent assesses for crisis intervention as required to assist the Veteran - then connect the Veteran with the appropriate mental health provider for further evaluation - assistance - and intervention
• Patient Education/Health Promotion and Prevention The incumbent provides education related to the Veteran's VA entitlements - eligibility - services - and programs - as well as housing and other community resources for medical and mental health needs
• The incumbent will refer the Veteran and as appropriate Veteran's family - caregiver and significant other to the appropriate program interdisciplinary team members - VA services or programs - or external programs for identified education needs
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00 a.m
• to 4:30 p.m
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance):Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VISN17EDRP2@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more 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
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
• Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized