Social Worker-Mental Health-Outpatient-Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program

Description:

The Veterans Health Administration, VHA, is currently recruiting for one GS 9 target 11 as a Social Worker, a Marriage Family Therapist, or a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor to work in the Mental Health-Outpatient-Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program.

Requirements:

Persons that haven't completed educational/certification/licensure requirements may be referred & tentatively selected but can't be hired until all requirements are met

Basic Requirements Citizen Must be US citizen; non-citizens may be appointed if not able to recruit qualified US citizens English Language Proficiency Applicants must be able to speak/write in English Education Have a master's degree in social work from social work school fully accredited by Council on Social Work Education CSWE Graduates of social work schools in candidacy status don't meet this requirement until School of Social Work is fully accredited. Doctoral degrees in social work can't be substituted for masters degree in social work. Visit http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify social work degrees meet accreditation standards. Licensure. Persons hired/reassigned to social worker GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed/certified by states to independently practice social work at master's degree level. For info on current state requirements go to http://vaww.va.gov/ORHM//T38Hybrids

Exception. VHA may waive licensure/certification requirements for persons who are otherwise qualified pending state prerequisites for licensure/certification examination completion. Exception only applies for GS-9 grades. Candidates must be licensed/certified for GS-11 grade & above. Supervisor, chief social work/social work executive provides unlicensed/uncertified social worker w/ written requirements for licensure/certification, including deadline license/certification must be obtained by & consequences for not meeting deadline when appointed. VHA social workers appointed to GS-9 who aren't licensed/certified when appointed must become licensed/certified at independent, master's level w/in 3 years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require 2 years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking licensure/certification exam. VHA gives social workers 1 extra year to pass licensure/certification exam. Social workers must become licensed at independent, master's level w/in 1 year of meeting full state prerequisites for licensure in states, e.g. California, Washington, etc. where prerequisites for licensure exceed 2 years. Social workers who doesn't have a license to allow independent practice must be supervised by licensed independent practitioners of the same discipline who's a VA staff member & who has access to electronic health records Different states have different levels of licensure/certification, making it difficult for VHA staff to determine independent practice levels. Each state, Puerto Rico & the District of Columbia complete surveys identifying licensure/certification levels allowing independent practice. Copies of the surveys are on file in VHA Office of Care Management & Social Work Services & a summary spreadsheet of licensure/certification levels is available to social work professional standards board members to determine if a social worker's licensure/certification levels meet VHA qualification standards. All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered by ASWB; https://www.aswb.org/. ASWB is association of boards that regulates social work. ASWB develops & maintains social work licensing examinations used across US & is a central resource for information on social work legal regulations. ASWB offers 3 examinations: master's examination is generally used by states for independent licensure/certification practice levels, advanced generalist & clinical examinations are used for advanced licensure/certification practice levels. Differences between the master's & the advanced exams demonstrate the expectation that advanced practice social workers have a more sophisticated knowledge of practice theory and its application.

Failure to Obtain License/Certification. All Social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure/certification starting from appointment date. Failure to become licensed/certified w/in prescribed time limits results in removal from GS-0185 social worker series & may result in employment termination.

Loss of Licensure/Certification. Once licensed/certified, social workers must maintain full, valid & unrestricted independent license/certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure/certification will result in removal from GS-0185 social worker series & may result in employment termination.

Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met when determining grade of candidates in addition to basic requirements for employment.

GS-9

Experience, Education & Licensure. None beyond basic requirements

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities, KSAs. Candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs in addition to above experience.

1) Ability to work w/ Veterans & family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational & other diversified backgrounds using counseling skills
2) Ability to assess psychosocial functioning & Veterans & their family members' needs & to formulate/implement a treatment plan, identifying Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills & assistance needed
3) Ability to implement treatment modalities in working w/ individuals, families & groups to achieve treatment goals. Requires judgment/skill using supportive, problem solving/crisis intervention techniques
4) Ability to establish/maintain effective working relationships & communicate w/ clients, staff & community agency representatives
5) Medical & mental health diagnoses, disabilities & treatment procedures fundamental knowledge: including acute, chronic & traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications/their effects/side effects & medical terminology

GS-11

Experience & Licensure Appointment to GS-11 grade level requires completion of minimum of 1 year of post-MSW experience equivalent to GS-9 grade in health care field or other social work-related settings, VA/non-VA experience & licensure/certification in a state at the independent practice level

NOTE For appointment licensure /certification at this level please refer to license information found under Basic Requirements section above

OR

Education 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

In addition to the GS-11 experience above, candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs.

1) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community & other governmental agencies for services & ability to coordinate services
2) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments & treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational & diversified backgrounds
3) Medical/mental health diagnoses knowledge, disabilities & treatment procedures, e.g. acute, chronic & traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications/their effects/side effects & medical terminology to formulate treatment plans
4) Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working w/ individuals, families & groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical & social problems to achieve treatment goals
5) Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students & other staff about patients' psychosocial needs & impact of psychosocial problems on health care & compliance w/ treatment

References: VA Handbook 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39

The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-11.Actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-9 to a GS-11

Qualifications continued in Additional Information section.