Social Worker

We're Looking for a skilled Social Worker in the Veterans Health Administration based in Chico, California. Read through the job description to see if it matches your current experience.

The Successful Applicant

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: Noncitizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education: Have a masters 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 masters 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 GS0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. In addition individuals assigned as Supervisory Social Workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. 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). All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title series and grade held including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it the following provisions apply:Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification may be reassigned promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Note: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS0185 social work series they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS0185 series they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker. Grade Determinations: Grade Determinations: Applicants must have one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS11) which includes providing significant personnel management responsibilities for a small to moderate sized professional and nonprofessional staff including support staff and professional staff at the GS12 grade level and below administering professional and administrative management of an area in a social work service in a care/product line or multiple facilities delivering independent and expert clinical psychosocial and case management services in a specialized area of practice to Veterans who tend to have serious and severe crises may lack any familial and community support may be poor selfmonitors may frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment or may have major deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychological support with or without program coordination responsibilities. Note: Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment. Candidate may have certification or other postmasters degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience. Preferred Experience: 1. Knowledge and understanding of the effects of PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 2. Knowledge of methods principles and theories sufficient to intervene and stabilize combat Veterans suffering from multiple diagnoses. 3. Ability to conduct psychosocial assessments and implement treatment plans for combat Veterans and their families. 4. Ability to establish and maintain referral networks through community outreach to provide services to Veterans 5. Experience in working with veterans especially combat veterans. 6. Experience in working with veterans who were sexually traumatized/harassed while in the military 7. Experience in providing family counseling services to veterans and their family. 8. Experience working with combat veterans and their families who have PTSD or readjustment issues and the ability to make independent judgments and recommendations about a number of serious and complex cases. 9. Special knowledge and skill in the field of veterans in community resource identification and development in public speaking and basic principles of education in staff recruitment and development and in program design and management. 10. Knowledge of VA and community resources available to veterans and their family. 11. Develops and manages a clinics budget and program funds 12. Working knowledge of electronic records. 13. Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates and sets guidelines for clinical therapeutic and treatment priorities. 14. Incumbent must have possession of supervisory and management skills. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G39 dated September 10 2019 The full performance level of this vacancy is 12. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary although some slight physical effort may be required.

What’s on Offer

The role offers excellent opportunities for top performers to further develop their competencies as a social worker and improving the lives of people.