Social Worker Primary Care Clinic

We're Looking for a skilled Social Worker Primary Care Clinic in the Veterans Health Administration based in West Palm Beach, Florida. 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. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 Part II chapter 3 section A paragraph 3j this part. Education. Have a masters degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level. GRADE REQUIREMENTS The full performance level of this vacancy is GS11. In addition to the Basic Requirements provided in VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G39 paragraph 3 of the Social Worker Qualification Standard GS0185 Veterans Health Administration the following are the grade requirements. Grade Determinations: Experience: For Selection at the GS09 Level Individuals assigned as GS9 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. VHA social workers who are NOT licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent masters level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of postMSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. Experience: For Selection at the GS011 Level Appointment to the GS11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of postMSW experience equivalent to the GS9 grade level in the field of health care or other social workrelated settings (VA or nonVA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. Education: 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. 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. 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/. 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 GS9 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities:In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs for the GS09 level: (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. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs for the GS11 level: (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 socioeconomic 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 Dated September 10 2019 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS11. Physical Requirements: It is VA policy to ensure that all selected applicants and employed personnel are physically mentally and emotionally fit to perform the duties of the position to which assigned. A preplacement physical examination is required for all fulltime parttime and intermittent employees identified by VA Directive and Handbook 5019. The preplacement physical examination shall be completed prior to appointment to determine the physical and mental fitness for candidates for appointment in VA. The examination will be concerned with the mental and physical ability of the applicant to satisfactorily perform the duties of the proposed assignment and will include requisite laboratory and other screening as required by Federal regulatory agencies. The work is primarily sedentary but may require some walking bending stooping standing stretching and carrying objects. The physical demands of the work requires use of fingers moderate walking and standing near vision correctable at 13 to 16 to Jaeger 1 to 4 far vision correctable in on eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other hearing aid permitted clear speech emotional stability moderate duty.

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.