Social Worker Mental Health Clinic

We're Looking for a skilled Social Worker Mental Health Clinic in the Veterans Health Administration based in Valdosta, Georgia. 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: Must be US Citizen. Noncitizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency Requirement: Per VA Handbook 5005 Part II Chapter 3 Section A Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapter 73 or 74 to serve in a direct patientcare capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Education: Completed 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/. Exception GS9: 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. For appointments at the GS9 grade level 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. In states such as California Washington and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years social workers must become licensed at the independent masters level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. For the GS11 grade level and above the candidate must be licensed or certified. 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 In addition to the basic requirements for employment the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS09 Social Worker candidates must have the following: Experience Education and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. GS11 Social Worker candidates must have the following: Experience and Licensure: 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. 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. Additional transcripts must be submitted to support this. Preferred Experience: Prior experience with psychotherapy particularly evidencebased and timelimited approaches is preferred. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 Qualification Standard for the appointment of Social Workers GS0185. https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS9 to GS11. Physical Requirements: Able to meet the physical demands of the position reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must have good manual dexterity and able to express or exchange ideas by means of spoken and written word. Must be able to view and read information computer screens and exercise extreme control over ones own emotions especially in highly charged and/or crisis situations. The work takes place in the outpatient clinic environment and exposes the incumbent to the typical diseases and conditions associated with a health care setting.

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.