Social Worker

We're Looking for a skilled Social Worker in the Veterans Health Administration based in Baltimore, Maryland. 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. Professional knowledge of the principles and practices of social work and social work care management for patients with a wide range of physical mental health and psychosocial problems. Knowledge of the psychosocial medical and mental health issues common in OEF/OIF service members and Veterans following deployment to a war zone. Mastery of a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness and advocating for the special needs of the population. Comprehensive knowledge of VHA VBA and other government entitlement programs and benefits available to Veterans including community resources and services for the disabled local peer counseling programs or groups and Federal laws or regulations regarding the disabled. Comprehensive understanding of Federal laws and regulations VA policies and resources applicable to CIS Veterans. Knowledge of the requirements of the Mental Health Uniform Services Handbook and the VHAs Care Management goals objectives and guidelines. Knowledge of the sequence and timing of key program events and milestones and methods of evaluating the worth of program accomplishments. Demonstrated skill to plan organize direct work and negotiate effectively with management to accept and implement recommendations where the proposals involve substantial agency resources and require extensive changes in established procedures. Demonstrated skill in both oral and written communication with a wide variety of individuals. Ability to operate a personal computer with a variety of software in order to enter required information on patient care issues. 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: Senior Social Worker GS12 Experience/Education: The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which one year must be equivalent to the GS11 grade level. Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs. References: VA Handbook 5005 reference APPENDIX G39. SOCIAL WORKER QUALIFICATION STANDARD The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the GS12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Employee Occupational Health Services.

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.