Social Worker Caregiver Support Program

We're Looking for a skilled Social Worker Caregiver Support Program in the Veterans Health Administration based in East Orange, New Jersey. Read through the job description to see if it matches your current experience.

The Successful Applicant

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3 section A paragraph 3g in VA Policy). 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/. Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified social workers must maintain a full valid and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Employee Occupational Health Services. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). 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). Creditable Experience. The candidate must have knowledge of current professional social work practices. To be creditable the experience must have required the use of knowledge skills abilities and other characteristics associated with current professional social work practice. The experience or education must be postMasters of Social Work (MSW) degree. Experience and education satisfying this requirement must be active professional practice which is paid/nonpaid employment as a professional social worker as defined by the appropriate state licensing board. Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a masters degree in social work and if it includes work as a professional social worker directly related to the position to be filled. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to social work experience at the next lower level. PartTime Experience. Parttime experience is creditable according to its relationship to the fulltime work week. For example one week of fulltime credit is equivalent to two weeks of parttime work. Fellowships or PostGraduate Training. Fellowship and postgraduate training programs are typically in a specialized area of clinical practice i.e. group or family practice. Training as a fellow or postgraduate may be substituted for creditable experience on a yearforyear basis. Practicum in a VA Setting. A VHA practicum experience may not be substituted for experience as the practicum (field placement) is completed prior to graduation with a masters degree in social work. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker GS11 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. NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (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 educational and other 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. Drivers License Applicants must hold and maintain a valid state drivers license. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS11 which is the actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing walking bending twisting and carrying light items. Must be in overall good health able to sit at a desk working at a computer engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting walking bending and carrying supplies. The Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands exercise patience and control emotions with reasonable accommodation if necessary without endangering the health and safety of the social worker or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center standing for extended periods of time and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position may require travel into the community to meet with community agencies and partners who assist and support to the Caregiver Support Program its Veterans and caregivers. There will be home visits in the community as an expectation of this position. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures transcribing viewing a computer terminal extensive reading and repetitive motions of the wrists hands and/or fingers. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions the area is adequately lighted heated and ventilated. However the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations. Field Work in the home is an expectation of the position.

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.