Social Worker

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

The Successful Applicant

.Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Noncitizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: Masters degree in social work (MSW) 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. 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. Current state requirements may be found on the OHRM website. The incumbent is licensed at the independent level to practice in a state. If not fully licensed at an acceptable independent social work practice level a candidate has 3 years to become fully licensed as a condition of employment. English Language Proficiency: Social Workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 Part II chapter 3 paragraph 3j. Grade Determinations: 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 postMSW 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. GS9 Social WorkerExperience Education and Licensure: GS9 is the entry level grade for the GS185 social work series. Social workers at the GS9 level are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure or certification. VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the independent level at the time of their appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. At the GS9 level candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:(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.Assignments: At the GS09 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. GS9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision.GS11 Social WorkerSpecialized Experience: 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. OREducation: 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 the candidate 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 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. Assignments:At the full performance level GS11 social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. They are assigned to all program areas including Medicine and Surgery Primary and Specialty Care Mental Health and Substance Abuse Extended Care Homeless Services Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) Health Care Centers (HCCs) and other community based VA programs and clinics. Employees provide professional independent social work services in the assigned area. 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 GS185 social work series and may result in termination of employment. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G39 SOCIAL WORKER QUALIFICATION STANDARD. IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.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).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: The incumbent must be able to exercise a high degree of emotional and mental discipline at all times in order to continue to carry out duties effectively. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g. professional philanthropic religions spiritual community student social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies knowledge and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience including volunteer experience.

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.