Social Worker

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

The Successful Applicant

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 12/21/2022. 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 Policy. Education: Must have a Masters degree n social work from a school of social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until they school of social work if fully credited. A Doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the Masters degree in social work. (Transcript required). Verification of the degree can be made by going to the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. License: 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. Applicant must be a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)..Additional certifications or licensures for Addictions treatment preferred. Certificates: Must provide certificate for Basic Life Support (BLS) from the American Heart Association. 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). Preferred Experience: At least 1 year experience as a fully functioning GS11 within a Substance Abuse Treatment Program providing licensed clinical services to program involved Veterans. At least 3 years experience as a fully licensed LCSW in any capacity but preferably with Veterans substance use disorder treatment and/or mental health treatment. Grade Determinations: For the GS12 grade level Senior Social Workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. At least two years should be in an area of specialized social work practice. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an ASWB 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). Senior social workers may have certification or other postmasters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities: In addition the candidate must demonstrate the professional Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs) below: Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority for services and provide specialized treatment services. Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual group and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management interventions used in the treatment of veterans with polytraumatic injuries spinal cord injuries traumatic brain injuries visual impairment posttraumatic stress disorder etc. Advanced knowledge and expert skill in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on empirical findings. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty area rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the specialty area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession demonstrating innovation in the creation of new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention to identify and address specialized clinical needs. Ability to write policies procedures and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the specialty population or specialty treatment program. Advanced Practice Level: Advanced Practice Level is defined as the ability to provide independent and expert clinical psychosocial and case management services in a specialized area of practice to veterans who tend to have serious and severe crises may lack any familial and community support may be poor selfmonitors may frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment or may have major deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychological support. The advanced practice or Senior Social Worker has an increased depth and breadth of practice sills has expertise in participating n the professional development of colleagues through mentorship and teaching demonstrates leadership in developing and expanding professional intervention strategies demonstrates leadership in defining and attending to professional practice issues and has the ability to expand the conceptual knowledge of the profession. The advanced practice or Senior social work services requiring the exercise of mature professional judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of complex social work practice skills not typically required in routine social work interventions. The advanced practice or senior social worker has mastered a range of specialized interventions and provides consultation to colleagues renders professional opinions based on experience and expertise develops new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention and incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment. The advanced practice or Senior Social Worker utilizes outcome evaluations to further treatment and designs system changes based on empirical finding. References: VA Handbook 5005/23 PART II APPENDIX G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. The work is sedentary. Some work may require walking standing bending. The employee frequently carries light items such as employee files or other papers. The work does not require any special physical effort. Although strenuous physical activity is not required the incumbent is expected to withstand pressure and stress as part of their daytoday activities.

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.