Social Services Assistant

We're Looking for a skilled Social Services Assistant in the Veterans Health Administration based in Nashville, Tennessee. 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 11/14/2023. TimeInGrade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet timeingrade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS5. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF50 that shows your timeingrade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF50 has an effective date within the past year it may not clearly demonstrate you possess oneyear timeingrade as required by the announcement. In this instance you must provide an additional SF50 that clearly demonstrates oneyear timeingrade. Examples of appropriate SF50s include: Within grade increases at the highest grade held or Promotions with an effective date more than one year old or SF50s at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old. Note: TimeInGrade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Basic Requirements and Minimum Qualifications: English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. In addition to meeting the English Language Proficiency requirement in order to qualify for this position at the GS6 level you must possess the following: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS5) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Social Services Assistant Whole Health Partner position and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Qualifying specialized experience includes serving as a group leader in community or residential recreation or training programs serving as a counselor in a youth summer camp serving as an instructor in a training program for the development of job skills performing work that demonstrated the ability to be responsible for and to lead and train members of a job crew serving as a group activities leader in the Armed Services serving as a unit leadermonitorproctor for a dormitory group in a boarding school or other residential facility serving as an aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff in such fields as personnel (private or government) employment guidance in a vocational or academic institution social service or manpower development serving as an aid or assistant to professional or associate staff engaged in work of a social services nature in private public welfare government program or community organizations or in voluntary activities serving as an aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff working with individuals who are addicted to or abuse alcohol and/or drugs. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title duties month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. OR Substitution of Education: Successfully completed at least onehalf year of graduate level education (9 semester hours above a Bachelors degree) or an internship in course matter that must include courses directly related to the work of the Social Services Assistant Whole Health Partner position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience as described above which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the Lead Social Services Assistant Lead Whole Health Partner position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communication Customer Service Organizational Awareness Team Building 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 3540 hours of work per week. Parttime experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work will involve using a laptop computer at docking stations in staff cubicles/office space outpatient treatment rooms and group/conference rooms. The work will involve walking around to different workspaces within the clinic and thus conveying a patient centered environment where providers go to the patient. The physical demands include presenting oneself in an energetic way to create positive attitudes about health and wellbeing for Veterans families VA employees and stakeholders. The position is responsible for participating in and facilitating groupbased and individual classes for Veteran patients and must be able to move from site to site to facilitate such classes. Some of the work will be performed in a healthcare clinic setting in an adequately lighted and climatecontrolled office. Portions of the work will involve going to community organizations on behalf of Veterans for the purpose of connecting Veterans to VA and nonVA services which support Veterans established health goals and behaviors. Whole Heath Partners who may be located at a main facility campus at CBOCs embedded in the community (e.g. vet centers YMCAs community centers etc.) and ensuring the delivery of Group Based Curriculum and individual exploration of goals for health and wellbeing. Additional Telehealth/CVT delivery of sessions may be required. For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at https://www.opm.gov/policydataoversight/classificationqualifications/generalschedulequalificationstandards/.

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.