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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Social Worker Near Billings, MT

Qualifications:

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:

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part)
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education: Have a master's 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 master's 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 the social worker position GS-0185 series in the VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/ORHM//T38Hybrids.
  • Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure.
  • Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.
  • 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 GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.

Social Worker GS-09

• Experience, Education, and Licensure:
  • None beyond the basic requirements

• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

1. Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
5. 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.

Social Worker GS-11

• Experience and Licensure:
  • Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non- VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. OR;
  • 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:

1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
2. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Preferred Experience: homeless, at risk populations

References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G-39 Dated September 10, 2019The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-9-11

Physical Requirements: Traveling throughout the state is required. The incumbent must possess a current driver's license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties. Traveling throughout the medical center and community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking, and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities it will be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the Veterans, their families, representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies.

Responsibilities:

Major duties and responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to the following:

• Incumbent provides outreach services to Veterans who are homeless with the goal of reducing homelessness for those who are the most vulnerable and currently not receiving VA services.
• Incumbent is oftentimes the first VA employee to be in contact with Veterans experiencing homelessness and therefore serves as the entry point for VA and community services.
• The incumbent verifies veteran status, eligibility for VA medical care, and eligibility of program participation.
• Incumbent provides a wide variety of case management activities including screening of referrals, assessment of needs, coordinating and facilitating care, linking Veterans to available services and providing resource referral to VA and non-VA community services. Whenever possible, incumbent provides a warm handoff to VA and non-VA community resources.
• The incumbent works with VA Health Care System multi-disciplinary teams and community agencies to strive for developing more effective and efficient ways of delivering healthcare services to homeless veterans.
• The incumbent is responsible for collecting and submitting participant data as outlined by HOMES evaluation procedures.
• Incumbent assists with CES admissions, treatment planning and discharge meetings.
• Incumbent completes a comprehensive psychosocial evaluation of all Veterans at entry into CES.
• Incumbent is responsible for ensuring timely responses to statewide homeless consults in CPRS and National Homeless Veteran Hotline Calls according to required standards.
• Incumbent ensures that all interactions with Veterans and assessments are documented according to facility policies and procedures in the medical record (CPRS) and the HOMES database.
• The incumbent actively participates in the HCHV and NCCHV Program conference calls and attends training as approved by supervisor.
• Incumbent assists the Coordinator in providing administrative, technical and clinical guidance for the CES facilities and assists the facilities in accomplishing the requirements of the contract.
• The incumbent assists the Coordinator with implementation of monthly billing protocols according to contract specifications and fiscal management protocols.
• The incumbent assists in reviewing facility invoices, vouchers and census tracking to ensure accurate billing for services.
• Incumbent provides subject matter consultation to colleagues, students and community providers on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty area, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise.
• Incumbent models effective social work practice skills and mentors staff and students in the specialty area of practice.
• The incumbent participates in local and regional Homeless Coalitions, Continuums of Care, Coordinated Entry Systems and represents Homeless programs and the VAMC.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: M-F 8-4:30Telework: Ad-Hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 436B-51222-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Job Summary