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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION is Hiring a Social Worker Near Erie, PA

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:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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 social worker positions in the GS-0185 series in 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/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grade Determinations:
Social Worker, GS-11
Experience, Education and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.

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

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:

• Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005, PART II, APPENDIX G39

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-11.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve active listening, reading, observing, and evaluating verbal and nonverbal behavior, walking, speaking, writing clinical notes, using office equipment such as computers, telephones, fax, photocopy machines.

Responsibilities:

Major duties include, but my not be limited to:

• The incumbent independently conducts intake screenings and evaluations of Veterans and their significant others.
• When assessing Veterans for admission to the BHC, the incumbent uses the established biopsychosocial admissions criteria to determine the appropriateness of Veterans referred to the BHC for service in the different treatment components.
• After admission, performs a comprehensive intake assessment that satisfies Joint Commission (JC) standards and provides clinically meaningful information related to the specific cognitive - social learning treatment approach used in the BHC.
• While the patient is in treatment, the Behavioral Health Social Worker continues to reassess and monitor the status of problematic behaviors; routinely evaluates the impact that therapeutic interventions have on patient problems; assesses patients' progress toward meeting treatment goals and objectives; determines the need for additional assessment of specific problem areas; conducts and documents a discharge assessment that summarizes the extent to which each problem is resolved and the extent to which additional treatment is needed; and schedules and monitors specimen collection for assessment of substance abuse.
• The Behavioral Health Social Worker provides individual, group, and family psychotherapy, as well as crisis intervention.
• When providing treatment, incumbent relies on own clinical judgment to address patient problems in a fashion that is consistent with the knowledge and skills of other professional staff with Masters level training.
• Conducts short, medium, long-term in-depth counseling and facilitates both open-ended, process groups; and time-limited, closed, structured groups for patients with substance abuse problems, mental health problems, or co-morbid conditions.
• The Social Worker may also facilitate group counseling and conduct assessments for the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC).
• May perform other duties as required.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000 - Social Worker
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Job Summary