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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Social Worker Near Brockton, MA

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. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000. To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must meet the following:

a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States.

b. 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.

c. 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/.
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.]

1. (a) 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.
2. (b) A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record.
3. (c) Different states have different levels of licensure or certification, making it difficult for VHA staff to determine the independent practice level. Each state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia completed surveys identifying the level of licensure or certification allowing independent practice. Copies of the surveys are on file in the VHA Office of Care Management and Social Work Services, and a summary spreadsheet of the levels of licensure or certification is available to social work professional standards board members for purposes of determining whether the social worker's level of licensure or certification meets the VHA qualification standards. All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered by the ASWB. Information can be found at https://www.aswb.org/. The ASWB is the association of boards that regulates social work. ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examination used across the country and is a central resource for information on the legal regulation of social work. The ASWB offers three examinations. The master's examination is generally used by states for the independent practice level of licensure or certification, while the advanced generalist and the clinical examinations are used for the advanced practice level of licensure or certification. Differences between the master's and the advanced exams demonstrate the expectation that advanced practice social workers will have a more sophisticated knowledge of practice theory and its application.

(2) 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.
(3) 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.

d. 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. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
Social Worker GS-09

Experience/Education. 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:
(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 [Entry Level] Individuals assigned as GS-9 grade level 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. Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience. Duties may include but are not limited to: providing social work case management; acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. Since social workers at this level are not practicing at an independent level, they should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required, such as in a CBOC, unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice. GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision.

Responsibilities:

This is an open Continuous announcement. to establish a standing register of qualified applicants to refer to the hiring manager. Referral lists will be created on a weekly basis. Please see the 'Next Steps' section found under the 'How to Apply' tab for information regarding cutoff dates. Final disposition will be completed once the position has been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period stated in the announcement.

Veterans are treated by the clinical social worker are those admitted to the Homeless Domiciliary Program located on the Brockton campus of the VA Boston Healthcare System (VA BHS). Services are provided on site in the Homeless Domiciliary Program in Brockton.

Team Leadership

The social worker functions as a team leader and provides initial and ongoing assessments and case management, completes ongoing risk assessments, and develops and implements treatment and discharge plans for all veterans on their treatment team. The incumbent also completes NEPEC admission and discharge forms, as well as other documentation required by VA Central Office and accreditation bodies. As a team leader, the social worker monitors the care of veterans on their team on an ongoing basis and coordinates the activities of members of the team. The incumbent works on an ongoing basis with an interdisciplinary team to evaluate the needs of the veteran and will submit referrals for additional treatment. The social worker consults with the program manager as needed to complete assigned duties.

Assessment and Screening

The social worker responds to consults (for new referrals) from a variety of sources and assists in the screening of veterans applying for admission to the Domiciliary. The social worker will participate in the screening committee to provide input to decisions about admission. The social worker will communicate with veterans or their referring clinicians about the decisions of the committee. The social worker may correspond with veterans waiting for admission to the Domiciliary to monitor their status.

Treatment Planning

The social worker is responsible for ensuring that a comprehensive treatment plan is developed for veterans assigned to their team. The social work collaboratively develops a comprehensive treatment plan with the veteran, establishing achievable treatment goals and objectives while incorporating clinical outcome monitoring (i.e., measurementbased care). The social worker will use the comprehensive team treatment planning process to address all pertinent identified problem areas, including dangerousness and risk; psychiatric and substance use issues; medical and whole-health concerns affecting life-functioning; and psychosocial and community involvement concerns.

Counseling/Treatment

The social worker provides individual and group therapy services to veterans in the Domiciliary related to substance use and other mental health problems, as well as homelessness. The social worker assists and encourages veterans and significant others in facing problems, thinking them through, evaluating the situation realistically, considering alternative courses of action, and arriving at plans for using resources to resolve problems.

Case Management

The social worker works with community agencies and other services both within and outside the VA on behalf of veterans. The social worker develops working relationships and agreements with other organizations having responsibilities for veterans. The incumbent maintains a current and productive network of referral resources. The social worker makes initial and continuing decisions regarding use of VA and non-VA services and referrals and arrives at a reasoned conclusion as to the preferred course of action. The social worker is responsible for educating veterans about the available services, identifying contacts, and/or making the appropriate referrals for veterans.

Education/Health promotion and prevention

The social worker will provide education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advanced Directives/Living Will, and other resources as they apply, relying on motivational interviewing strategies, and a whole-health, patient-centered-care approach.

Crisis Intervention

The social worker is experienced in conducting risk assessments and developing individualized crisis management and Safety Plans to address the veteran's physical and mental health concerns in the safest way possible

Coordination of non-institutional and institutional services

The social worker is responsible for reviewing the progress notes from the other clinicians to accurately determine the needs of each veteran.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: F03961, F03962
EDRP Authorized: Contact Soundeep.Patel@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Job Summary