Social Worker- Community Living Center Social Worker

VA Careers - Social Work: Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The social worker establishes and maintains ongoing education programs for Veterans community
agencies students and staff to facilitate understanding of social work interventions specific to the
Veteran/Military population. This may include coverage responsibilities in the absence of other GEC staff
to ensure timely access and coordination of care. The social worker willingly accepts additional and
special assignments that are necessary to meet GEC service goals program goals and/or customer needs.

Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Employs establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their
  families who are experiencing medical psychiatric emotional behavioral and psychosocial
  problems.
• Completes thorough psychosocial assessments including psychosocial diagnosis and high-risk assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families.
• Must be able to utilize this assessment in facilitating the Veterans maximum use of treatment for attainment of the highest level of independence post-discharge;
  that is possible and practicable.
• Actively participates as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and actively participates through collaboration with Veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members in the development and implementation of treatment goals interventions and discharge plans.
• Uses a working knowledge and experience in use of medical diagnoses disabilities and treatment procedures including acute chronic and traumatic illnesses common medications and their effects/side effects and medical terminology.
• Uses a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches based on the diagnostic assessment to minimize the anxiety of both the patient and/or significant others during their transition to other levels of care.
• Facilitates action for community placements through collaboration with Veterans and their
  families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate
  community placements are completed in a timely manner.
• Serves as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources to ensure thorough delivery of services. Supports the mission policies and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) and the facility.
• Serves on committees work groups and task forces as the facility deemed appropriate by the supervisor.
• Keeps their supervisor apprised of problems and recommends solutions to problems encountered in the incumbents area of responsibility.
• Furthers their own professional growth through progress towards independent licensure.
• Evaluates his/her practice on an on-going basis through participation in professional peer review supervision case conferences research studies or other organized means. Is active in and accepts responsibility for the development and maintenance of professional standards of treatment.
• Aids with the orientation and learning of less experienced social workers.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may be hired on a temporary appointment (NTE 3 years) at the GS-9 until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

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. (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).

b. Education. Have a masters 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 masters degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to 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 masters degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to 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.
(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 masters 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 states such as California Washington and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years social workers must become licensed at the independent masters level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure.
(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.

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 and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations:

Social Worker GS-9

(1) Experience Education and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.

(2) Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a) Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans their family members caregivers and survivors.

(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.

Social Worker GS-11

(1) 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 nonVA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c.
OR
(2) 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.

(3) Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a) Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services.

(b) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic educational and other backgrounds.

(c) 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.

(d) 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.

(e) 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: Inpatient/ acute or Community Living Center experience as well as working with older adults.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.
The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.