Social Worker (Community Residential Care Program)

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Social Workers assigned to the Community Residential Care program provide follow-up psycho-social supportive and case management services to adults and older Veterans placed in residential care settings. Veterans are generally in need of monitoring and supervision of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) functions and have histories of major and serious mental illness often complicated by other medical illnesses. The CRC Social Worker functions as part of an interdisciplinary team of providers. Duties include but are not limited to:

• Performs case finding functions and outreach identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needs upon entry into the CRC program.
• Performs psychosocial assessments treatment plans and any other documentation requirements.
• Develops a resource file of VA and community social service programs and refers the veteran to needed services.
• Acts as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran/family.
• Provides education related to VA and community resources entitlements Advance Directives/Living Will.
• Independently implements treatment modalities provides counseling or psychotherapy for individuals families and groups.
• Offers psychosocial interventions and measures outcomes to interventions.
• Implements appropriate treatment interventions and case management services for individual group and family systems.
• Identifies high risk patients and provides case management services.
• Provides crisis intervention services seeking to address the case.
• Monitors and provides Suicide Risk Assessment for patients at risk for suicide and works with Suicide Prevention Coordinators.
• Coordinates community-based services including information and referral for additional services.
• Serves as liaison to CRC homeowners and community resources for Veterans.
• Possess general knowledge of Veterans benefits and services related to special programs service-connected compensation non-service-connected pension; and facilitates referrals.
• Communicates effectively both orally and in writing with people from varied backgrounds.
• Participates in interdisciplinary treatment and discharge planning.
• Provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of Veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on healthcare and adherence to treatment plans.

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 not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education. Must 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 tohttp:// to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a Master of Social Work.
• Licensure. 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 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.

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

• Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements to qualify for the GS-11 grade level you must possess 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. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Working under close supervision in program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience. Identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse neglect or exploitation; providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning; providing social work case management; acting as a patient/family member/caregiver advocate with community service providers/agencies; assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family collaboration with the patient family and interdisciplinary treatment teams identifying strengths weaknesses coping skills and psychosocial acuity. Maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with appropriate referrals.

• 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.

• 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 educational and other 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 psychiatricmedical 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.