Social Worker (VRC)

VA Careers - Social Work: Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: Work: of Position:

• Incumbent is a professional social worker assigned to support Social Work Service programming. Incumbent must possess the knowledge and ability to implement treatment modalities identify level of functioning degree of impairment in occupational social academic interpersonal and family evaluate and assess lethality perform mental status exams (MSE) identify psychiatric manifestations of various medical conditions possess knowledge of the criteria and state laws for legal commitment and involuntary hospitalizations ability to assess and intervene with patients of suspected abuse and provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals families and addition incumbent has working knowledge and understanding in the use of medical and mental health diagnoses disabilities and treatment procedures in working with diverse populations and circumstances. This includes acute chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries psychiatric medical and social problems common medications and their effects/side effects and medical terminology.
• Referrals typically originate from professional staff from Veterans and/or their families seeking assistance and from community professionals. Incumbent serves as a Social Work representative in the VRC available to provide same day access to psychosocial services. The incumbent must determine the presenting problem determine psychosocial factors impacting the problem and determine obstacles to treatment and/or follow through with recommended treatments. Social work case management coordination with members of the treatment team is required in order to ensure a collaborative effort to meet the treatment goals for a Veteran. This may require the incumbent to act as a liaison with community professionals regarding needed services for Veterans and/or their families.

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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

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 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.
• 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 Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve lifting walking standing use of both eyes ability to distinguish basic colors and shades hearing aid (permitted). The environmental factors of this position involve being able to work outside and/or inside to work with others and to work alone.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

• The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation.
  • All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title series and grade held including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it the following provisions apply:
  • Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification may be reassigned promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
  • Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
  • Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
  • If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
• Grade Determinations:
  • GS-9: None beyond the basic requirements.
  • GS-11: 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.
    • Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities:
      • 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 5005/120 part II Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard 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-09 to GS-11.