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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Social Worker Near Lincoln, NE

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part.
• Education Requirement:
  • Master of Social Work: Applicants must have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Note: 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. COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED.
• Licensure Requirement:
  • Appointment at the GS-11 Full Performance Level: Persons hired or reassigned to full performance 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. OR
  • Appointment at the GS-9 (Entry or Developmental Level): 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 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.

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:

GS-9 (Entry Level):

Experience and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the applicant's resume must demonstrate all of the following KSAs.

1. Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
5. 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.

GS-11 (Full Performance Level):

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 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, the applicant's resume must demonstrate all of the following KSAs.

1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package.

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 in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Responsibilities:

This announcement is open continuous. Certificates will be issued to the hiring manager on a weekly basis until all positions have been filled. Announcement will remain open until all vacancies are filled, and may close sooner than 9/30/2024.

Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• The incumbent will conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of Veterans and family members.
• The incumbent is an active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines.
• The incumbent will participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate.
• The incumbent will provide individual, family and group counseling as appropriate.
• The incumbent will provide consultation/education to Veterans and families on community resources, advance directives, and VA benefits.
• The incumbent will act as a consultant to other team/staff members.
• The incumbent will participate in the annual homeless initiatives (such as homeless stand down and CHALENG) that are required by the Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC) for this program.
• The incumbent will act as liaison between VA and community resources, to include marketing and public relation duties as needed.
• The incumbent will provide case management services to Veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care.
• The incumbent will provide a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice which includes case work, individual, family and group counseling, discharge planning, case management and other services as appropriate.
• The incumbent will address Advance Directives and Organ Donation in accordance with the standards of their work area.
• The incumbent will provide wellness/prevention education and facilitate Patient/family support groups as appropriate.
• The incumbent will, as appropriate, supervise the practice of social work students, or a less experienced social worker.
• The incumbent will coordinate treatment and communicate with other services to facilitate continuity of care for Veterans.
• The incumbent will participate in committee assignment as deemed necessary by the supervisor or service chief.
• The incumbent will maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with JCAHO, CARF, VA and medical center policy and procedures.
• The incumbent will assist patients and their significant others with coping and dealing with the loss and grief experiences in disability, terminal illness, and death.
• The incumbent will document social work interventions and activities in patient's clinical record utilizing CPRS and ensure appropriate hand off in the transferring of patient care.
• The incumbent will perform other duties as assigned.
• The incumbent will keep supervisor apprised of problems and recommended solution to problems encountered in the incumbent areas of responsibilities.
• The incumbent will maintain familiarity and share responsibility for all performance measures relating to the HCHV program.

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

Job Summary