This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to: Uses interviews to establish facts about the situation, its nature, cause, components, and impact on the client. Interviews clients and families; interprets institutions' guidelines and eligibility requirements and completes a comprehensive psychological history and assessment. Clients tend to have frequent and severe crises; lack of family or community support networks, be poor at self-monitoring; frequently fail to comply with instructions (medical or legal instructions); have significant deficits in coping skills, and require continuing professional psychological support. Clients include those at high risk of continuous institutionalism for recidivism. Spends sufficient time learning enough about the person affected to understand correctly the present and potential consequences of the clients' actions. Performs insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving sociopathic personalities and family groups who react to their circumstances with impulsive behavior that may be self-destructive or deprecatory. Cases involve hard to reach personalities and the problems that are difficult to deal with. Makes independent and professional decisions and recommendations for agency action. Consequences to the client are serious and results are often unpredictable. Develops appropriate treatment plan. Using known available resources and the initial assessment of the client's likelihood to accept different types of assistance. Makes initial and continuing decisions regarding the agency's services and referrals. Independently concedes the appropriate action, even in instances where agency actions can have serious impact on the life of the person served. This might include even longer institutional or nursing home care or separation of family members. These decisions are based on the employee's professional judgment with regards to the individual's rehabilitative potential and possible consequences (harm to individual or family) during less controlled rehabilitative efforts. Provides clinical services to clients. Authorizes benefits; gives advice, guidance, emotional support and other assistance. Involves clients in individual or family counseling. Makes provision for referral services to other agency organizations, community resources (i.e. transition or half-way houses, shelters, etc.), or other governmental resources to resolve problems. Regularly treats through counseling or referral, clients with serious problems. Highly developed professional skills are routinely used to motivate dysfunctional clients to resume more effective control of their own lives. The employee demonstrates acceptance, interest, and encouragement and selective use of questioning, explanations, and guidance in working with the clients to help them explore their problems. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Social Worker (Community Outreach) - #50384F EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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. 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/. 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-11 Social Worker candidates must have the following: Experience and Licensure: Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one (1) 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 (1) year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position: GS-11 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 Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: The work requires extreme patience and controlling of emotions. The work may require using appropriate techniques to physically restrain patients who present a danger to self or others. The work may also require assisting physically disabled Veterans. Day-to-day work involves sitting, walking, standing and carrying light objects. Work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes the incumbent to the communicable diseases common to the homeless population. Much of the work is performed in a setting away from the office, where the environment cannot be controlled. The incumbent must be able to safely operate a government owned vehicle to be utilized in community based work and the transportation of patients.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1601 Southwest Archer Road Gainesville, FL 32608 US
• Name: Payton Hendrix
• Phone: 813-970-3541
• Email: [email protected]