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

This Social work position is part of the Caregiver Support Program of General Caregiver Support Service at the Brockton, MA VA Boston Healthcare System. This is a 40 hour per week position. The PGCSS Social Worker primary responsibilities are to provide clinical evidence-based services and interventions; education to caregiver, Veteran and staff on caregiver issues; engage in community outreach and resource development; continuous quality-improvement activities, and evaluation/consultation. The PGCSS Social Worker works closely with the PGCSS Supervisor and/or designee to complete program required virtual or in-facility visits, telephone contacts, assessments, annual evaluations, and respond to Caregiver Hotline calls. The PGCSS Social Worker will function in support of caregivers, Veterans and family members throughout the Healthcare System and in the community and support the development and implementation of caregiver services. This includes implementing education, wellness, and support groups. The incumbent must be a skilled communicator capable of developing positive, effective relationships with Veterans, caregivers, local, state and federal agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations. Assists the PGCSS Supervisor in providing clinical services as part of the program, completing notes and gathering/monitoring data related to the day-to-day functioning and evaluation of the program. GS 9 duties include but are not limited to: Ability to work with Veteran and families who are experiencing a basic emotional, medical, and social problems utilizing individual, group, and family counseling skills. Work with more complex problems is done under close supervision. With guidance from the Caregiver Support Program Social Work supervisor, ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, and to formulate and implement a care plan, identify the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. GS 11 Duties include but not limited to: Duties include but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; and acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. Incumbent independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. The incumbent provides case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services, incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice GS-9: Is the entry level grade for the GS-0185 Social Work series and is used for Social Workers with less than one year of post-MSW experience. Individuals assigned at this level closely supervised and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure or certification. GS-11:Individuals assigned as GS-11 social workers are considered to be at the full performance level and must have an independent licensure. (Note: For GS-11, you must submit a copy of your independent license with the application.) Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm. Compressed/Flexible:May be authorized per supervisor's discretion and within agency guidelines Telework: May be authorized per supervisor's discretion and within agency guidelines Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. EDRP: Authorized - Contact Karen Chapman [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions or assistance on how to begin the application process. Learn more. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required NOTIFICATIONS:

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. 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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 on the OHRM website. 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. 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. 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). If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS-0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker. Grade Determinations:GS-9:Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate 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: 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. 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. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Appendix G39 - Social Worker Qualification Standard. 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: The work involves standing, stooping, lifting (perhaps greater than 50 pounds), sitting, pulling, assisting patients as needed. The Social Worker is required to work at a computer work station to complete his/her documentation of incidents involving patients and the progress in the patient's overall program. Preferred Experience: Experience facilitating support and psychoeducational groups; experience completing psychosocial assessments; interdisciplinary collaboration skills, strong customer service skills and time management skills; strong computer/ technology proficiency; experience working with Veterans/caregivers (or military families) knowledge of VA/community resources across the adult -life spectrum, experience with public speaking and outreach; strong resource referral skills.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address VA Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: Diane McClure
• Phone: 774-826-4912
• Email: [email protected]