The Social Worker is a professional Social Worker assigned to the Trauma Recovery Program (TRP), responsible for providing a full range of social work services to veterans and their families, including diagnosing, and treating complex trauma related diagnoses stemming from combat and other related military traumas. The Social Worker provides extensive consultation and services to the treatment team.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf The Social Worker provides extensive consultation and services to the treatment team. They employ a complete range of advanced social work methods individually and with groups, daily without regard to the complexity of a given problem or the need for prior supervisory screening. The Social Worker is required to interact not only with the patient but also family, significant others, community agencies, and other staff. Services provided include: 1) Education, and identification of veterans with traumatic disorders. 2) Evaluating patients to assist with diagnosis and treatment including appropriate medical work up. 3) Providing, as primary therapist, clinical services to alleviate personal/social problems interfering with treatment or optimal social functioning. 4) Interpreting the respective responsibilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs for treatment, and those of family and community. 5) Referring patients and families to the appropriate VA community resource as indicated. Functions or assigned scope of duties include but are not limited to: The Social Worker engages in activities to address the psychosocial implication of the traumatic experience. These include interviewing veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the veterans situation, presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the veterans functioning and health as part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment. Based on the psychosocial assessment, uses professional judgment and advanced practice skills to make a psychosocial diagnosis. The Social Worker reviews all data, subjective and objective, and makes a clinical assessment identifying needs and strengths. They effectively use professional skill, objectivity, and uses advanced clinical training, insight, and experience to interpret data and to identify viable treatment options. They also assess elevated risk factors, acuity, and need for services. The Social Worker interprets and explains VA's treatment and benefit programs, participates in the treatment planning conferences, provides individual, family, marital and/or group therapy as primary therapist. The Social Worker is responsible for thorough recording of patient assessment, social data, and services provided and for communicating assessments and recommendations to the treatment team. They participate in conferences designed to further professional development. They share responsibility for program development, refinement, and quality assurance within the program. The Social Worker may also be a field instructor to graduate Social Work Trainees from approved Schools of Social Work. The Social Worker has a advanced knowledge of veterans benefits and services relating to special programs, service-connected compensation, non-service-connected pension. The Social Worker also facilitates referrals based upon veterans needs and eligibility. In the absence of co-workers, and in coordination with the TRP Director, the Social Worker may provide relief coverage. In such instances, they complete a full range of social work services to include social assessments, treatment, and discharge planning. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00a.m.-4:30p.m. Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: May be available at the discretion of the Service Chief or equivalent Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. 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/. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) 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. 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: Social Worker, 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. 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, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. (b) 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. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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. Preferred Experience: Ability to provide full range of social work services to veterans and their families, including diagnosing, and treating complex trauma related diagnoses stemming from combat and other related military traumas. Training in evidence-based practices related to trauma. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS11 Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. The Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the Social Worker or others.

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 Durham VA Medical Center 508 Fulton Street Durham, NC 27705 US
• Name: Tierra White
• Phone: 919-827-2514
• Email: [email protected]