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:

• The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000
• To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must meet the following: 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: Eligible candidates must meet possess a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in 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
• Grandfathering Provision: 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
• 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
• GRADE DETERMINATIONS
• In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• a
• Social Worker, GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors
• (b) 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
• (c) 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
• (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies
• (e) 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
• [Entry Level] Assignments
• Individuals assigned as GS-9 grade level social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised, as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification
• Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience
• Duties may include but are not limited to: identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect or exploitation
• providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning
• providing 7 social work case management
• acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver
• assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and psychosocial acuity, in collaboration with the Veteran, family, and interdisciplinary treatment teams
• maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the Veteran and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals
• Since social workers at this level are not practicing at an independent level, they should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required, such as in a CBOC, unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice
• GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision
• b
• Social Worker GS-11: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met: 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-09 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 and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level
• ~AND~ Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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
• Continued in Education: