Career Center

***This is an Open and Continuous announcement for multiple locations/positions and can be taken down at any time. The VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center & Clinics (VASORCC) provides a variety of clinical programs with a wide range of outpatient services and treatments for Veterans in Geriatrics and Extended Care, Psychiatry, substance abuse, home based primary care, community care, residential, and various other ambulatory care programs. 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: Earned 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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). 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/ (Copy of license or certification required). 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. (a) 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. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. (b) A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. Grade Determinations: Social Worker GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure: The entry level is used for Social Workers with less than one year of post-master's degree experience or for Social Workers who are graduates, not yet licensed at the independent practice level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the basic requirements, the candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below: 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 Social Worker: Experience, Education and Licensure: Appointment to the GS-11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of 1 year of post-MSW degree experience in the field of health care social work (VA or non-VA experience) OR, In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required 1 year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the basic requirements, the candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below: 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 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 Physical Requirements: Day-to-day work involves sitting, walking, standing and carrying light objects. The position requires the ability to drive a government vehicle. The work requires the use of a computer. Work may require assisting physically disabled Veterans. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. ["The Patient Aligned Care Team is a comprehensive team which delivers primary care to Veteran patients in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and which has as its focus: prevention; health promotion, coordination and chronic disease management. The social worker in this VeteranCentric approach often functions as a care coordinator with a panel of Veterans to ensure that health care meets the needs, as defined by the Veteran. Social workers are uniquely prepared for this role by virtue of their education, training, and experience which prepares them to understand the person-in-situation and the influences that family and community have in impacting the health care needs of Veterans. Works with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems. Completes thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families. Participates as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and collaborate with Veterans and Veteran family members to development and implement treatment/service plans and interventions. Facilitates action for community referrals/placements through collaboration with Veterans, Veteran families, and interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate community placements are completed in a timely manner. Serves as an advocate and liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of services. Possess and demonstrate ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. Serves on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor and Chief of Social Work Services. Demonstrates knowledge and skill in the use of software applications for drafting documents and data management as well as other computer systems in use by the Veterans Health Administration. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0800 - 1630 Telework: Available per Agency and Department policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized."]

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