Social Worker
Location: Lincoln Nebraska
Description: Department Of Veterans Affairs is currently interviewing Social Worker right now, this career will be placed in Nebraska. Further informations about this career opportunity please give attention to these descriptions. Vacancy Identification Number (VIN): 910750
OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise - "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, ! and his orphan" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?
Note:
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-09
to GS-11 .
The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the
selected candidateÂ's education and experience and recommend the grade and step
at which the candidate will be placed.
The salary is based on the grade and step approved for the selected
candidate.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.
Important: Current permanent ! VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System employees will be ! given first consideration.
NOTE: External candidates eligible for veterans preference will receive consideration prior to considering external non-preference applicants. KEY REQUIREMENTS
Full unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration required.
Must pass pre-employment examination.
Designated and/or Random Drug Testing required.
Background and/or Security Investigation required.
English Language Proficiency required. DUTIES:
This position will be part of the Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System (NWIHCS), with facilities in Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island and CBOCs in North Platte, Norfolk, Holdrege, Bellevue in Nebraska and Shenandoah, Iowa.
The incumbent is a social worker assigned to the Patient Aligned Care
Teams (PACT) for ambulatory care within Patient Care Service Line at the
Nebraska -Western Iowa Veterans Health Care in Lincoln, NE.
The incumbent provides direct social work se! rvices to veterans,
significant family members, caregivers, and community representatives who present concerns related
to the psychosocial needs of veterans. The
tour of duty will be 40 hours per week and will include weekend and evening
hours based on the needs of veteran population.
Responsibilities include:
Actively participates with assigned PACT teams and maintains effective working relationship with all team members including primary care providers and nurse case managers
Uses a broad range of social work skills including direct services, case management, information and referral services, pre admission screening, discharge planning, post-hospital follow-up and other related interventions.
Collaborates with veterans, caregivers, significant family members, community services, agencies, representatives, and resources in order to encourage active participation and access to broad range of services. Expectation is for the socia! l worker to work with programs and clinics throughout the continuum of ! veterans, hospice services, Community Living Center, Home Health Services, community social service, financial resources, county veteran service officers, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), etc. Provides direct services independently and provides case finding functions and outreach service including identifying and screening of veterans for psychological needs Meets the needs of customers while supporting VA missions.
Consistently communicates and treats customers in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.
Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures.
Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately.
Communicates with and utilizes other disciplines to facilitate treatment, planning, and implementation.
Provides social work coverage for extended hours as needed by the organization and will provide social work services for the Norfolk Community Based ! Outpaitient Clinic as needed
Work Schedule: Rotating Shifts Monday through Sunday, work week will be a total of 40 hours with work hours in the range of 8:00am-10:00pm. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States.
English Language Proficiency: Those appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English.
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.
Physical Standards: Passing a pre-employment physical examination is required. Please contact the local human resources office at: 402-995-4947 if you need information regarding the VA policy on physicals and if you want information on physical requirements of the position.
Education: Must possess a master's degree in soc! ial work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council o! n 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 masters of social work.
Education Note: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx . All education claime! d by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.
Foreign Education Note: 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.
GRADE DETERMINATIONS:
GS-9 IS THE ENTRY LEVEL for the GS-185 social work series and is used for social workers with less than one year of post-MSW experience and for social workers who are not yet licensed or certified at the independent practice level. Social workers at the GS-9 level are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure or certification. NOTE: Social workers with more than one year of post-MSW experience may be appointed at an advanced step within the GS-9 grade commensurate with their years of experience.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE FOR GS-11 LEVEL: Requires a minimum of one year of post-MSW degree professional social work experien! ce in the field of health care. This experience must have been in a cli! nical setting and must have demonstrated the potential to perform advanced assignments independently. (A clinical setting is a medical center, clinic - medical or psychiatric, residential treatment center, or any other type of facility where social work participates in a collaborative treatment and is identified with the medical profession.) Experience must have been obtained AFTER earning a Master's Degree in Social Work.
SUBSTITUTING EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11 LEVEL: To meet the required specialized experience for the GS-11 level, applicant may substitute a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work. You must submit a transcript to receive credit for this education.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
References: VA Handbook 5005/50, Part II, Appendix G39, SOCIAL WORKER QUALIFICATION STANDARD , dated February 29, 2012, and OPM Group Co! verage Qualification Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/IORs/GS0100/0185.htm .
VA Handbook 5005 at http://www.va.gov/ohrm/joblistings/VAQualStds.doc (also available in the local Human Resources Office) and OPM Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/IORs/GS0100/0185.htm .
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and other characteristics (KSAOs) for this position:
GS-9 Social Worker Grade Level: This is the entry level grade for the GS-185 social work series and is used for social workers with less than one year of post-MSW experience and for social workers who are not yet licensed or certified at the independent practice level. Social workers at the GS-9 level are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure or certification. In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs.
1. ! Ability to provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individu! als from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological), and the differential influences of the environment, society, and culture.
2. Ability to work with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, 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 social work supervisor, ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed.
3. Basic knowledge of psychosocial treatment modalities and, under supervision, 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 with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds.
5. 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.
6. Basic skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, and tracking. Ability to learn and utilize software programs in use by VHA.
Failure to Obtain License or Certification: In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from! the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervi! sor, 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. Failure to become licensed or certified within the proscribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-185 social work series and may result in termination of employment.
GS-11 Social Worker Grade Level Qualifications: Requires a minimum of one year of post-MSW degree professional social work experience in the field of health care social work (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level; 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 clini! cal setting. These are the Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required for this position:
1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
2. Ability to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed, in collaboration with the patient, family and interdisciplinary treatment team.
3. Ability to independently conduct psychosocial assessments and provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) and the differential influences of the environme! nt, society and culture.
4. Knowledge and experience in the us! e 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.
5. Knowledge of psychosocial treatment and ability to independently implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems to achieve treatment goals. This requires independent judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving or crisis intervention techniques.
6. Ability to independently provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups and families. Social workers must practice within the bounds of their license or certification. For example, some states may require social workers providing psychotherapy to have a clinical level of licensure.
7. Ability to provide consultation services to other staff! about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. Ability to provide orientation and coaching to new social workers and social work graduate students. Ability to serve as a field instructor for social work graduate students who are completing VHA field placements.
8. Ability to independently evaluate his/her own practice through participation in professional peer review case conferences, research studies, or other organized means.
9. Knowledge and skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, and tracking, especially those programs in use by VHA.
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 a! pply to this occupation. All persons employed in the Veterans Health Ad! ministration (VHA) in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
1. 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.
2. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointm! ent extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
3. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
4. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS-185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later! date to the GS-185 series, they must be licensed or certified to quali! fy for employment as a social worker. Qualified trainees and interns are encouraged to apply.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
The work is sedentary in nature with only routine walking. It involves mostly sitting in an office setting with occasional lifting and carrying of light boxes (5 to 10 lbs). Incumbent may need to make rounds with care teams requiring walking/standing approximately several hours per day. Time will be predominantly spent with face-to-face interactions as well as making referrals, using the phone, using the computer, faxing, facilitating group and individual contacts. Hearing and vision corrections permitted. No heavy lifting anticipated; there may be the need to transport equipment and supplies when doing community/staff presentations.
APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particul! arly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. 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.
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending sep! aration.
Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible f! or 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx . HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. BENEFITS:
Working for the Department of Veterans Affairs offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, thrift savings plan, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. In addition to traditional "dollars and cents" benefits, we offer a range of benefits to help balance work and life. For more informatio! n please visit us at http://www.va.gov/JOBS/Job_Benefits/benefits.asp . OTHER INFORMATION:
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
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If you were eligible to this career, please email us your resume, with salary requirements and a resume to Department Of Veterans Affairs.
If you interested on this career just click on the Apply button, you will be redirected to the official website
This career starts available on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 03:28:00 GMT