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Job Posted Until Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Nature Of Duties:
SALARY RANGE: 48,695.00 - 76,589.00 USD per year
SERIES & GRADE: GS-0185-09/11
POSITION INFORMATION: Full-Time Permanent
DUTY LOCATIONS: vacancy(s) in one of the following locations: 01 vacancies - Chillicothe, OH
The incumbent provides veterans in the Primary Care Outpatient Clinics with high quality case management, clinical treatment, advocacy, assistance in filling out medical forms, and to coordinate linkage with appropriate VA and community service providers / agencies as needed by the client. This is accomplished in collaboration with the primary care interdisciplinary treatment teams as appropriate. As a social worker, the incumbent demonstrates innovation, creativity, expertise and skill in an expeditious and efficient manner. The incumbent is accountable to the Chief, Social Work Service and the designated Social Work Service Supervisor in carrying out operational functions described above. The incumbent has clinical involvement in patient care by providing clinical case consultation to patient/family/community inquiries about services or patient care issues provided by the VA. The social worker will develop an assessment of the veteran, family, economic, community, and psychosocial support systems when clinically indicated. Incumbent demonstrates basic knowledge of psychosocial treatment modalities and demonstrates the ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. The social worker will collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the veteran needs for VA and community resources and entitlements. The social worker is responsible for developing a resource file of VA and community social service programs and will refer the veteran to needed services. Social worker is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans to maintain patient in the home, for admission to acute, short term and/or long term placements. Social worker provide education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Care Planning and will refer veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs. Social worker will provide the veterans and their caregivers with ongoing supportive counseling. The social worker will enter all veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates. The incumbent completes Clinical Reminders and interfaces with mental health to ensure integrated delivery of services. The social worker will establish and maintain positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies. Social Worker will attend all meetings (weekly interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, Social Work staff meetings, assigned committees, etc.) and perform other duties as required by the Social Work Service and in the Primary Care area. This may include coverage responsibilities in the absence of other staff to ensure timely access and coordination of care. The social worker will collaborate in the performance improvement process and comply with performance measures as required by the VA for their specific population and/or program and for Social Work Service. This work will include referring cases for on Protected Peer Review and Intensive Case Review. Social worker will participate in activities that obtain feedback from clients and work to enhance services as needed. The social worker completes continuing education hours needed for maintaining professional licensure.
The Chillicothe and Ross County Community represents an ideal relocation opportunity and has been sited in popular periodicals as one of a growing number of smaller communities (approximately 75,000) with positive economic and cultural influences. Chillicothe has excellent school systems, a low crime rate and a reasonable cost of living. Chillicothe is rich in history and scenic routes with great parks and recreational activities, restaurants much more. Chillicothe is only a short driving distance from Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas.
Required Qualifications:
BASIC REQUIREMENTS. When the Incumbent is considered an incidental driver, he/she will be required to pass the incidental driver physical exam, and complete CSC Form 665 (attached below).
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:
a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part.)
b. 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.]
c. 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.
GRADE REQUIREMENTS
a. Creditable Experience
(1) Knowledge of Current Professional Social Work Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional social work practice. The experience or education must be post-MSW degree. Experience and education satisfying this requirement must be active professional practice, which is paid/non-paid employment as a professional social worker, as defined by the appropriate state licensing board.
(2) Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a master’s degree in social work and if it includes work as a professional social worker directly related to the position to be filled. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to social work experience at the next lower level.
(3) Advanced Practice Level. Advanced Practice Level is defined as the ability to provide independent and expert clinical psychosocial and case management services in a specialized area of practice to veterans who tend to have serious and severe crises, may lack any familial and community support, may be poor self-monitors, may frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or may have major deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychological support. The advanced practice or Senior Social Worker has an increased depth and breadth of practice skills; has expertise in participating in the professional development of colleagues through mentorship and teaching; demonstrates leadership in developing and expanding professional intervention strategies; demonstrates leadership in defining and attending to professional practice issues; and has the ability to expand the conceptual knowledge of the profession. The advanced practice or Senior Social Worker will make independent professional decisions and recommendations for agency action; the consequences to the veteran of these decisions and actions may be quite serious. Work involves intensive social work services requiring the exercise of mature professional judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of complex social work practice skills not typically required in routine social work interventions. The advanced practice or senior social worker has mastered a range of specialized interventions and provides consultation to colleagues, renders professional opinions based on experience and expertise, develops new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention, and incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment. The advanced practice or Senior Social Worker utilizes outcome evaluations to further treatment and designs system changes based on empirical findings.
(4) Differentiating Full Performance Level from Advanced Practice Level. This is done based on the differences between independent practice, which is required for all VHA social workers, and advanced practice. A social worker practicing at the independent level has a generalized knowledge of practice, whereas the social worker practicing at the advanced level has specialized knowledge of practice typically related to a particular diagnosis or patient population. The advanced practice social worker can be further differentiated from the independent practice social worker by his/her ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession, provide consultation and guidance to colleagues, role model effective social work practice skills, teach or provide orientation to less experienced social workers, develop innovations in practice interventions, and provide clinical supervision for social work licensure or certification. A social worker with advanced practice skills and personal qualifications that meet the standard for the Senior Social Worker will have passed an advanced generalist or clinical ASWB examination and be assigned to a position that requires use of the advanced practice skills in order to be considered for the senior social worker grade.
Specialized Experience: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Applicants who have the 1 year of appropriate specialized experience, are not required by this standard to have general experience, education above the high school level, or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements.
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://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.
You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.
After appointment, you will be subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
You will need to successfully complete a background security investigation before you can be appointed into this position.
You must have a valid driver's license to qualify for this position. You will also be subject to screening for illegal drug use.
You must meet time-in-grade restrictions by the closing date of this announcement.
Applicants for this position must pass a pre-employment medical examination.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
You will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required; and on the extent to which your application shows that you possess the knowledges, skills, and abilities associated with this position as defined below. When describing your knowledges, skills, and abilities, please be sure to give examples and explain how often you used these skills, the complexity of the knowledge you possessed, the level of the people you interacted with, the sensitivity of the issues you handled, etc.
Rating Factors/Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
GS-9 Social Worker
(a) Experience, Education and Licensure. GS-9 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 KSAs in subparagraph (b) below.
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.
(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
1. Ability to 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 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.
GS-11 Social Worker
(a) Experience, Education and Licensure. Promotion 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) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 2c. 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs in subparagraph (b) below.
(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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 environment, society and culture.
4. Knowledge and experience in the use 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.
(c) Assignments. This is the full performance level for social workers. GS-11 social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. They are assigned to all program areas, including inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area.
Background Investigation: New Appointees will be subject to a background investigation to determine suitability. Applicants must not be listed on the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB) and Office of Inspector General (OIG) Exclusionary List.
BENEFITS:
You may participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, with costs shared with your employer. More info: http://www.usajobs.gov/jobextrainfo.asp#FEHB.
Life insurance coverage is provided. More info: http://www.usajobs.gov/jobextrainfo.asp#life
Long-Term Care Insurance is offered and carries into your retirement. More info: http://www.usajobs.gov/jobextrainfo.asp#ltci
New employees are automatically covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). If you are transferring from another agency and covered by CSRS, you may continue in this program. More info: http://www.usajobs.gov/jobextrainfo.asp#retr
You will earn annual vacation leave. More info: http://www.usajobs.gov/jobextrainfo.asp#VACA
You will earn sick leave. More info: http://www.usajobs.gov/jobextrainfo.asp#SKLV
You will be paid for federal holidays that fall within your regularly scheduled tour of duty. More info: http://www.usajobs.gov/jobextrainfo.asp#HOLI
Opportunities are available in numerous locations and employees may transfer to new locations to further their career goals.
If you use public transportation, part of your transportation costs may be subsidized. Our human resources office can provide additional information on how this program is run.
Under a special program, we may reimburse a part of your Federally insured student loan. Our human resources office can provide additional information on the program.
You can use Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts for expenses that are tax-deductible, but not reimbursed by any other source, including out-of-pocket expenses and non-covered benefits under their FEHB plans. More Info: http://www.usajobs.gov/jobextrainfo.asp#FSA
OTHER INFORMATION:
When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.
You must submit all required information by the closing date. If materials are not received, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible.
If you fax your application, we will not consider it.
If you are selected at a grade lower than the highest shown in this listing, you will be placed under a career development plan and can be non-competitively promoted when you successfully complete the requirements for the higher grade.
Employer Information
Veterans Health Administration
Contact Instructions
Apply online at: www.vacareers.va.gov .
You may submit your resume for this job online by selecting the 'Apply Online' button to the right of this announcement. Please note: your online resume may not be a complete application. Be sure to carefully read this announcement to see if additional information is required and how it should be submitted. If you do not use the online feature, you should send your resume, or Optional Form 612, along with any other required documents to the address shown below.
You must submit your application so that it will be received by the closing date of the announcement.
To apply online, read the announcement carefully and note any rating factors or KSAs that will need a response. From the announcement, select Apply on Line. You will need to log on to access your existing resumes or to create a new one and then submit it for consideration.
Please indicate the lowest grade or salary you are willing to accept. If not indicated, we will only consider you at the highest grade for which you qualify.
You may submit your resume for this job online by selecting the 'Apply Online' button to the right of this announcement. Please note: your online resume may not be a complete application. Be sure to carefully read this announcement to see if additional information is required and how it should be submitted. If you do not use the online feature, you should send your resume, or Optional Form 612, along with any other required documents to the address shown below.
You must submit your application so that it will be received by the closing date of the announcement.
To apply online, read the announcement carefully and note any rating factors or KSAs that will need a response. From the announcement, select Apply on Line. You will need to log on to access your existing resumes or to create a new one and then submit it for consideration.
Please indicate the lowest grade or salary you are willing to accept. If not indicated, we will only consider you at the highest grade for which you qualify.
You may submit your resume for this job online by selecting the 'Apply Online' button to the right of this announcement. Please note: your online resume may not be a complete application. You must submit your application so that it will be received by the closing date of the announcement.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. CV or Resume.
2. VA Form 10-2850c - Application for Associated Health Occupations (Available at http://www.vacareers.va.gov/jobs_download/vha-10-2850c-fill.pdf) (required).
3. OF-306 - Declaration for Federal Employment (Available at This is a required form and must be submitted with your application. ( http://opm.gov/forms/html/of.asp)
4. If prior military service, include all copies of your DD Forms 214 (required). Applicants claiming preference based on service-connected disability, or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veteran, must also complete and submit an SF 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf).
5. SF-50 - Notification of Personnel Action. (required). (current and former Federal employees)
6. Copy of College Transcripts - Applicants substituting education for experience; 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, particularly positions with a positive education requirement. Therefore, applications 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: www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly
7. Current Performance Appraisal
YOU MUST INCLUDE VA FORM 10-2850c IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS VACANCY.
Current Permanent Chillicothe VAMC Employees: Must submit VA Form 5-4078 Application for Promotion or Reassignment, complete CSC Form 665 and an updated resume and/or copy of transcripts by the closing date.
Veterans Claiming 10-point Preference: Must submit VA Form 10-2850c, complete CSC Form 665, resume or other written format showing the position you are applying for, the announcement number, and the lowest salary you are willing to accept, OF-306 Declaration of Federal Employment, a copy of the Discharge Document (DD-214) showing character of discharge and (if appropriate) documentation from a VA Regional Office to verify service connection disability and if applicable an SF-15 Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference with supporting documentation required by the SF-15.
Disabled Eligibles: To be considered under the Schedule A appointment authority, must submit VA Form 10-2850c, complete CSC Form 665, resume or other written format showing the position you are applying for, the announcement number, and the lowest salary you are willing to accept, OF-306 Declaration of Federal Employment, submit a letter of referral from the State or Vocational Rehabilitative Service to verify eligibility under special appointing authority for handicapped individuals.
Application mailed using government postage or through an internal federal government mail system will not be considered.
Application mailed using government postage or through an internal federal government mail system will not be considered.
AGENCY CONTACT INFO:
Victor Rodriguez
Phone: 740-773-1141 x 7069 Or write:
Department Of Veterans Affairs
17273 State Route 104
Chillicothe, OH 45601
US
Applications will be accepted from US Citizens, from current and former competitive service Federal employees, and people eligible under special hiring authorities.
EOE
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