Basic Requirements:
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 masters 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 to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work.
c. 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
http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.
(1) 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 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, masters level within one year of meeting the state prerequisites for licensure.
(3) Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must
maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain
qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from
the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.
Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee
Occupational Health Services.
English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written
English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
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-9
(1) 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 work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic,
cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling
skills.
(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.
(3) 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 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, etc.
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.
NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c.
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.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is at the GS-11 level. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 level to the GS-11 level.
Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items.