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:
- 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 & written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
- 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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of 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. Current state requirements may be found by going to SW Licensure Summary by State.
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 (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation & meet the criteria).
- All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series & grade held, including positive education & licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of 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:
- Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to & 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.
- Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
- Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
- 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 & must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS- 0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker.
Grade Determinations:
GS-9
Experience, Education, & Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Ability to work with Veterans & family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, & other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
- Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning & needs of Veterans & their family members, & to formulate & implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, & assistance needed.
- Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, & groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment & skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques.
- Ability to establish & maintain effective working relationships & communicate with clients, staff, & representatives of community agencies.
- Fundamental knowledge of medical & mental health diagnoses, disabilities, & treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, & traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications & their effects/side effects; & medical terminology.
GS-11.
Experience & 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) & 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, & Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community & other governmental agencies for services, & ability to coordinate services.
- Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments & treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational & other diversified backgrounds.
- Knowledge of medical & mental health diagnoses, disabilities & treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic & traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications & their effects/side effects, & medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan.
- Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, & groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, & social problems to achieve treatment goals.
- Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, & other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients & the impact of psychosocial problems on health care & 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 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 9 to 11.
Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospital, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. The incumbent must possess a current Driver's License and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties
when deemed necessary.