To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement,
01/03/2025.
Basic Requirements
- Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States
- Note: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
- 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)
Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR)
Degree: Applicants must have fulfilled all of the requirements for the
Master's Degree in
Social Work (MSW) in a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (
www.cswe.org/) (
TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).
Master's Degree with Practicum: Applicants who complete all of the requirements for a Master's Degree in Social Work that included a Practicum are eligible for
GS-9 (
TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).
NOTE: Educational training programs, such as an internship, practicum, etc., that are included in, or supplemental to, an academic degree are not creditable for professional experience. Such programs are considered part of the basic requirements for professional practice in the field.
Licensure: Applicants must be licensed or certified at the
Advanced Practice level in their state of practice, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
Specialized ExperienceGS-13 Specialized Experience: For this position, you must have
one year of
post-Master's of Social Work (MSW) degree experience (VA or Non-VA) equivalent to at least the next lower grade,
GS-12, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment.
Note: Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum / course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. Specialized experience is:
- Knowledge and understanding of the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Knowledge of methods, principles and theories sufficient to intervene and stabilize combat Veterans suffering from multiple diagnoses
- Ability to conduct psycho-social assessments and implement treatment plans for combat Veterans and their families
- Ability to establish and maintain referral networks through community outreach to provide services to Veterans
- Experience in working with Veterans, especially combat Veterans
- Experience in working with Veterans who were sexually traumatized / harassed while in the military
- Experience in providing family counseling services to Veterans and their family
- Experience working with combat Veterans and their families who have PTSD or readjustment issues and the ability to make independent judgments and recommendations about a number of serious and complex cases
- Special knowledge and skill in the field of Veterans in community resource identification and development, in public speaking and basic principles of education, in staff recruitment and development, and in program design and management
- Knowledge of VA and community resources available to Veterans and their family
- Develops and manages a clinic's budget and program funds
- Working knowledge of electronic records
- Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates and sets guidelines for clinical, therapeutic and treatment priorities
- Incumbent must have possession of supervisory and management skills
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g. professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Note:
A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Social Worker Qualification Standard Appendix G39, dated September 10, 2019
Physical Requirement: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.