Social Worker Associate

We're Looking for a skilled Social Worker Associate in the Veterans Health Administration based in Gainesville, Florida. Read through the job description to see if it matches your current experience.

The Successful Applicant

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 07/25/2023. GS08 TimeInGrade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet timeingrade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS07. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF50 that shows your timeingrade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF50 has an effective date within the past year it may not clearly demonstrate you possess oneyear timeingrade as required by the announcement. In this instance you must provide an additional SF50 that clearly demonstrates oneyear timeingrade. Note: TimeInGrade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Education: Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university in major fields of study such as: social welfare sociology psychology public administration philosophy education anthropology history economics and/or English. AND Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS7) in the normal line of progression of the position and two years of experience as a social welfare worker or social work assistant in a voluntary public social or health agency which must have included 1 year in a medical setting. Specialized experience includes: Providing assistance and service support as prescribed by social workers in conjunction with patients treatment plans. Identifying needs of the problems/issues confronting the Veteran and recommendations (with regard to strengthbased approach) resolution. Documenting all Social Work Associate activities in the Veterans medical record in accordance with the service and Medical Center policies. Interview people to establish the nature and extent of their problem assist in deciding the appropriate course of action. Assisting Veterans with applications/paperwork forms (including but not limited to Advance Directive paperwork) gather information handling details around case management/care coordination. NOTE: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Verbiage displayed on your resume or application must contain your own words. You may refer to the specialized experience located within the vacancy announcement to assist with describing work experiences however resumes or applications received that copied verbatim from the announcement will be evaluated and may be reviewed as falsifying your experience or application. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Critical Thinking Interpersonal Skills Organizational Stewardship Veteran and Customer Focus 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 3540 hours of work per week. Parttime 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. DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENT: A drivers license in the State or Territory in which assigned may be required. If required candidates must pass a Federal service driving test. Physical Requirements: The work involves sitting standing and walking and is carried out within the confines of the office/work space provided. Works in proximity to Veterans and is therefore occasionally exposed to communicable diseases. May also be subjected to hostile behavior during an interview and defensive maneuvers to protect self may be necessary. May be required to drive a government vehicle to other sites of care community meetings outreach events or other appropriate functions. The Social Work Associate must meet the requirements to drive a Government Vehicle when needed. All positions involving Federal motor vehicle operation carry the additional medical requirements specified in 5 CFR part 930 subpart A. For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at https://www.opm.gov/policydataoversight/classificationqualifications/generalschedulequalificationstandards/.

What’s on Offer

The role offers excellent opportunities for top performers to further develop their competencies as a social worker and improving the lives of people.