Social Work Associate

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

The Successful Applicant

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. AND Basic Requirement: The following are basic requirements for appointment as a Social Work Associate in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) which all applicants must meet. Basic 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. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript your application may not be reviewed.) AND To qualify for this position at the GS7 level applicants must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: You must have one (1) year of experience as a social welfare worker or social work assistant in a voluntary public social or health agency. Examples of qualifying experience include assisting with case management related tasks working with a multidisciplinary team applying knowledge of community resources and local State and Federal benefits and utilizing personal computers and software programs for communication reports and the maintenance of accurate statistics. NOTE: Qualifying experience must have been of a quality and scope to enable applicants to perform assignments typical of the grade level for which considered. For GS7 applicants must have had 1 year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the next lower grade (i.e. GS06) in the Federal service. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry such as beginning and ending dates of employment duties performed and/or total hours worked per week.) OR EDUCATION: You must have successfully completed onefull academic year of graduate level education with a major study in social sciences. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR COMBINATION: You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience as described above may be used to meet total qualification requirements. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. To qualify at the GS8 level applicants must meet the following: Specialized Experience: Two (2) years of experience as a social welfare worker or social work assistant in a voluntary public social or health agency. One (1) year of this experience must have been in a medical setting and equivalent to the next lower grade in Federal service. Specialized experience includes providing assistance and service support as prescribed by social workers in conjunction with patients treatment plans interviewing patients handling referrals to social and health facilities obtaining and compiling data organizing mental health and medical treatment needs and assisting with local state or federal benefits and referrals for food shelter transportation etc. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title duties month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. AND SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR (SCREENOUT) A Selective Placement Factor (SPF) has been identified for this position. Selective Placement Factors (SPF) are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the SPF are ineligible for further consideration. The SPF for this position is: a current valid stateissued Drivers License. (Note: We may not accept pictures. Please Do Not submit a copy of your license. This requirement will be verified if interviewed.) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Intervention Oral Communication Patient Care Psychology Teamwork IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 3540 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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 religious 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. Physical Requirements: Activities involve walking standing bending climbing stairs and carrying light items. The Social Work Associate is expected to provide case management and supportive services to include early interventions in Veterans homes and community settings. This position requires the operation of a governmentowned vehicles in support of official VA duties including transporting veterans supplies or staff as needed. The incumbent must possess and maintain a valid drivers license. Some light physical activity is necessary when organizing materials for landlord engagement events. 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.