Social Worker

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

The Successful Applicant

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. Noncitizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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 for the masters degree in social work. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level. Physical Requirements: Lifting and carrying light objects under 15 pounds using two hands is required. Walking up to two hours is required. Incumbent will also need to have the ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination correctable vision hearing with or without aid depth perception ability to distinguish basic colors and emotional and mental stability. English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English Grade Determinations Social Worker GS9Experience Education and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Social Worker GS11 Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of postMSW experience equivalent to the GS9 grade level in the field of health care or other social workrelated settings (VA or nonVA Experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. 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: Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic cultural ethnic educational and other diversified backgrounds. 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. 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. 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. Senior Social Worker GS12Experience/Education.The candidate must have at least two years of experiencepost advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of socialwork practice of which one year must be equivalent to the GS11 grade level. Seniorsocial workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practiceskills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area ofpractice. Senior social workers may have certification or other postmasters trainingfrom a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes adefined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervisedprofessional experience in a specialty. Licensure/CertificationSenior social workers must be licensed or certified by a stateat the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinicalexamination unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed topractice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California whichadministers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be ableto provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experienceabove candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual group and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession and to write policies procedures and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. For all assignments above the full performance level the higherlevelduties must consist of significant scope complexity (difficulty) and variety and beperformed by the incumbent at least 25 of the time. Senior social workers arelicensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Seniorsocial workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to:Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site a Spinal Cord InjuryRehabilitation Center or a national VHA referral center such as a national Center forPostTraumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center or other programareas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assignedadministrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable forclinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignmentsinclude clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such asCBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. The senior social worker collaborates with theother members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health careservices to Veterans ensures equity of access service and benefits to thispopulation ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior socialworker provides leadership direction orientation coaching inservice training staffdevelopment and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. Theyserve on committees work groups and task forces at the facility VISN and nationallevel or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor Social WorkExecutive or Chief of Social Work Services. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be usedas the full performance level of this occupation. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G39 Qualification Standards for Social Workers. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of to GS09 to GS12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Employee Occupational Health Services.

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.