Social Worker

About the Role

This position is part of the Caregiver Support Program (CSP) Social Worker team. The incumbent assists in the day-to-day operations of the CSP, ensuring compliance and collaboration with local facility and VA Central Office initiatives. Responsibilities include developing and facilitating caregiver support groups, conducting home visits, assessing caregiver stress, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to provide comprehensive healthcare services to Veterans and their caregivers.

Responsibilities

• Develops and facilitates caregiver support groups and educational programs, distributing educational materials from VA, local, state, and national caregiver organizations.
• Participates in direct caregiver and Veteran contacts to assess caregiver stress/burden and applies directed clinical treatment interventions.
• Conducts regular home visits to Veterans and Caregivers in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC).
• Responds to calls from the National Caregiver Support Line and assists with general program tasks.
• Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams throughout the medical center on caregiver issues.
• Creates educational tools for caregivers.

Requirements

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.

Qualifications

• Citizenship: Must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
• Education: Must have a master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Doctoral degrees in social work may not substitute for the master’s degree requirement. Graduates from schools in candidacy status must wait until full accreditation is achieved.
• Licensure: Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work. Exceptions apply for GS-9 grade level candidates pending licensure or certification, but they must obtain it within three years of appointment. For GS-11 and above, licensure or certification is mandatory at the time of appointment.
• Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary but includes standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. Refer to VA Directive and Handbook 5019 for details.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

Grade Determinations

Social Worker - GS-9

• Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
  • Ability to work with Veterans and family members from diverse backgrounds using counseling skills.
  • Ability to assess psychosocial functioning and needs, and to formulate and implement treatment plans.
  • Ability to implement treatment modalities for individuals, families, and groups.
  • Ability to establish effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and community agencies.
  • Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures.
• Assignments: Entry-level social workers at GS-9 are closely supervised and typically assigned to non-specialized program areas.

Social Worker - GS-11

• Experience and Licensure: Requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in healthcare or related settings, and licensure or certification at the independent practice level. A doctoral degree in social work may substitute for the required experience.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
  • Knowledge of community resources and ability to make appropriate referrals.
  • Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and interventions for diverse populations.
  • Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures to formulate treatment plans.
  • Skill in independently implementing treatment modalities for individuals, families, and groups.
  • Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, graduate students, and staff.

Preferred Experience

• One year of post-Masters experience.
• Experience working with veterans or their caregivers.
• Experience with medical and/or behavioral health social work.

Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP)

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. Eligibility and award amounts (up to $200,000) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after a complete review of the application. Applicants must meet specific eligibility requirements and submit their EDRP application within four months of appointment. Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply for this incentive.

Schedule

Monday through Friday: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time off (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Credit toward annual leave accrual may be granted based on prior work or military service experience.
• Parental Leave: Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment for birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Child Care Subsidy: Full-time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible costs, with a monthly maximum of $416.66, after 60 days of employment.
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% contributions by VA.
• Insurance: Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance (many programs can be carried into retirement).
• Telework: Eligible for telework.

Pay

Competitive salary with regular salary increases. The full performance level is GS-11, with the actual grade at selection ranging from GS-9 to GS-11.