Job Description
Summary
The VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) is a Complexity Level 1a facility and provides extensive primary - secondary - tertiary - and quaternary care in outpatient - inpatient - residential - and community settings. VAPORHCS is a multi-site medical system that includes a major medical facility in Portland - Oregon - outpatient and residential facilities in Vancouver - Washington - and 10 Community Based Outpatient Clinics.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements:
- United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
- Education
- Have a master's 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 master's degree in social work
- Verification of the degree can be made by going to to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work
- Licensure
- Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
- Current state requirements may be found by going to
- Exception
- VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified - pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations
- This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level
- For the GS-11 grade level and above - the candidate must be licensed or certified
- At the time of appointment - the supervisor - chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification - including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline
- English Language Proficiency
- Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
- May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
- Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
- Social Worker - GS-9 (1) Experience - Education - and Licensure
- None beyond the basic requirements
- (2) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
- In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic - cultural - ethnic - educational - and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills
- (b) Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members - and to formulate and implement a treatment plan - identifying the Veterans problems - strengths - weaknesses - coping skills - and assistance needed
- (c) Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals - families - and groups to achieve treatment goals
- This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive - problem solving - or crisis intervention techniques
- (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients - staff - and representatives of community agencies
- (e) Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities - and treatment procedures
- This includes acute - chronic - and traumatic illnesses/injuries
- common medications and their effects/side effects
- and medical terminology
- Entry Level Assignments
- Individuals assigned as GS-9 grade level social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised - as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification
- Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience
- Duties may include but are not limited to: identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect or exploitation
- providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning
- Social Worker - GS-11 (1) Experience and Licensure
- Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings - (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level
- NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c
- OR (2) 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
- (3) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
- In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of community resources - how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services - and ability to coordinate services
- (b) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic - cultural - ethnic - educational and other diversified backgrounds
- (c) 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
- (d) 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
- (e) 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
- (4) Full Performance Level Assignments
- This is the full performance level
- Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work
- Incumbents are assigned to all program areas - including but not limited to: inpatient or outpatient medicine - surgery - mental health - neurology - rehabilitation medicine - and geriatrics
- Employees provide professional - independent social work services in the assigned area
- Duties include but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect - exploitation and/or intimate partner violence
- use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies - handbooks or directives
- and acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver
- Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit
- The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11
- The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11
- Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Services.
Duties
- Duties include but are not limited to: Screening/Assessment - Under supervision - the social worker will develop an assessment of the Veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team - the Veteran - family members - and significant others
- The goal of the assessment is to highlight the Veteran's strengths - limitations - and internal/external supports and service needs to optimize the Veteran's functional status
- The biopsychosocial assessment will include clinical interview - administration of psychiatric test instruments - and/or collateral information
- Some programs will require the use of breathalyzers and drugs screens
- Based on the biopsychosocial assessment - the mental health social worker uses professional judgment and beginning practice skills to make a diagnosis using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
- The social worker provides treatment planning - evaluation - and intervention with serious and complicated - highly diverse cases involving substance abuse and psychiatric illness
- He/she demonstrates an understanding of current techniques to the treatment of this Veteran population related to their physical limitations - psychological needs - psychiatric conditions - environmental needs and age associated illnesses and conditions
- Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - Under supervision - the social worker develops or contributes to the development of the mental health treatment plan and then setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran and/or family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team
- The social worker provides consultation and makes recommendations to the interdisciplinary team on course of treatment
- Documentation/Productivity - The social worker will complete documentation in compliance with appropriate documentation standards
- The social worker consistently maintains an acceptable level of productivity per guidelines which may include special assignments
- Advocacy - The social worker understands the challenges of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran/family
- When appropriate and feasible - the social worker will educate and encourage the Veteran/family to advocate on their own behalf - thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment
- Crisis Intervention - Under supervision - the social worker makes rapid assessments and develops crisis management plans for various types of crises including housing and financial emergencies - psychiatric relapse - potential suicide and other high-risk behaviors/situations
- The social worker will assess for suicidality and self- harm and provide appropriate intervention including but not limited to safety planning
- The social worker will assist with admission to mental health inpatient programs as needed
- The social worker has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis
- In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency - staff will follow the protocol of the Mental Health Division at the VA Portland Health Care System
- Education/Health Promotion and Prevention - The social worker provides education related to VA and community resources - entitlements - Advance Directives/Living Wills and will refer Veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member/VA provider for identified health education needs
- Coordination of Care - The social worker will review the progress notes from the other providers to accurately determine the strengths - limitations and needs of each Veteran being referred for mental health services
- He/she will establish and maintain regular liaison with care providers to Veterans in local community agencies and facilities (hospitals - clinic - etc) for the purpose of coordinated care - when indicated
- The social worker will educate the Veteran - the family and the team of all the options available to them and will collaborate with the Veteran and family on the preferred option
- Psychosocial Treatment/Psychotherapy - Under supervision - the social worker will provide Veterans with psychotherapy
- The purpose is to treat psychiatric symptoms
- Under supervision - the social worker can provide psychotherapy to individuals and families as well group therapy
- Under supervision - the social worker has knowledge and experience in providing at least one evidence-based therapy Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
- Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
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