Senior Social Worker

The GS-12 Caregiver Support Program (CSP) Clinical Social Worker assigned to the CSP - responsible to act as a subject matter expert within CSP team. They will provide specialized consultation on the administrative and clinical considerations of the CSP. The PCAFC provides education and training - respite care - mental health services - beneficiary travel - a monthly stipend payment - and access to health care through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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.

• United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3g this part)
• English Language Proficiency - Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. A 7403(f)
• 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
• License - You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• 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: Senior Social Worker - GS-12 Experience/Education: The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which - one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level
• Examples of specialized experience 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
• maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality per policies - handbooks or directives
• acting as an advocate with appropriate community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver
• independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members - identifying the patient's strengths - weaknesses - coping skills - and psychosocial acuity
• Applicable experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment
• Licensure: Senior social workers must be licensed by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination - unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California - which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - 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
• Preferred Experience: Clinical Social Worker must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in an area of specialized social work practice - such as providing services to caregivers of Veterans
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be in overall good health - able to sit at a desk working at a computer - engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting - walking - bending - and carrying supplies
• The incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands with reasonable accommodation if necessary - without endangering the health and safety of the Social Worker or others
• Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center - standing for extended periods of time - and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams
• Position may require minimal travel into the community to meet with community agencies and partners who aid - help - and provide support to the Caregiver Support Program - its Veterans - and caregivers
• This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures
• transcribing
• viewing a computer terminal
• extensive reading
• and repetitive motions of the wrists - hands - and/or fingers.

• VA Careers - Social Work: The Caregiver Support Program (CSP) is one of the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) most rapidly growing service areas - as a result of infrastructure modernization - programming innovation - and expansion of population-served by the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) under the MISSION Act
• CSP expansion puts the VHA out front of the health care industry as a health care system pioneer-caring for the caregiver
• The program goal is to not only support caregivers in their role but to also promote their health and well-being through education - therapeutic engagement - and resource and service linkage
• Duties included but not limited to: Assists in the day-to-day operations of the Caregiver Support Program and ensures compliance and collaboration with local facility and VA Central Office Caregiver Support Program initiatives
• Collaborates with the other members of the CSP team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans - ensuring equity of access - service - and benefits to this population - and ensures the care provided is of the highest quality
• Provides leadership - direction - orientation - coaching - in-service training - staff development - and continuing education programs as assigned
• Develops and facilitates caregiver support groups and educational programs and distributes educational materials provided by VA - local - state - and national caregiver organizations
• Participates in direct caregiver and Veteran contacts to assess caregiver stress/burden and the development/application of directed clinical treatment interventions
• Provides caregiver and family clinical interventions to facilitate the treatment of caregiver stress - psychiatric illness - emotional distress - and social needs
• Responsible for conducting regular home visits to Veterans and Caregivers participating in the PCAFC - responds to calls from the National Caregiver Support Hotline - responds to other phone calls and general inquiries regarding the CSP - and assists with general tasks associated with the program
• Provides clinical evidence-based services and interventions
• program development
• caregiver - Veteran and staff education on caregiver issues
• community outreach
• resource development
• continuous quality-improvement activities and evaluation/consultation
• Support the development and implementation of General Caregiver Support services (PGCSS)
• Provide referrals to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits - as well as community- based social services and other non-VA entitlement programs
• If appropriate - provide referrals or consults - and in some cases facilitate direct admission of a Veteran to other VA programs including but not limited to the Community Residential Care Program - Respite Program - Community Health Care Coordination Program - Hospice - Home Based Primary Care - Telehealth - and the Community Nursing Home Program
• Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. - Monday through Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 92195-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized