Social Worker (OEF/OIF)
Location: Biloxi Mississippi
Description: Department of Veterans Affairs is currently seeking to employ Social Worker (OEF/OIF) right now, this position will be placed in Mississippi. Detailed specification about this position opportunity kindly read the description below. Vacancy Identification Number (VIN): 891034
(Include # on all documents)
Social Worker (OEF/OIF); GS-0185; 1 vacancy; Biloxi, MS
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: 520-BG-13-891034-893565
Open Date: 05/10/13 Close Date: 05/29/13
To fulfill President Lincoln's promise - "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?
Note: This positionÂ's initial duty station is Biloxi, Mississippi; however the duty station, based upon the needs of the health care system, may require the individual to work from other facilities (e.g.,
Mobile Outpatient Clinic, Alabama;
Eglin Outpatient Clinic, Florida
;
Joint Ambulatory Care Center Pensacola
, Florida; and
Panama City Outpatient Clinics
, Florida).
The Mississippi Gulf Coast is a great place to live and work! YouÂ'll find picturesque, white-sand beaches lining the Gu! lf of Mexico, exciting, fun-filled outdoor activities to inclu! de boating, fishing and championship golf courses, taste-tantalizing cuisine, plentiful shopping, and must-see cultural attractions. MississippiÂ's Gulf Coast also features unlimited stakes gaming, top-name entertainment, and spectacular stage shows you wonÂ't want to miss. With a unique combination of attractions that will please everyone, MississippiÂ's Gulf Coast is undoubtedly "the" place to live and work!
The VA Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (VAGCVHCS) is a multi-divisional health care system based in Biloxi, Mississippi spanning the Gulf Coast to include the following Community Based Outpatient Clinics in Mobile, AL, Pensacola, Ft. Walton Beach, and Panama City, Florida. Acute inpatient medical and surgical care, primary, specialty outpatient care, long-term care, blind rehabilitation, as well as inpatient and outpatient mental health services are provided at the Biloxi campus. Over 200,000 veterans reside in our service area. The VAGCVHCS has affili! ation agreements with three medical schools and numerous associated health programs. We support resident training in cardiology, dermatology, general surgery, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, psychiatry, radiology, and dental programs, as well as a general thoracic fellowship. The residents rotate from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana State University in New Orleans, and Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi.
Special Employment Consideration:
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A,
Appointment of persons with disabilities
[i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or
Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more
.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
U. S. Citizenship
Must pass pre-employment exa! mination
English Language Proficiency required
Backgr! ound and-or Security Investigation required
Must have current licensure to practice at the Advanced Practice Level
DUTIES:
The Social Worker independently performs case finding functions and outreach, identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needs.
The incumbent must possess the knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, and provide Social Work interventions for individuals, families and groups. The Social Worker independently conducts psychosocial assessments. She/he develops treatment plans in collaboration with the veteran and/or family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team.
The incumbent possesses the skills to offer psychosocial intervention and utilizes professional judgment in determining the method and techniques to be used.
The Social Worker acts as a subject matter expert and liaison with community agencies.
She/he coordinates community-based services, i! ncluding information and referral to or from other VA programs, government programs, and community agency programs.
The Social Worker has knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures.
She/he identifies high-risk patients and provides appropriate intervention case management services.
The incumbent provides crisis intervention services addressing the cause and presenting complaint.
She/he coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members.
The incumbent works under supervision with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems.
She/he is knowledgeable and skilled in utilizing evidence-based practice to include individual, group, and family counseling techniques. The Social Worker provides consultation to VA staff regarding the psychosocial needs of the veterans and the impact of their problems on their healt! h and adherence to their treatment plan. The incumbent evaluates their ! own practice as well as their colleagues through professional peer review and case conference.
She/he communicates effectively, both orally and in writing with people from varied backgrounds. The incumbent communicates and interacts with patients in a manner that considers cognitive, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and age factors.
Relocation Expenses and Recruitment Incentives are not authorized.
Schedule: Monday thru Friday; Administrative Hours
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
BASIC REQUIREMENTS.
The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000.
To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must:
a.
Citizenship.
Be a citizen of the United States.
(Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qual! ified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part.)
b.
Education.
Have a masterÂ's degree in social work (MSW) 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 masterÂ's degree in social work.
c.
Licensure.
Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masterÂ's degree level.
Current state requirements may be found on the
OHRM website
.
(1)
Exception.
VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are other! wise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure! /certification examinations.
This exception only applies up to the full performance level.
For grade levels above the full performance level, the candidate must be licensed or certified.
(a)
For grades below or at the full performance level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, masterÂ's level within 3 years of their appointment as a social worker.
Most states require 2 years of post-MSW experience as a pre-requisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam.
In California, where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, masterÂ's level within one year of meeting the full California prerequisites for licensure.
(b)
It is VHA policy that a VHA social worke! r who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record.
(c)
Different states have different levels of licensure or certification, making it difficult for VHA staff to determine the independent practice level.
Each state, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia completed surveys identifying the level of licensure or certification allowing independent practice.
Copies of the surveys are on file in the Office of Social Work Service and a summary spreadsheet of the levels of licensure or certification is available to social work professional standards board members for purposes of determining whether the social workerÂ's level of licensure or certification meets the VHA qualification standards.
All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered! by the
Association of Social Work Boards
(ASWB).
The ASWB is the association of boards that regulate social work.
ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examination used across the country and is a central resource for information on the legal regulation of social work.
The ASWB offers
three
examinations.
The masterÂ's examination is generally used by
states
for the independent practice level of licensure or certification, while the
advanced
generalist
and
the clinical examinations are
used
for the
advanced
practice level of licensure or certification.
Differences between the masterÂ's
and
the
advanced
exams demonstrate the expectation that
advanced practice social workers will have a more sophisticated knowledge of practice theory and
its application.
(2)
Failure to Obtain License or Cert! ification.
In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting
state
prerequisites for licensure or certification starting
from
the
date of their appointment.
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.
Failure
to become licensed or certified within the
proscribed amount of time will
result in removal from the GS-185 social
work series and
may
result in
termination of employment.
(3)
Loss of Licensure or Certification.
Once licensed o! r certified, social workers must
maintain
a full, val! id and unrestricted independent license or certification to
remain
qualified for employment.
Loss of licensure or certification
will
result in removal from the GS-185 social work series
and
may
result in termination of employment.
e.
Physical Requirements.
See VA Directive and Handbook
5019.
f.
English Language Proficiency.
Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part.
In addition to the basic requirements the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of the candidate:
GS-12:
Experience, Education and Licensure.
Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator or manager must be licensed or certified
at
the advanced practice level.
Their experi! ence must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency.
They may have certification or other post-masterÂ's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience.
In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs
below.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills,
and
Abilities
1
.
In-depth knowledge of the program coordinated, and demonstrated knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program.
2
.
Knowledge and skill in management/administration, which includes supervision, consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
3
.
Ability
to
supervise multidisciplin! ary staff assigned
to
the program.
4
Ability to organize work, set priorities, meet multiple deadlines, and evaluate assigned program area(s).
5
.
Ability to provide training, orientation, consultation and guidance within clinical specialization of practice.
The above is an excerpt from VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39, Qualification Standard for Social Worker, GS-185-9/15.
For the full text, see the Handbook file in Human Resources Management Service.
http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/IORs/GS0100/0185.htm
.
APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Applicants must, therefore, only report attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the foll! owing website:
http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html
. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. *** If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. ***
Veterans' Preference:
When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on their application or résumé. Applicants claiming preference based on service-connected disability, or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veteran, must complete an SF 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference. Veterans who are still in the service may be granted tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their applications, but they must produce a DD Form 214 or other proof prior to appointment to document entitlement to preference. For m! ore information on Veterans' Preference, please visit
http://w! ww.fedshirevets.gov/job/veterans.aspx
.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. You may also be evaluated based upon the question responses you provide during a structured interview. In responding to structured interview questions you should be sure to cite specific examples of experience, explain exactly what you did, and the outcome.
BENEFITS:
Working for the Department of Veterans Affairs offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, thrift savings plan, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. In addition to traditional "dollars and cents" benefits, we offer a range of benefits to help balance work and life. For more information please visit us at
http://www4.va.gov/JOBS/Job_Benefits/benefits.asp
.
OTHER INFORMATION:
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
- .
If you were eligible to this position, please email us your resume, with salary requirements and a resume to Department of Veterans Affairs.
If you interested on this position just click on the Apply button, you will be redirected to the official website
This position starts available on: Sat, 11 May 2013 17:24:39 GMT