Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Responsibilities This Social Worker position is in Social Service at VA Boston Healthcare System located at the Jamaica Plains, MA campus. This position is full time at 40 hours per week. Post-9/11 Military2VA (M2VA) Case Management Program oversees all seamless transition activities and the coordination of care and services for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and/or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) service members and OEF/OIF/OND service members and veterans treated at the VHA Boston Health System. OEF/OIF/OND service members and veterans treated come from a wide geographic area. Their health care and psychosocial problems and needs are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight and creative problem solving. Duties and responsibilities relate to the care management of severely ill and/or injured OEF/OIF/OND service members and Veterans treated within the three Medical Centers and five CBOCs. The incumbent must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of OEF/OIF service members and/or Veterans as they transition to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care. Care management responsibilities also include providing supportive services to families. In addition, the incumbent assists OEF/OIF service members and/or Veterans in coping with acute illness, chronic illness, combat stress, the residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), community adjustment, addictions, and other health and mental health problems. The social worker case manager addresses home care needs, homelessness, and transition across levels and sites of care. Social Work care management practice, which includes psychosocial assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, is focused on helping OEF/OIF service members and/or Veterans and their families maximize rehabilitation and treatment potential and achieve more adequate, satisfying, and productive emotional and social functioning. The incumbent: 1. Must have a high level of skill and expertise to work with OEF/OIF service members and/or Veterans and families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated mental, emotional, behavioral, physical, psychosocial, and environmental problems. 2. Uses social work process (psychosocial assessment, diagnosis, and treatment) in collaboration with interdisciplinary team members to develop a care management plan and psychosocial interventions. 3. Evaluates the need for mental health services and makes appropriate referrals for individual, group, marital, and family treatment services. 4. Must be sensitive to the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity and age-specific challenges of the OEF/OIF population and adjusts intervention and treatment plans as appropriate. 5. Participates fully in developing, planning, implementing and evaluating the interdisciplinary treatment plan, including provision of care management services. 6. Coordinates care with interdisciplinary team to promote continuity for OEF/OIF service members and/or Veterans and their families. 7. Develops & uses appropriate community resources. 8. Serves as an advocate for OEF/OIF service members and/or Veterans and their families, helping them access needed services at the facility, at other VA facilities, and in the community. 9. Assists OEF/OIF service members and/or Veterans and their families with advance directives, guardianships, and applications for home care and extended care services. 10. Travels, as part of providing social work care management services to OEF/OIF service members and/or Veterans and their families. Travel requires the incumbent to function without immediate supervision or consultation. This may include off tour hours, holidays, and weekends. 11. Participates in orientation, training, and teaching of social work graduate students, other trainees and staff. 12. Conducts and/or participates in research and/or program evaluation as appropriate. 13. Engages in outreach activities at military and community sites or through telecommunication and video connection. 14. Performs other duties as assigned. GS-9: Is the entry level grade for GS-0185 Social Work series and is used for Social Workers with less than 1 year of post-MSW experience. Individuals assigned at this level closely supervised and working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure or certification. GS-11: Individuals assigned as GS-11 social workers are considered to be at the full performance level and must have an independent licensure. (Note: For GS-11, you must submit a copy of your independent license with the application.) Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Compressed/Flexible: Maybe authorized. Telework: Maybe authorized' Virtual/Remote Work: Not Authorized EDRP: Authorized - Contact Karen Chapman [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions or assistance on how to begin the application process. Learn more. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Maybe be subject to satisfactory completion of our credentialing process. Position is a bargaining unit position. Current, valid, unrestricted state driver's license is required for this position. Qualifications 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: 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. 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 master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found on the OHRM website. 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: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. 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). If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS-0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker. Grade Determinations:GS-9:Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:1. Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.2. 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.3. 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.4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.5. 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. GS-11: 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. 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. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.2. 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.3. 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.4. 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.5. 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Appendix G39 - Social Worker Qualification Standard. 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. Preferred Experience: 1. LICSW 2. Case management experience 3. Work with OEF/OIF/OND Veterans and families 4. Experience assessing biopsychosocial needs of Veterans 5. Public speaking 6. Knowledge of Community/State/Federal benefits/services 7. Knowledge of Military culture Physical Requirements: 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. Applicants must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.