Summary

The Social Worker - Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) Substance Use Disorder (SUD) position is located in the Veterans Healthcare System Homeless Services Substance Use Disorder Program at the Wilmington - DE VAMC campus. The SSVF SUD Program serves Veterans in various stages of readiness and recovery who frequently have mental health co-morbidities and exhibit difficulty coping with psychosocial problems including frequent crises and lack of social support systems.

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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation 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 http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/
• PLEASE NOTE: 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
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Failure to Obtain License or Certification
• In all cases - social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment
• Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• Loss of Licensure or Certification
• Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment
• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• Grandfathering Provision
• The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards
• Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation
• All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification - may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level - or changed to lower grade within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation - who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation - the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation
• NOTE: 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
• DRIVING REQUIREMENTS The work is primarily community-based
• Consequently - the incumbent must operate a government vehicle to visit Veterans in the community and periodically transport Veterans in the Government vehicle
• Incumbent must pass all VHA requirements to operate a government vehicle prior to transporting Veterans
• Grade Determinations: Social Worker - GS-0185-09 Experience - Education - and Licensure
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Social Worker - GS-0185-11 Licensure and Education
• Licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level
• OR 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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic - cultural - ethnic - educational - and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills
• 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
• 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
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients - staff - and representatives of community agencies
• 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
• Experience
• In addition to the experience above - specialized experience includes but is not limited to: identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect or exploitation
• providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning
• providing social work case management
• acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver
• assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifying the Veteran's strengths - weaknesses - coping skills and psychosocial acuity - in collaboration with the Veteran - family - and interdisciplinary treatment teams
• maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the Veteran and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• 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-09 to GS-11
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Services.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The primary function of the Social Worker - Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is to engage Veterans experiencing SUD concerns into VA services including but not limited to SUD specialty care and/or residential services
• Duties and Responsibilities include: Clinical Functions: Provides SUD Treatment & Outreach services for SSVF Grantees
• Provides training for other members of the multidisciplinary treatment team in areas related to SUD including assessment - anger management - and life skills and treatment of SUD with co-occurring disorders
• Conducts psychosocial and SUD assessments of homeless Veterans and their significant others Develops comprehensive treatment plans with the Veteran that address the factors that contributed to homelessness within a recovery model framework to include SUD and other co-occurring factors
• Works with the Veteran to realize the Veteran's treatment goals and reassesses and revises goals as indicated by the Veteran's engagement in treatment
• Organizes and conducts individual and group sessions
• Provides SUD support to the SSVF Grantee as a functional member of this team - to include consultation - interventions - or accompanying other case managers on home visits - when indicated by suspicion of SSVF participant SUD use
• Develops partnerships with community agencies - especially those serving homeless and SUD Veterans - with regular stakeholder contact and communication
• Provides liaison services with other programs referring homeless Veterans to SSVF to ensure continuity of care and promote successful transition of Veterans from one program to another
• Participates in policy making - goal setting - and treatment service planning discussions with SSVF Grantees and Homeless Programs as needed/indicated
• Provides recovery -oriented treatment with the goal of establishing the Veteran independently in the community at the Veteran's highest level of functioning and quality of life
• Establishes - implements - and maintains referral and screening procedures for potential SSVF veteran participants that meet national policy as well as the needs of medical center mental health services and residential programs
• Provides Advanced Directive information and education and facilitates advanced care planning group visits with Veterans and support system (as appropriate)
• Performs comprehensive suicide risk screenings and assessments and develops and integrates safety planning and safety goals into the Veteran's collaborative - individualized treatment plan
• Identifies and assesses risk - safety - supports and implements appropriate interventions/treatment for those who are experiencing abuse - neglect - exploitation or are experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence
• Work Schedule: Full-Time - Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm EST
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VHAVISN04HREDRP@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 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) Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized