Social Worker, Mental Health

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 English Language Proficiency
- You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)

Education:

You must possess 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:
Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level 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 Grandfather Provision A Social Worker employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (9/10/2019) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:
Employees 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 journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels 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 who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation Social Worker Qualifications, GS-0185-09 GS-09 Social Worker
- Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-09, you must demonstrate the following

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors 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 Social Worker Qualifications, GS-0185-11 GS-11 Licensure Requirement:
You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level GS-11 Experience or Education Requirement:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-11, you must possess 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 Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to:
Working under close supervision in program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience Identifying behaviors or…