Senior Social Worker; Bon Dom EDRP

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. Program 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.

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.

• Citizenship – you must be a citizen of the United States. English language proficiency – you must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• 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://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). to verify that the 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‑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 /T38
  
  Hybrid/.
• 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 has certain provisions. Employees may be reassigned or promoted up to the full performance level, or changed to a 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 licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the requirement before promotion to those higher grade levels.
• Employees 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.
• Employees converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leaving the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re‑entry.
• Grandfathered employees who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment.
• Grade determinations: GS‑12 senior social worker experience – you must possess at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure, of which one year must be equivalent to the GS‑11 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include assessment and documentation of 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.
• Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice.
• In addition to…