Social Worker, Mental Health

Summary

The incumbent is a social worker and serves in a full‑time capacity within the Mental Health Service (MHS) at VA Detroit Healthcare System which includes John

D. Dingell VA Medical Center (JDDVAMC) and its affiliated community‑based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) – the Veterans Community Resource & Referral Center (VCRRC) – and the VALOR Center. The social worker is a member of the Housing and Urban Development‑VA Supported Housing (HUD‑VASH) Program.

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.

• 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
• 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
  • 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 up to the full performance level
• English Language Proficiency
  :
  Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Regulations
• Grade Determinations (GS‑9) – Entry Level Experience – Education and Licensure
  • GS‑9 is the entry level grade for the GS‑185 social work series and is used for social workers with less than one year of post‑MSW experience and for social workers who are not yet licensed or certified at the independent practice level
  • Social workers at the GS‑9 level are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure or certification
  • Individuals assigned as GS‑9 social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised – as they are not yet functioning at an independent level conferred by independent licensure or certification
  • Social workers at the GS‑9 entry level are typically assigned to VHA program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience
  • Social workers at the GS‑9 entry level should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice
  • GS‑9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision
• Demonstrated 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, requiring 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, including acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology

• Experience – Education and Licensure
  • GS‑11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post‑MSW degree experience in health care social work (VA or non‑VA) and licensure or certification as an…