Job Description

Summary

Readjustment Counselors are multi-disciplinary and can be filled by: Social Worker - Psychologist - Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - and Marriage & Family Therapist. Each discipline is announced separately - and applicants must apply to the announcement for which they are qualified. NOTE: This position is temporary not to exceed 13 months.

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
• English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English
• You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English to perform the duties of this position
• Education: Must 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 to verify 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
• 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
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-9 Experience - Education and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements
• This is the entry level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): In addition - the candidates 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
• GS-11 Experience and Licensure: 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
• OR GS-11 Education and Licensure: In addition to the 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
• AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): Knowledge of community resources - how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services - and ability to coordinate services
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Preferred Experience: At least 3 years of independent clinical experience facilitating individual - group - family and couples counseling
• Experience working in the VHA or large medical hospital systems Trained in evidence based practice i.e
• EMDR - BSP - CPT - DBT
• strong clinical skills and thorough clinical documentation
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11
• The actual grade at which a candidate may be selected for this vacancy is either the GS-09 or the GS-11 grade level
• Physical Requirements: The work does not inherently include physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with a workplace accommodation.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf The Social Worker will be responsible for providing services to eligible individuals who are experiencing a variety of military related psychological and psychosocial problems
• You must possess the knowledge and experience to independently implement psychotherapeutic modalities in working with individuals - families - and groups to enhance the readjustment of Veterans - active duty Service members - and their families
• Functions and responsibilities include - but are not limited to: Intake screening and assessment: Complete all readjustment counseling intake procedures - including an assessment of risk for self-harm - military history and military related psychosocial stressors - and assess family readjustment stressors and document identified behaviors or symptoms
• Readjustment counseling goal setting and service planning: Develop and periodically update an individualized readjustment counseling service plan that reflects a course of therapeutic and psychosocial interventions - including identification of achievable goals and measurable outcomes
• Direct readjustment counseling service provision: Incorporate complex multiple causation in differential psychosocial assessment and direct service delivery to eligible Veterans - including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnostic inferences within the clinical scope of practice
• Risk assessment and crisis intervention: Conduct timely assessment of Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs - evaluate risk - and initiate safety planning as appropriate
• Care coordination: Links the Veteran with other community services - resources - and opportunities to maximize the Veteran's independence - health - and well-being
• Coordinating readjustment counseling and outreach: Maintain active coordination with Vet Center outreach workers to ensure seamless referral to Vet Center services for those individuals engaged in the community at outreach events that may require follow-up readjustment counseling
• Team cohesion and coordination: Actively participate in staff meetings designed to promote team building and staff development
• Documentation/administrative responsibilities/consultation: Document all clinical interactions with eligible individuals and episodes of care coordination on their behalf as required by policy
• Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: 10:00am-6:00 pm - some evenings and weekends required based on the needs of the Vet Center
• Compressed/Flexible: May be available 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) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 150670 - 150660 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.

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Holiday work, Permanent employment, Full time, Temporary work, Work experience placement, Immediate start, Remote job, Flexible hours, Weekend work, Afternoon shift,

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