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The San Francisco VA Health Care System is recruiting for a full time Social Worker (Medical/Surgical/PICU) within the Social Work Service. 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. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/29/2023. Basic Requirements: 1. U.S. citizenship. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 2. 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. 3. Licensure. Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Exception - at the GS-9 level only, this may be waived for people who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. 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. Grade Determinations: GS-9 Social Worker: In addition to meeting basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. 5. 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 Social Worker: Requires 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 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. In addition to meeting the GS-11 requirements, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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. References: VA Handbook 5005 VA Qualification Standard, Social Worker, GS-0185 Series, http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/Directives-Handbooks/Documents/5005.pdf.This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. 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: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, driving, use of the telephone, etc. Light lifting, under 15 pounds, Light carrying, under 15 pounds, Hearing (aid permitted). ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Social work services are provided with supervision to promote coping within the community through identifying and facilitating transition to higher or lower levels of care while in the community and contribute to decreased morbidity and link to resources that support most prompt discharge planning. To provide social work services to the in-patient veteran population and Specialty Clinics at the San Francisco VA Health Care System. Services consist of high quality assessment and intervention: assessment of coping in the community, including assessment of suspected abuse, especially elder abuse and issues related to capacity; intervention such as counseling to patients and families addressing psychosocial stressors, mental illness, addiction, illness and loss; crisis intervention; advance directive education and completion when appropriate; coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers/agencies; clinic-based short-term focused case management; consultation to multidisciplinary teams on the psychosocial aspects of individualized patient-care plans; discharge planning to ensure safe discharges to higher and lower levels of care including skilled nursing facilities, board and care homes or home with appropriate supports in place; referral to community substance abuse and psychiatric services. Providing continuity of care is crucial to assure patient safety, completion of referrals, and a firm hand-off to resource agency programs and providers. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for a highly qualified candidate Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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