Summary The General Caregiver Support Program GS-11 Social Worker is assigned to the Caregiver Support Program with primary responsibilities to provide clinical evidence-based services and interventions; provide Caregiver, Veteran and staff education on Caregiver issues; engage in community outreach and resource development; continuous quality-improvement activities, and evaluation/consultation. Responsibilities VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz\ua\UU Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf The Social Worker works closely with the Caregiver Support Program Coordinator and/or designee to complete program required home visits, telephone contacts, assessments, annual evaluations, and respond to Caregiver Support Line calls. The Social Worker will function in support of Caregivers, Veterans and family members throughout the Medical Center and in the community and support the development and implementation of Caregiver services. This includes development and implementation of education, wellness, and support groups. The incumbent must be a skilled communicator capable of developing positive, effective relationships with Veterans, Caregivers, local, state and federal agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations. Duties of this position are, but not limited to: Provide clinical case social work management for Caregivers on an ongoing basis, utilizing in-person, virtual, and in-home modalities as indicated by VA Directive, Standard Operating Procedure, and Public Law. Advise and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams throughout the medical center on Caregiver issues. Create educational tools, develop programs and implement training focused on specific Caregiver needs/issues. Distribute educational materials provided by VA, local, state and national Caregiver organizations. Provide education and in-service training to VAMC employees, Veterans, families and Caregivers, and provide ongoing consultation and support to colleagues regarding Caregiver support, and collaborate with the VA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), mental health, and geriatric primary care clinicians to provide Veteran and staff education on Caregiver issues. Coordination will include hands-on support group work involvement, and training of patient aligned care team clinical social work staff in the development and facilitation of such groups. Develop and facilitate Caregiver support groups (face-to-face or virtual) and educational programs. Respond to calls from the National Caregiver Support Line and other phone calls and general inquiries regarding the Caregiver Support Program, and assist with general tasks associated with the Program. Provide referrals to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits, community-based social services and other non-VA entitlement programs. Provide referrals or consults, or in some cases facilitates direct admission of a Veteran to other VA programs. Serve as a consultant for navigating the complex processes Caregivers, Veterans, and families encounter when interacting with government and community agencies. Stay informed regarding current federal and state legislation directed at assisting Caregivers to continue to provide caregiving in an environment that is safe for both themselves and the Veteran, and maintain a knowledge base of current theory and treatment modalities by reading professional journals, attending conferences, clinic seminars and teleconferences, and materials distributed through VA and private sector sources. Serve as a liaison between the VA and community agencies and participate in Caregiver support activities in the local community and state to promote and recognize the role of the Caregiver and may be involved in state and local Caregiver support committees. Develop and foster relationships with community partners to assist with system navigation, maintain collaboration and coordinate services. Provide outreach presentations to community social service agencies, military Guard and Reserve units, Veteran Service organizations and other groups on VA Caregiver benefits, programs and services. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: Ad-hoc may be available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a trial period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment driving physical. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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. 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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters 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 http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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. Social Worker, GS-11 Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level 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. Education. In addition to meeting 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
