Senior Social Worker (Domiciliary)

A recruitment / relocation incentive may be offered to highly qualified candidate(s). This position is for a Homeless Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program (DCHV) Social Worker working within the North Florida / South Georgia Veterans Health System Mental Health Service Line located in Jacksonville, FL.

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.

Basic Requirements : United States Citizenship : Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

English Language Proficiency : Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 ?

7403(f). 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 at the 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 Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment.

Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in employment termination.

Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Senior Social Worker GS-12 Experience and Education : The candidate must have at least two (2) years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one (1) year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.

Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice.

Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum / course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty.

Licensure / Certification : Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities, (KSA's), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position.

Please ensure your resume / CV / application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience / education / training.

Otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience / education / training you claim. The GS-12 KSA's for this subject position are;

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities : In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs : Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations.

This includes individual, group, and / or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and / or case management.

Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.

Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes.

Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills.

Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and / or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area.

Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards.

Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and / or licensure / certification / registration requirements that apply to this occupation.

All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply : Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.

Employees who are 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 of the standard.

Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and / or licensure / certification / registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 Â 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

NOTE : If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS- 0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection.

If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker.

Preferred Experience : Advance Practice license preferred. At least 3 years of experience as a clinical social worker in a medical or mental health setting, providing case management and / or behavioral health services.

References : VA Handbook 5005 / 120 Part II Appendix G39, Qualification Standard for DVA Social Workers. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements : The work requires extreme patience and controlling of emotions. The work may require using appropriate techniques to physically restrain patients who present a danger to self or others.

The work may also require assisting physically disabled Veterans. Day-to-day work involves sitting, walking, standing, and carrying light objects.

Work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes the social worker to communicable diseases common to the homeless population.

Much able to meet the physical demands of the position, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Social Work : Statement of Major Duties for Domiciliary Social Worker The position is located in the Homeless Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program (DCHV) program which is part of the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program for North Florida / South Georgia VA Health System.

This is an off-site location away from the medical center. This position will ensure that Veterans participating in the Homeless Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment Program receive high intensity clinical and case management services to ensure a smooth reintegration into independent community based living.

The incumbent works closely with other members of the treatment team and with other DCHV staff to insure the highest quality of care for Veterans living in the Domiciliary.

The incumbent works closely with the VA medical center's other homeless programs, residential and community care programs, and inpatient providers to ensure that coordination between these entities is facilitated and that Veteran's direct care, referral, and follow up is contiguous and based on a continuum of services.

The incumbent provides support to the local Medical Center through the assignment of special projects and / or committees.

The incumbent provides support and mentoring to social work interns and newly hired social workers. Work Schedule : Monday - Friday, 8 : 00am - 4 : 30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Authorized as determined by VISN, Facility, Agency Pay : Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, 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 $ 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 # : Senior Social Worker (Domiciliary), FS #50313F Financial Disclosure Report : Not required"