This position is located within the Social Work Service, VA Puget sound Health Care System in Seattle, WA. The Social Worker Associate helps to enable patients and their families to function at their fullest potential, and to enhance their quality of life through the development of personal, social, medical, economic resources and facilitates linkage between patient and family with VA and community support systems.
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 in order to meet the requirements of this position. DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: This position requires a current, valid drivers license. Do not upload a copy of your drivers license at this time. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your current, valid, and unrestricted Driver's License. AND EXPERIENCE: Requires one full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-6) in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized experience for entry level positions, include: Group leader in community or residential recreation or training programs; Counselor in a youth summer camp; Instructor in a training program for the development of job skills; Work that demonstrated the ability to be responsible for and to lead and train members of a job crew; Group activities leader in the Armed Services; Unit leader-monitor-proctor for a dormitory group in a boarding school or other residential facility; Aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff in such fields as personnel (private or government), employment guidance in a vocational or academic institution, social service, or manpower development; Aid or assistant to professional or associate staff engaged in work of a social services nature in private, public welfare, government program, or community organizations, or in voluntary activities; Aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff working with individuals who are addicted to or abuse alcohol and/or drugs. (Resume(s) must support responses to the online questionnaire to receive credit) OR EDUCATION (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successfully completed one full year of graduate education directly related to the position may be substituted to meet the specialized experience. OR COMBINATION (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience are also qualifying. Only graduate education in excess of 6 months (excess of 9 semester hours) is creditable. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Communication Compliance Critical Thinking Veteran and Customer Focus IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Requirements/Working Conditions: The work is mainly sedentary with occasional carrying of items such as papers and files, boxes of paper, driving government vehicles. Work is performed in an office setting with periodic travel to the community to liaison with community organizations or for outreach events. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Identifies appropriate community and VA resources, and facilitate utilization of these resources by the Veteran, families, and non-patients; Assists Veteran patients with use of video technology; Triages mental health crises; Assists patients and families by providing counseling and/or appropriate referrals, with problems that are tangible and overt in nature i.e., inability to meet mortgage payments, to difficulties, and employment problems; Assist patients and families by counseling and/or making appropriate referrals, with problems that are intangible in nature i.e., marital conflict, family dysfunction, chronic mental illness and substance use disorders; Provides on-going supportive counseling to patients to maximize their coping and adjustment, to illness, injury, treatment, living demands, one by-product of which is to avoid or forestall readmission to the medical center; Assists our Veteran patients in understanding medical protocol and VA benefits; Identifies unmet needs within the community and assist in developing these needed resources; Represents Service assigned and the Medical Continuum (as assigned) on committees/task forces which address program development and program maintenance, direct service, education, or matters of an administrative nature; Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved