Veterans Health Administration is hiring: Social Worker in Boise

This position is located in Social Work Service, Boise VA Medical Center, Boise, ID. The Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary (BHIP) Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Social Worker provides psychosocial assessments and treatment to veterans needing interventions related to General Mental Health and substance use disorders including case management, individual, couples, family, and group psychotherapy.

The incumbent reports to the SUD Outpatient Program, works closely with the BHIP team. 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

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part).
• 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).
• 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.

Grade Determinations

• Social Worker, GS-9: None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities include:
  • Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors.
  • Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan.
  • Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals.
  • 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.
• Social Worker, GS-11: 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities include:
  • 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, educational, and other backgrounds.
  • Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures 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.

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/