Summary The Caregiver Support Program (CSP) is a rapidly expanding program. The mission of the Caregiver Support Program is to promote the health and well-being of family caregivers who care for our nation's Veterans, through education, resources, support, and services. Under the VA MISSION Act, VA is significantly expanding services and supports provided to family caregivers of Veterans of all eras. Responsibilities Duties include: The incumbent is responsible for assessing a Veteran's functional needs, including the need for personal care services using standardized assessments-- which will assist the Centralized Eligibility and Appeal Teams (CEAT) in determining eligibility. The incumbent will assess Veterans needs for personal care services, particularly Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), supervision, protection or instruction, working closely with the Caregiver Support Program Senior Social Worker(s) and/or designee(s), to complete Veteran functional assessments and re-assessments. The incumbent will also assist other program staff in providing clinical services, completing notes and gathering/monitoring data related to the day-to-day functioning and evaluation of the program.The Clinical Assessor will conduct initial home assessments as part of the application or reassessment process for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. The purpose of these home visits is to assess for functional and mobility needs and safety as well as to assess need for personal care services using standardized assessments--which will assist the Centralized Eligibility and Appeal Teams (CEAT) in determining eligibility.The Clinical Assessor will utilize and assist in maintaining a data monitoring system to measure the efficacy of the program and assists in collecting and analyzing local data for reports for: local management, VISN Caregiver Support Program Leads, Centralized Eligibility and Appeal Teams, the National Caregiver Support Program, Care Management and Social Work and Office of Patient Care Services. Evaluates program progress and outcomes and utilizes data to continuously modify and improve the program, processes, and use of a standardized assessment instrument.The Clinical Assessor conducts Veteran, caregiver and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of caregiver stress, psychiatric illness, emotional distress and social needs as treatment issues. Utilizes professional judgment, including the knowledge of normal and abnormal behavior, is an inherent competency applied in daily interactions with caregivers and the Veterans they care for.As a Clinical Assessor within the Caregiver Support Program, the employee stays 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. The Clinical Assessor will 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.The Clinical Assessor will respond to inquiries from the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team and will be responsible for tracking and processing Functional Assessment consults.The Clinical Assessor performs a wide range of services and may provide technical assistance to state, local, and private agencies, and universities. Technical assistance is based on monitoring activities and program reviews, and the development and analysis of information. In addition, the Clinical Assessor uses sound judgment in the interpretation of trends and patterns; the application of guidelines; and the recommendation of program enhancements. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM Functional Statement #: 000000 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 probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications 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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. 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. Note: 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. Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work 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. 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 stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. Experience: At least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment and 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates 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. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-39 Social Worker Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: ?Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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 Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.