Social Services Assistant

Summary This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. About the Position: incumbent performs direct patient support in a clinical setting dealing with mental health issues coordinating and monitoring options and services to meet complex mental health needs of the patient, promoting appropriate, timely, clinically effective and cost-effective care. Duties Coordinate, monitor, and evaluate services to meet patient’s behavioral health needs Co-facilitate psycho-education and/or support groups Assist with locating and accessing patient referrals and resources Participate on multidisciplinary medical treatment teams to coordinate and monitor treatment plans Operate various software to input data, monitor reports, and maintain connectivity with staff and case managers Track data to monitor patient outcomes and participate in quality improvement Provide ongoing patient education regarding the illness/condition Requirements Conditions of employment You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. One year trial/probationary period may be required. Must be able to satisfy the requirements of the 26JUL12 DODI 1400.25 V1230, DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Employment in Foreign Areas and Employee Return Rights. Visit https://www.esd.whs.mil/DD/DoD-Issuances/140025/. Applicants must comply with the Exceptional Family Member Program requirements as outlined in the DoD Instruction 1315.19. Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation. This position has specific initial background investigation and periodic re-verification requirements since its duties require interaction with children and youth under the age of eighteen (18) years of age on a recurring basis. This position is subject to annual seasonal influenza vaccinations. Applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to sign a statement consenting to seasonal influenza vaccinations or must provide a recognized exemption. Immunization screening is required. Hepatitis B immunization is required for all positions with direct patient contact. Applicants may be required to show proof of other immunizations depending on the type of position. A pre-placement medical examination is required. This position has a requirement to lift up to 20 lbs. in the regular performance of duties. Qualifications Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Specialized experience: one year of specialized experience which includes experience applying mental health programs knowledge, available mental health care services, and referral and follow-up procedures to assists behavioral health clients in accessing the appropriate level of mental health care, documenting issues pertinent to each case as directed by the Behavioral Health Provider, facilitating outpatient psycho-educational and/or support groups, and participating in a continuing quality improvement program for ongoing systematic monitoring and evaluation of patient outcomes to include tracking appropriate data. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07). OR Education: One and a half years of graduate level education in a field directly related to the work of the position, such as Social Work, Psychology, Human Services, Child and Family Welfare, Counseling, Family and Community Services, Behavioral Science, Human Development, Sociology, and Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total semester hours minus 18) by 9. Add the two percentages. Education FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ Additional information Direct Deposit of Pay is required. U.S. citizens overseas under ordinarily resident status are not eligible for appointment under the Status of Forces Agreement. This is a Medical Career Field position. Locality pay does not apply in the overseas area. If an employee brings a child to an overseas location and that child is entitled to attend a DoD school on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, the DoDEA and the Military Department responsible for providing related services will ensure that the child, if eligible for special education, receives a free appropriate public education, including related services pursuant to DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12. If an employee brings an infant or toddler (up to 3 years of age) to an overseas location, and that infant or toddler is entitled to attend the DoDEA on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, then the Military Department responsible for EIS will provide the infant or toddler with the required EIS in accordance with the eligibility criteria consistent with DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12. Employees (and family members) who require medical or dental care in the overseas location will be responsible for obtaining and paying for such care. Access for civilian employees and their families to military medical and dental treatment facilities is on a space-available and reimbursable basis only. Medical and dental care may be provided by host nation providers. The availability and level of care at host nation medical and dental facilities will vary by location. Pay retention may be offered to selected applicants for positions at overseas locations. Pay retention will not be offered as an incentive for employees moving between overseas positions. Selectees may receive certain foreign area benefits such as: Living Quarters Allowance (LQA) or government quarters, home leave, etc. Selectees will have their eligibility for foreign area benefits determined at the time of hire in accordance with Department of State Standardized Regulation (DSSR) and DoDI 1400.25 volume 1250. For positions in a foreign country, that country's laws or international agreements may have a direct impact on the ability of an employee's same sex domestic partner or spouse to accompany the employee and receive certain benefits. If you believe you may be affected by these laws and agreements, you should familiarize yourself with relevant information and direct questions concerning a specific country (Foreign Duty Location) to the appropriate Army Human Resources point of contact prior to the acceptance of employment and your entrance on duty. The initial length of this overseas tour is 36 months. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.