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: Serves as a Social Services Assistant in a clinical setting dealing with mental health issues. Provides follow up dealing with the identified high risk population, supporting Behavioral Health Providers with commanders providing the best level of treatment available. Learn more about this agency Duties Provide follow ups dealing with the identified high-risk population, supporting Behavioral Health Providers with commanders providing the best level of treatment available. Responsible for ensuring through facilitation, negotiation, procurement, advocacy, communication, empowerment, quality care, and involvement necessary for the achievement of mutually developed treatment goals. Participate as a member of the mental health multidisciplinary team that coordinates care for Soldiers and assists in accessing the appropriate level of mental health care. Perform direct patient support to include assisting clinical providers to access appropriate patient referrals and resources; ongoing education for appropriate team members, significant others about the illness/condition, and how to access services. Assist in the development of criteria for standards of care and outcomes. Identify, document, evaluate, report, and follow up issues relating to Quality Improvement and Risk Management. Requirements Conditions of employment Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. Applicants must comply with the Exceptional Family Member Program requirements as outlined in the DoD Instruction 1315.19. 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/. 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 position requires approximately 5% of your duty to be performed in Temporary Duty Away (TDY) from your place of work status. Employees assigned to a medical treatment facility are required to be screened for applicable immunizations or pre-existing immunity based on occupational risk. 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 requires lifting/carrying item up to 20 lbs. This position may be designated mission essential based on local conditions. Mission essential personnel report for duty at normal time when the unit is closed or delayed reporting, and remain on duty during phased or early release. This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. 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. If you are currently stationed in the overseas area, all of your overseas time will be credited toward your current overseas tour end date. Your overseas time served will not reset upon accepting this assignment. If you have returned from OCONUS within the past 2 years or less, your time previously served in the OCONUS area will be credited to your 5-year overseas rotation upon accepting this assignment. 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 in 1) evaluating mental health patients to determine required services; 2) facilitating outpatient psycho-educational or support groups based on patient's need; and 3) maintaining patient files in an organized manner. 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. Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-07). Separated Military Members: Resumes will be accepted from members of the Armed Forces who indicate in their applications that they are immediately appointable within 120 days of the closing date of this announcement. Military members may be appointed while on terminal/transitional leave, before the effective date of their military retirement/separation. Military Retirees: Within the DoD (Department of Defense), including non-appropriated fund positions, the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following the retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326 or 5 U.S.C. 5305. Selecting officials may select or not select from a certificate of best-qualified candidates OR from a list of applicants eligible for noncompetitive placement (5 CFR 335). 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 This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals. 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, but for the child's age, 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. This is a(n) 53-Medical Career Field position. The initial length of this overseas tour is 36 months. Defense National Relocation Program will not be authorized. 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. Expand Hide  additional information 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.