Mental Health Social Worker (Education Debt Repayment Program)

Full Job Description

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program-EDRP, a student loan payment reimbursement program.

You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.

Program Approval, award amount-up to $200,000 & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application.

Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply 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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. Exception.

VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations.

This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified.

At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.

Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment.

Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. English Language Proficiency.

Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

Current employees 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 for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker, GS-9 Experience and Licensure.

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Experience, Education, and Licensure.

None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.

Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed.

Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals.

This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques.

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.

This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. Social Worker, GS-11 Experience and Licensure.

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).

Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Working under close supervision in program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience.

Identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect or exploitation; providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning; providing social work case management; acting as an advocate with community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver; assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members identifying strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and psychosocial acuity, in collaboration with the patient, family, and interdisciplinary treatment teams; maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.

OR Education.

In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting.

GS-11 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds.

Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e.

acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) 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.

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).

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor.

The work is primarily sedentary, although the stress involved in dealing continually with patients in emotional distress, who may be uncooperative and occasionally violent, makes this job notably more demanding than most sedentary jobs.

Major Duties:

The incumbent provides Veterans and their family members mental health and/or substance abuse assessments; provides a broad range of intervention therapies, including educational, individual, group, and family or couple's therapies.

Assignment is primarily to the SARRTP but may also extend to other residential programming.

Provides routine to complex counseling and therapeutic services to include suicide prevention, crisis intervention, short and long term treatment with veterans exhibiting psychiatric disorders including Major Depression, PTSD, Substance Use Disorder, and/or other mental health issues.

Experience and certification in evidence-based interventions such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Substance Use Disorder, Motivational Interviewing, Motivational Enhancement Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Social Skills Training, and others is preferred.

The incumbent is required to exercise independent judgment and decision making in the formulation of the treatment plan with the treatment team.

The incumbent is expected to write treatment plans using the Mental Health Suite software package.

Additional responsibilities include an ongoing assessment of the patient's progress and treatment, as well as developing discharge plans.

Some additional duties include: Participates in the admission/screening process by interviewing patients and their families and completing intake data collection with purpose of establishing treatment for psychiatric disorders.

This may include obtaining psychosocial history, maintaining data sheets, completing high risk screens, and developing discharge planning assessments.

Continually monitors progress in treatment using Measurement Based Care principles.

Participates in or facilitates selected evidence-based psychotherapies related to the treatment of mental health issues, conducts individual, group, and family counseling, and other social work privileged functions independently or under supervision as professional license dictates.

May conduct psychoeducational activities following professionally prepared resource guides.

Functions as a primary manager (therapist) for a number of patients on a prescribed caseload of SARRTP patients.

This includes preparation and implementation of treatment plans (using the MH Suite software) developed in concert with the incumbent's multidisciplinary team.

Acts as a liaison between staff, patient, and other stakeholders in the development and review of treatment plans.

Participates in periodic review of ongoing treatment of patients under the care of the SARRTP team.

Provides ongoing documentation of patient's progress using a behavioral framework using SOAP format where S-subjective input, O-behavioral observation, A-clinical assessment, P-collaborative plan.

Help patients

adjust to current living situation,

explore areas of deficit in activities of daily living,

provide and/or arrange skill building educational activities

explore areas of psychosocial conflicts or trauma seeking resolution or psychological stability by using a "Recovery Model" based approach.

Use supportive/facilitative techniques with patients and their families to help them better communicate with each other and, when necessary, help confront problem behaviors.

Acts as a resource and liaison person to public and private providers and agencies to assure continuity of care and appropriate referrals for patients and their families as levels of care change.

Conducts or assists in carrying out planned QA studies or research projects.

The incumbent will document social work interventions and activities in patient's clinical record utilizing CPRS and ensure appropriate hand off when transferring of patient care.

Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:30pm. Due to the nature of the position, Nights or weekends may be required in emergent situations. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact http://vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more