Senior Social Worker

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. 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).

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/. English Language Proficiency.

Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Experience/Education.

The candidate must have 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. Senior social workers 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.

Licensure/Certification.

Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state 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.

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 Handbook 5005 Major Duties:

VA Careers - Social Work: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The VISN Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program Team (BHIP) Social Work position is a VISN based position located in VISN 20.

This position falls under the general supervision of the VISN 20 CRH MH Section Chief.

A Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) is a repository of clinical and administrative staff that serve Veterans Affairs facilities within the Veterans Integrated System Network VISN 20.

Duties include but are not limited to the following: Maintains advanced level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families.

Independently works with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems.

Completes a thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families.

The incumbent uses advanced knowledge and mastery of theories of physical and mental illness to independently develop a diagnosis, treatment plan, and recovery goals in collaboration with the veteran and or the veteran's family/caregivers.

Incumbent assists veteran to maximum use of treatment for attainment of the highest level of independence that is possible and practicable. (i.e.

choosing best EBP for symptoms and challenges.) Participates as a member of an BHIP treatment team and actively participate through collaboration with Veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members, including but not limited to Psychiatrists, Nurse Practitioners, Psychologists, Social Workers, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors (LPMHC), RNs, Peer Support Specialists and Administrative Support staff, in the development and implementation of a treatment plan.

Possesses advanced knowledge and experience in use of mental health and substance abuse diagnoses and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses.

Facilitates discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate discharge plans are executed in a timely manner.

Serves as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of services.

Possesses advanced knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families.

Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits, specialty programs, and advance directives.

This includes the incumbent's knowledge of the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community programs.

Provides consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veteran's health care planning, compliance with treatment, and discharge planning.

Possesses advanced skills and knowledge to provide case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care.

The incumbent will be able to appropriately utilize principles of human growth and development over the life span and will be able to assist Veterans in coping with the loss and grief experiences from disability and terminal illness.

Demonstrates advanced ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing with people from diverse backgrounds.

Responsible for supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facility.

Serves on committees and work groups at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, tour variable Telework: Telework eligible for highly qualified candidates only.

"Pending exemption for remote status: Under the 180-day Mid-Term Extensions (MTE). This position could be approved for Mid-Term Extensions (MTE).

MTE allows for the facility leader to grant employees in the identified positions an extension up to 180-days to RTO; in which case approved positions would be approved locally to grant telework/remote for those 180-days.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized