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 individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.

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

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 - 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).

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

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.

License - You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.

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: Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Experience: You 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.

Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills; maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; acting as an advocate with appropriate community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver; independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, identifying the patient's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity.

Applicable experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment.

Licensure: Senior social workers must be licensed 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.

Driver's License: Applicants must possess a current, valid driver's license. You may be required to provide your license at the time of interview.

A clean driving record report from the DMV and validation of your driver's license will be required during the online onboarding process.

Preferred Experience: Community based mental health experience, crisis intervention, experience with serious mental illness.

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-12.

Physical Requirements: The work comprises both sedentary and physical components, such as walking long distances, lifting, carrying or moving small, weighted objects.

The work may require using appropriate techniques to physically restrain clients who present a danger to self or others.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include, but are not limited to, close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Employee is required to be able to pass a physical examination clearing them to be able to drive a government vehicle and carry the designation of incidental driver. Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional You will function as a Senior Social Worker on an integrated interdisciplinary team located at the Chillicothe VA Health Care System.

The incumbent serves a high-complexity caseload of up to 12 Veterans who experience severe and persistent mental illness, including Schizophrenia Bipolar Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or severe mood disorders and who have frequent or long-term hospitalizations, and who live in the community.

Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Acts as Subject Matter Expert for SMI veteran population to VA staff, community partners and veterans/their families, to include case consultation.

Provides programmatic and clinical supervision to intern/fellowship trainees within the MHICM program.

Independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans, identifying their strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity.

Provides recovery-oriented care-planning for assigned Veterans, incorporating the Veteran's goals, preferences, and strengths and including interventions for building adaptive and social skills, increased self-care, independent living, employment, crisis resolution, and practical problem solving.

Provides frequent and clinically intense individual services in the Veteran's home or community, as warranted by Veteran's clinical needs at a given time.

Facilitates psycho-educational, therapeutic, and supportive counseling groups related to the treatment of specific SMI psychiatric disorders.

Provides crisis intervention when indicated, including evaluation, assessment, triage, initiation of Emergency Detention procedures, and disposition of patients experiencing behavioral health emergencies.

Participates in periodic interdisciplinary review of ongoing treatment of assigned Veterans.

Provides ongoing documentation of Veteran's treatment progress using a psychosocial and behavioral framework.

Provides clinical case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services, incorporating complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans.

Assures timely access to general medical care services for both routine and acute visits; assists Veterans in receiving recommended preventive services; and assists Veterans in accessing and adhering to recommended general medical treatments (within the scope of licensure).

Provides education and assistance with Advanced Directives to Veterans who wish to complete them. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday; 8:00am. to 4:30pm.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.

EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for EDRP, a student loan payment reimbursement program.

You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of your start date.

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

Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov for questions/assistance. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-Hoc as determined by the agency policy.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 92813A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.