Senior Social Worker (Intensive Outpatient 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 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.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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. 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/.

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: Senior Social Worker, GS-12 (1) Experience/Education.

The candidate must have at least two years of experience 9 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.

(2) 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.

(3) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) 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.

(b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.

(c) 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.

(d) 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.

(e) 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.

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 physical demands of this position involve use of fingers and mental/emotional stability.

Environmental factors include, working closely with others, working alone, and protracted or irregular hours of work. Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Senior Social Worker is assigned to the Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program (MH IOP).

MH IOP serves Veterans whose needs exceed current outpatient treatment resources but who do not meet criteria for inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.

Veterans admitted to MH IOP are often complex in nature, acute in presentation, and diagnostically complicated.

The Senior Social Worker serves as a member of the MH IOP interdisciplinary team and functions as the triage coordinator for program referrals.

The major duties and responsibilities of the Senior Social Worker are as follows: Provide a full range of services within the Social Work Scope of Practice based on Veteran needs, acuity level, and preferences for care.

Provide consultation and psychoeducation to Veterans and Veteran families on topics including community resources, Advance Directives, VA benefits, budgeting, activities of daily living, and recovery goals.

Act as a consultant to other team/staff members and take a lead clinical role in case consultation.

Fulfill ethical responsibilities to Veterans, colleagues and VA in accordance with NASW Code of Ethics, VHA Code of Ethics, and local ethics policies.

Document all Veteran care in the electronic health record in accordance with facility policy, VHA Directive 1162.05 (and revisions), and program-specific SOPs.

Ensure compliance with standards and expectations of Joint Commission, CARF, and other relevant accrediting bodies.

Assist program leadership in accreditation preparation and continuous readiness activities as requested.

Actively participate in program planning and development, advising the supervisor of shifting Veteran care needs and identifying the need for SOP or policy changes.

Provide supervision to students, interns, or unlicensed Social Workers as requested. Maintain familiarity and responsibility for all behavioral health performance measures.

Assist in development and maintenance of operational plans and strategic goals related to these measures.

Responsible for participation and leadership in process improvement, system redesign, and/or other applicable workgroups and committees, to include creation of standard work documents or strategic plan implementation.

Take responsibility for improving professional competencies by participating training programs and continuing education.

Maintain accurate records of trainings in accordance with VA policies and state licensure requirements. Evaluate own practice through professional peer review, case conferences, and other means.

Complete all mandatory VA trainings in a timely manner. Provide mandatory coverage in Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES).

Provide training, education, and consultation to trainees, VA staff, and community partners as a subject matter expert in specialized practice area(s).

The Senior Social Worker may also be assigned to do the following: Primary administrative oversight of the enrollment of Veterans into the MH IOP, ensuring rapid access to care in accordance with the VHA Handbook.

Program evaluation to identify and address barriers to program enrollment/engagement and rapid access.

Formally supervise trainees & unlicensed staff in the provision of specialty mental health assessment and treatment. Serve as a consultant and subject-matter expert to clinical staff.

Actively participate in facility committees relevant to mental health specialty care.

Lead advertising and outreach efforts for MH IOP Services across the Puget Sound catchment area and in community agencies serving Veterans. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact VHAEDRPProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

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).

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 only Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized