Senior Social Worker Lead - Substance Use Disorder

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.

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: Must 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 Determination: Senior Social Worker - Lead, 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.

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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. Major Duties:

VA Careers - Social Work: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) practices in the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Program, which serves a Veteran population with substance use and mental health problems.

Duties include, but are not limited, to: Direct Patient Care (70%): Performs specialized treatment of complex substance abuse and mental illness for patients in substance use disorders treatment program, to include Outpatient, MAT (including opioid treatment), and in MH RRTP.

The patients present with a wide variety of healthcare needs including substance use history, complex medical issues and mental health issues. The incumbent practices at the independent level.

The LISWC provides assessment and treatment of Veteran patients within the approved scope of practice. Independently conducts psychosocial assessments and standardized evaluation for SUD.

They develop treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran and family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team and engage in measurement-based care to facilitate optimal treatment outcomes.

The incumbent possesses skills to offer evidence-based psychosocial interventions and to measure outcomes of interventions.

The incumbent is adept at providing services across modalities, to include virtual telehealth.

Possesses advanced knowledge and abilities to independently implement treatment, provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals, families and groups using evidence-based treatments for SUD and co-morbid health issues.

Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications.

The incumbent clinically supervises unlicensed and/or dependently licensed staff.

Coordinates community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community agency programs.

Independently identifies high-risk patients and provides case management services.

They provide crisis evaluation and intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint, coordinate family conferences and serve as liaison to family members.

The incumbent routinely screens for patient safety, including suicide risk and homicide and public safety risk, and provides intervention as clinically appropriate.

The incumbent has working knowledge and experience in use 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.

Program Development/Administrative (30%): Coordinates access, including same day access, for Veterans seeking services within the SUD program.

Works with the SUD staff in the accomplishment of routine team and unit activities. Conducts and coordinates SUD staff huddles and meetings.

Actively participates in SUD caseload management and assists staff with caseload management, including timely discharges, coordination of SUD care, and referrals between levels of care.

Monitors SUD compliance with all VA directives, local policies, accreditation standards, and governing bodies, including MBC, documentation standards, and scheduling practices.

Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@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: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 93082-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized