Senior Social Worker - Trauma Recovery 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.

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.

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. 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.

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 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.

Examples of creditable experience include but not limited to independently assess psychosocial functioning, facilitate treatment plan with interdisciplinary team, provide case management and care coordination, links patient with services, resources, and opportunities, conducts assessment of at-risk patient to identify immediate needs, provides interventions independently for patient and families/care giver, provide range of interventions and treatment modalities, and provide consultation to staff about psychosocial needs of patients.

Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit. 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.

GS 12 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.

(KSAs must be clearly reflected in resume under description of duties in order to be found qualified for this position/grade level). Preferred Experience: Experience with working in MH field.

Expertise in providing Mental Health Care through Telehealth modalities Participation as a member of multi-disciplinary treatment team providing PTSD Treatment to patients.

Trained in using evidence-based therapies specifically for PTSD. Skilled at multi-tasking, and working under the pressure of multiple responsibilities with deadlines.

Excellent customer service skills (internal and external customers) Excellent customer service skills (internal and external customers) Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The position is above full performance level, GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for this occupation, see duty section for essential duties of this position.

May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing.

May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted heated and ventilated.

However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once and sometimes stressful situations. Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional To provide specialty mental health treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to Veterans enrolled for care the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks.

This includes providing a full range of biopsychosocial evaluation, basic psychological test administration, evidence-based individual and group psychotherapy, and treatment planning.

This is accomplished in cooperation with other members of the Trauma Recovery Program (TRP) team and/or other interdisciplinary treatment teams as appropriate.

Although, the TRP Advanced Practice Social Worker will work primarily with Veterans who served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, they will also be assigned to work with Veterans from other eras who are in need of specialized PTSD treatment.

Social Worker will provide specialized evidence-based treatment to Veterans enrolled in the TRP program including but not limited to EMDR, PE, CPT.

The TRP program is designed to serve a population that has a lack familial and community support, significant functional barriers, difficulty adhering to recommended treatment due to the nature of their mental illness or other psychosocial barriers and has major deficits in coping skills and require intensive professional psychological support.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.

Subject to change based on needs of the Service to ensure veteran care Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): not available Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance):not available EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact vhafavhrsbu@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.

Learn more 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: eligible for AD-HOC telework at the determination of the service.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 01565F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): not available