Social Worker (MHICM) Program Clinical Social Worker

Full Job Description

The clinical social worker provides services at the Salisbury VA Health Care System (SVAHCS) in the Mental Health Intensive Case Management Program (MHICM).

The primary responsibility of this position is to provide intensive case management services, continuous quality improvement activities, evaluation/consultation, psychosocial assessments, patient groups, individual therapy, placement services, and referrals to various community agencies and hospital services to MHICM Veterans.

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.

Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.

If not fully licensed at an acceptable independent social work practice level, a candidate has 3 years to become fully licensed as a condition of employment.

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: Knowledge of Current Professional Social Work Practices: To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional social work practice.

The experience or education must be post-MSW degree.

Experience and education satisfying this requirement must be active professional practice, which is paid/non-paid employment as a professional social worker, as defined by the appropriate state licensing board.

Quality of Experience: Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a master's degree in social work and if it includes work as a professional social worker directly related to the position to be filled.

Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to social work experience at the next lower level.

Social Worker, GS-9: Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors.

Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed.

Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals.

This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.

Fundamental knowledge 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.

Social Worker, GS-11: (This is the full performance level.) Experience and Licensure: Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.

OR Education: In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.

Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other backgrounds.

Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e.

acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan.

Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals.

Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.

Assignments: At the full performance level GS-11, social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work.

They are assigned to all program areas, including Medicine and Surgery, Primary and Specialty Care, Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Extended Care, Homeless Services, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), Health Care Centers (HCCs) and other community based VA programs and clinics.

Loss of Licensure or Certification: Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment.

Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-185 social work series and may result in termination of employment. Failure to Obtain License or Certification.

In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment.

At the time of appointment, the supervisor, Chief Social Work or Social Work Executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.

Failure to become licensed or certified within the proscribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-185 social work series and may result in termination of employment.

For the GS-09, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment, the incumbent must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within 3 years of their appointment as a social worker.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

Physical Requirements: There are no special physical qualifications to perform the work. The work requires the ability to move around an office and/or the facility.

The work is performed in offices and meeting rooms. 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-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf MAJOR DUTIES: Screening/Assessment - The social worker will develop a psychosocial assessment of the Veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members and significant others.

The goal of the psychosocial assessment is to highlight the Veteran's strengths, limitations, and internal/external supports and service needs in order to optimize the Veteran's functional status.

The incumbent demonstrates an understanding of the range of treatment and skills needed for all adult patients, being sensitive to human growth and development, age-appropriate needs and concerns of the Veteran, and must be able to provide current and advanced techniques to the treatment of the Veteran population.

It is the responsibility of the social worker, working within the interdisciplinary treatment team, to share in the development of a treatment plan with the Veteran based on this psychosocial assessment.

The initial psychosocial assessment will be completed as specified by the policy for the assigned work area.

Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - The social worker is responsible for contributing to the development of the treatment plan and setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran and family members/caregiver and other clinical MHICM staff.

The initial psychosocial assessment, as well as reassessments, will be completed as specified by the policy for the assigned work area.

Referral to service providers - Throughout the course of treatment, the social worker is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources.

The social worker will collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs.

The social worker is responsible for educating the Veteran and family members/caregivers of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of his surrogate decision-maker.

Resource Usage/Development - The social worker is responsible for using the current social work resource file of VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of Veterans.

The social worker will refer the Veteran to needed services.

Advocacy - The social worker understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver.

When appropriate and feasible, the social worker will educate and encourage the Veteran to advocate on his/her own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment.

Crisis Intervention -The social worker is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission to mental health inpatient programs.

The social worker has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis.

In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, staff will follow the protocol of his/her respective program clinic and the facility at Salisbury VA Health Care System.

Follow all local and VHA policies and procedures (e.g., VHA Directive 2006-055) dealing with access and utilization of the Scheduling Package and Advanced Clinic Access.

Complete all mandatory training and assessments. Perform other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm.

Compressed Tour option maybe available for GS11 - agency discretion Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, 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) 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.

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 eligible for telework Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required