Social Worker - 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 eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.

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

Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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: 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 & 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 SW Licensure Summary by State. Grade Determinations: GS-11 Experience and Licensure.

Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one (1) 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. 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, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 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.

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).

GS-12 Senior Social Worker 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.

Preferred Experience: Concurring substance use disorders and mental health disorders psychotherapy or counseling experience.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 12.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is 11-12 .

Physical Requirements: The position is generally of a sedentary nature and involves activities normally associated with the counseling process and office work, including sitting for long periods of time.

No unusual physical demands are placed on the incumbent. The work requires extreme patience and control of emotions in a multi-disciplinary work setting. 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 Duties & skills needed to be successful in this position include, but are not limited to: Actively implements evidence-based treatments within the SUD Clinic.

Provides clinical oversight towards licensure in social work or addictions counseling and/or actively represents the SUD Clinic in facility or VISN-level workgroups/committees.

The incumbent, being trained & experienced: In the assessment & treatment of substance use & co-occurring disorders completes all components of the intake & assessment process & develops a treatment plan pertaining to all assessed needs.

In case management, serves as case manager for a panel of patients, the size of which is commensurate with other clinicians on the staff of the SUD Clinic.

In crisis management, provides same-day access services, as needed, for Veterans enrolled in the SUD Clinic, including referring patients for emergency medical treatment, psychiatric medication evaluation, or non-medical detoxification as well as coordinating the admission of patients to the inpatient psychiatric unit of the nearest VA Medical Center or local non-VA facilities.

In the treatment of patients with substance use disorders, & cooccurring disorders, provides a range of treatment services, including but not limited to individuals, families, & group treatment.

Group treatment includes psycho educational as well as psychotherapeutic groups.

Attends to a broad range of patient needs that are not fully met directly through the clinical services provided by the SUD Clinic itself, including but not limited to those needs dealing with physical health, employment, finances, family, social support, & housing.

Employ Motivational Interviewing skills & techniques, as clinically indicated, & applies, as clinically indicated, interventions based on both abstinence & harm reduction approaches to substance use disorders.

Assesses patient interest in & eligibility for Medication Assisted Therapies & provides referrals for evaluation for these treatments.

Participates in triage services through the daily same-day access clinics & assists with drug & alcohol monitoring, as needed, in conjunction with psychosocial services.

Maintains up-to-date charting in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), documenting all assessment, treatment, & case management contacts with patients.

Documentation meets all local, state, & national guidelines & is completed in a professional & timely manner.

Completes encounter forms in expected timelines, adheres to proper coding guidelines, & strives to meet productivity targets & clinic utilization standards.

Actively participates in program planning & development, making recommendations for changes in policies & procedures as needed, as opportunities arise.

Participates in the planning & executing of specific staff-development projects, attends seminars & other training events, & participates in the training programs of other disciplines (psychology, psychiatry, nursing, addiction counseling) as requested.

General knowledge of Veterans' benefits & services relating to special programs, service-connected compensation, & non-service-connected pension is required.

May provide services in Community Based Outpatient locations other than their assigned duty station and/or may provide services to these locations over Telehealth, including VA Video Connect & other technology.

May be requested to provide; supervision of social workers for advanced practice licensure or the graduate trainee program, act as a mentor/provide orientation for less experienced social workers, participate or chair committees or groups that impact social work practice and/or lead roll out of evidence based practices.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 54772-0, 53863-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized