Summary

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.

Qualifications

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: 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
• License - You 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: You 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
• Examples of specialized experience include - but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect - exploitation and/or intimate partner violence
• use of clinical social work skills
• maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality per policies - handbooks or directives
• acting as an advocate with appropriate community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver
• independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members - identifying the patient's strengths - weaknesses - coping skills - and psychosocial acuity
• Applicable experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment
• 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
• In addition to the experience above - you must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: 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: Psychotherapy for trauma - especially training in Cognitive Processing Therapy - Prolonged Exposure Therapy - EMDR - and / or Written Exposure Therapy
• 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 work is primarily sedentary - although requires ability to travel between buildings on a large medical campus
• The work may require using appropriate technique to physically restrain clients who present a danger to self or others
• The work may also require assisting physically disabled clients
• Typically - the employee will sit to perform administrative work
• However - other position duties may involve physical tasks which include - but are not limited to - the following: long periods of walking
• standing
• bending
• crouching - reaching
• lifting of a variety of moderately heavy items
• carrying of light items such as papers and books
• or driving an automobile - etc
• No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Provides a full range of triage and evaluation services appropriate to the specialty care setting - especially in areas of diagnostic evaluation and treatment of emotional and behavioral problems and suicide assessment
• Provides psychosocial interventions consistent with training and expertise with special emphasis on evidence-based interventions found to be effective for the treatment of PTSD by the VA-DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines (e.g. - Cognitive Processing Therapy - Prolonged Exposure - EMDR - Written Exposure Therapy - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia)
• Facilitates patient and family education appropriate regarding the Veteran' s specific mental or behavioral health issue(s)
• Provides consultation services to support care of a Veteran diagnosed with PTSD in other programs (e.g. - Addiction Recovery - BHIP - Mental Health Intensive Case Management)
• Determines level of care need for patients and the ability to understand the variety of clinical options available through the medical center and local community
• Assists in the development and implementation of policies and procedures pertinent to the program - including quality assurance and program evaluation
• Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the PCT as established by Mental Health ICC Manager and the Outpatient Division Manager
• Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs to effectively coordinate services
• Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures - including timeliness standards for documentation
• Serves as a field instructor for graduate level social work students as appropriate
• Work Schedule:Full-time - Monday through Friday - 8:00 a.m
• to 4:30 p.m
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
• EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for 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 your start date
• 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
• Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program
• Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov for questions/assistance
• 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: Ad-hoc Available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 92922-0 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.