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

Veterans Preference does not apply to this announcement in accordance with 38 U.S.C 7412 - and VA memo dated 10/01/2024. 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
• 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 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)
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Services
• English Language Proficiency
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Grade Determinations GS-12: (1) 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
• (2) 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
• (3) 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
• (4) Assignments
• For all assignments above the full performance level - the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope - complexity (difficulty) - and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level
• Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site
• a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center - or a national VHA referral center - such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center - or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity
• The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns
• Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics
• The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans - ensures equity of access - service - and benefits to this population - ensures the care provided is of the highest quality
• The senior social worker provides leadership - direction - orientation - coaching - in-service training - staff development - and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff
• They serve on committees - work groups - and task forces at the facility - VISN and national level - or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor - Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services
• This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management
• This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Preferred Experienced: Previous experience in performing individual psychotherapy with an emphasis on evidence-based psychotherapy
• Physical Requirements: This position is mostly sedentary and requires walking - kneeling - bending - standing - and light lifting.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Senior Social workers have experience that demonstrates advanced practice skills and judgment
• At least two years should be in an area of specialized social work practice
• The Senior Social Worker for whom this functional statement applies is assigned to the Behavioral Health (BH) Service Line at the Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital (Truman VA) and provides services to the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Programs (BHIP) - a general mental health clinic located in the main hospital facility
• Truman VA is a level 1C Medical Center - which provides both outpatient medical and mental health services at the main facility and at each of the nine Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs)
• Generalist and integrated mental health services are provided at the Truman VA and each CBOC - with specialized mental health services offered at the Truman VA - to include programming to support treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Severe Mental Illness (SMI) - and Psychosocial Rehabilitation (homeless and supported employment services)
• Over 150 direct and indirect FTE support both outpatient and inpatient services - with Psychiatry - Psychology - Social Work - Nursing - Readjustment Counselors - and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists providing multidisciplinary and collaborative treatment interventions based on the Recovery Model and evidence-based treatments
• Inpatient services are provided within a 12-bed acute psychiatric unit where Veterans receive treatment from Psychiatry - Nursing - Psychology - and Social Work
• A 14-bed Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program provides treatment for Veterans participating in intensive substance abuse programming
• Duties may include: Performs comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments for Veterans and family members with complex physical and behavioral disorders to determine the nature of the presenting problem - biological - social - emotional - cognitive - and behavioral factors related to the presenting problem - and the impact of the presenting problem on the Veteran's physical - social - emotional - recreational - and occupational functioning
• Performs individual psychotherapy with an emphasis on evidence-based psychotherapy
• Uses advanced clinical training to select - utilize - and interpret appropriate outcome measures
• Integrates all subjective and objective data into a comprehensive assessment that informs treatment planning
• Assesses high risk factors - acuity - and need for services with Veterans and family members who have frequent and severe crises - lack family or an adequate community support network - be poor at self-monitoring - frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment - or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychosocial support
• The incumbent completes comprehensive suicide risk assessments and safety planning for Veterans in crisis
• Documents biopsychosocial assessments in compliance with the documentation and timeliness standards established by the Medical Center and The Joint Commission
• Based on the psychosocial assessment and using advanced practice expertise - incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veterans and their families - including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses
• Develops - implements - and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients - including prompt completion of clinical reminders
• Makes independent clinical diagnoses - decisions - and recommendations for agency action
• The incumbent formulates a mutually agreed upon treatment plan - which includes measurable goals - objectives - and treatment methods based upon the psychological assessment
• The treatment plan is used to direct a course of treatment - is individualized to include patient/family preferences - and reflects a multidisciplinary approach to care (as clinically indicated)
• The plan is updated annually or more frequently if there is a change in the patient's condition or needs
• Coordinates assessment and screening of patients for specific mental health programs - including PTSD Clinical Team - Addictions Treatment Programming - Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) - and Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (PRRTP) - and provides referrals to internal and external therapeutic resources - as clinically indicated
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VISN15EDRP@VA.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required