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

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
• 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
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j - Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• 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
• 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
• 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: Performing activities such as sitting - walking - standing - bending and carrying items such as books - papers and files are required
• When carrying out job related duties - it may be necessary for the incumbent to travel to MEDVAMC and/or into the community to meet with Veterans - their families - community partners - internal/external stakeholders and other representatives to complete official job related duties
• The incumbent must possess a current driver's license - adhere to all VHA/MEDVAMC directives and training requirements when operating a government vehicle to carry out official duties when deemed necessary
• 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 in sometimes stressful situations.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The MEDVAMC - a Complexity Level 1A VHA facility - serves as the primary health care provider for more than 120 -000 Veterans in southeast Texas
• The MEDVAMC is home to a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinic
• a Network Polytrauma Center
• an award-winning Cardiac and General Surgery Program
• a Liver Transplant Center
• and one of the VA's six Parkinson's disease Research - Education - and Care Centers
• MEDVAMC is a multisite health care system that includes a major medical facility in Houston - TX and 11 outpatient clinics and growing in the Houston Metropolitan area
• MEDVAMC is an academic health care system with significant teaching and research programs
• The Galveston/Texas City Outpatient Clinics (GOPC/TXOPC) is located in Galveston - Texas
• The clinic's catchment area covers Galveston - Brazoria and the surrounding areas counties
• It is located approximately 50 miles south of Houston and from the MEDVAMC
• The GOPC/TXOPC is administered through the MEDVAMC Medicine and Mental Health Carelines
• The incumbent independently will provide clinical psychosocial and case management services at an advanced practice level to eligible active duty service members - veterans and their family members to meet biological - psychological - social - and environmental needs
• The active duty service members and veterans receiving treatment at the site come from an expansive geographic area
• Their health care and psychosocial problems and needs are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight - coordination and creative problem-solving
• Services are provided at the Galveston/Texas City Community Based Outpatient Clinics - in the community - virtually and via telework
• In addition - may provide virtual coverage to other CBOC locations within the Michael E
• DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) catchment area
• As a member of the Social Work Service the incumbent is accountable and responsible for: Adhering to the Social Work Service practice guidelines and policies
• Attending staff meetings as required
• Providing sufficient clinical care for competency assessment - peer review - and credentialing and privileging processes
• Participation in a peer review process - as assigned
• On-call duties on a rotating basis - as assigned
• Serving as mentors - including new employee orientation - if privileged to perform and as assigned
• Providing LCSW supervision - if privileged to perform and as assigned
• Willingness to serve on board and/or committees to provide for the self governance of the Practice
• Participating in data collection and practice standardization activities
• Providing information to Social Work Professional Practice Council regarding their needs as an individual practice member
• and - The incumbent may be assigned other duties deemed critical to the care of Veterans in the Homeless Program Continuum - which includes assignments such as Emergency Management planning and response during pandemics or weather-related emergencies Work Schedule: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
• Monday-Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• 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
• 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: Not Available Functional Statement #: 580-00191-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized