Summary

The PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) Senior Social Worker is located within the Mental Health Service with primary assignment to the Trauma Recovery Clinic (TRC) at the Dayton VA Medical Center.

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: 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 - this part
• 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
• 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: (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
• Preferred Experience: Training and experience in two or more VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) consistent evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
• Physical Requirements: The social work duties include sedentary and ambulation (walking) throughout the medical center and in the community according to the demands of daily tasks
• Light carrying - less than 15 pounds-may be required as part of duties related to storing or moving files
• Working around moving objects or vehicles is required as part of daily ambulating within the medical center around patients who use motorized scooters and wheelchairs
• Requires working at intervals during the day (i.e. - documenting progress notes - completing phone calls - etc.)
• Reaching above the shoulder- may be required during daily tasks to access files located in overhead cabinets
• Walking- required approximately 3-4 hours daily associated with walking from assigned office to outpatient clinics and other medical center departments as needed to complete duties of the position
• Standing required approximately 3-4 hours daily associated with walking from assigned office to outpatient clinics and other departments within the medical center as needed to complete duties of the position and filing patient records as needed
• It may be required that this individual be able to operate a motor vehicle in this position and to include transporting patients off-site as part of their duties
• Work will take place in- and outdoors thus exposing them to the natural elements of the weather
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium - dementia - or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature - flexible - sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations - able to shift priorities based on patient needs
• May be exposed to infected patients and/or contaminated materials and will be required to take appropriate safety and protective measures.

Duties

• VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional We are seeking new provider to join a vibrant PTSD Clinical Team (PCT)
• This PCT has high evidence based psychotherapy reach and embodies a team based care approach to serving Veterans
• The Dayton VA Trauma Recovery Clinic Mission is \"To empower Veterans by providing well-researched - evidence-based treatments for PTSD and other trauma-related disorders that promote awareness - wellness - and recovery from the harmful impact of trauma.\" Duties The Senior Social Worker independently performs case finding functions and outreach - identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needs
• The incumbent possesses advanced knowledge and abilities to independently implement treatment - provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals - families and groups using evidence-based treatments for PTSD - co-occurring PTSD and Substance Use Disorders - and other mental health issues
• Must be trained in evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD (e.g. - Cognitive Processing Therapy - Prolonged Exposure - WET - or EMDR) and demonstrate competence within these modalities
• Independently conducts psychosocial assessments including standardized evaluation for PTSD and other mental health conditions
• The incumbent will provide clinical services including - but not limited to - assessment - individual and group therapy - psychoeducation - and case management services to veterans in the assigned work area(s) at the Dayton VAMC
• Independently provides case management and service coordination for Veterans as assigned to include facilitating admissions - treatment planning - and discharge planning
• Independently identifies high-risk patients and provides case management services
• Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with veterans and their families
• Independently provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment plan
• General knowledge of veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs - service-connected compensation - non-service-connected pension
• Facilitates referrals based upon veterans needs and eligibility
• The Senior Social Worker may assist the PTSD Programs Manager with the day-to-day functioning of the PCT - including assisting with planning - establishing - and implementing policies and procedures within the program along with conducting ongoing reviews to ensure the accomplishment of objectives and adherence to standards set by governing bodies
• The Senior Social Worker will provide clinical supervision to new social workers who are unlicensed or dependently licensed and social work graduate students - as assigned
• The incumbent has working knowledge and skill in the use of word-processing - data management and other computer systems - especially those programs in use by VHA
• Other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am-4:30pm 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) 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) Functional Statement #: 93168A